Validation of the effects of a single one second hypochlorite floral dip on Botrytis cinerea incidence following long-term shipment of cut roses

The effect of a pre-shipment hypochlorite treatment on botrytis incidence was evaluated in a large number of rose cultivars and under different long-term storage conditions. Application parameters, stability and sources of hypochlorite were investigated. Irrespective of the type of packaging and shipment conditions, roses that received a pre-shipment treatment with 100 to 150 mg/L hypochlorite showed a significantly decreased botrytis incidence compared to non-hypochlorite treated roses. The hypochlorite treatment generally was more effective than a comparable treatment with commercial fungicides. Dipping the flower heads for approximately one second in a hypochlorite solution was more effective than spraying the heads. In few cases minor hypochlorite-induced damage on the petal tips was observed at higher concentrations (>200 mg/L). Apart from the effect on botrytis incidence, the treatment resulted in reduced water loss that may have an additional beneficial effect on the eventual flower quality. It is concluded that, apart from other obvious measures to reduce botrytis incidence (prevention of high humidity at the flower heads) a pre-shipment floral dip in 100 to 150 mg/L hypochlorite from commercial household bleach is an easy and cost effective way to reduce botrytis incidence following long term storage/transportation of roses. © 2015, International Society for Horticultural Science. All rights reserved.

Identification of superior reference genes for data normalisation of expression studies via quantitative PCR in hybrid roses (Rosa hybrida)

Background: Gene expression studies are a prerequisite for understanding the biological function of genes. Because of its high sensitivity and easy use, quantitative PCR (qPCR) has become the gold standard for gene expression quantification. To normalise qPCR measurements between samples, the most prominent technique is the use of stably expressed endogenous control genes, the so called reference genes. However, recent studies show there is no universal reference gene for all biological questions. Roses are important ornamental plants for which there has been no evaluation of useful reference genes for gene expression studies. Results: We used three different algorithms (BestKeeper, geNorm and NormFinder) to validate the expression stability of nine candidate reference genes in different rose tissues from three different genotypes of Rosa hybrida and in leaves treated with various stress factors. The candidate genes comprised the classical "housekeeping genes" (Actin, EF-1α, GAPDH, Tubulin and Ubiquitin), and genes showing stable expression in studies in Arabidopsis (PP2A, SAND, TIP and UBC). The programs identified no single gene that showed stable expression under all of the conditions tested, and the individual rankings of the genes differed between the algorithms. Nevertheless the new candidate genes, specifically, PP2A and UBC, were ranked higher as compared to the other traditional reference genes. In general, Tubulin showed the most variable expression and should be avoided as a reference gene. Conclusions: Reference genes evaluated as suitable in experiments with Arabidopsis thaliana were stably expressed in roses under various experimental conditions. In most cases, these genes outperformed conventional reference genes, such as EF1-α and Tubulin. We identified PP2A, SAND and UBC as suitable reference genes, which in different combinations may be used for normalisation in expression analyses via qPCR for different rose tissues and stress treatments. However, the vast genetic variation found within the genus Rosa, including differences in ploidy levels, might also influence expression stability of reference genes, so that future research should also consider different genotypes and ploidy levels.

Rosarum monographia; or, A botanical history of roses to which is added, an appendix, for the use of cultivators, in which the most remarkable garden varieties are systematically arranged ...

Mode of access: Internet.

A list of British roses,

Mode of access: Internet.

Naturally-acquired humoral immune responses against the N- and C-termini of the Plasmodium vivax MSP1 protein in endemic regions of Brazil and Papua New Guinea using a multiplex assay

Background: Progress towards the development of a malaria vaccine against Plasmodium vivax, the most widely distributed human malaria parasite, will require a better understanding of the immune responses that confer clinical protection to patients in regions where malaria is endemic. Methods: Glutathione S-transferase (GST) and GST-fusion proteins representing the N-terminus of the merozoite surface protein 1 of P. vivax, PvMSP1-N, and the C-terminus, PvMSP1-C, were covalently coupled to BioPlex carboxylated beads. Recombinant proteins and coupled beads were used, respectively, in ELISA and Bioplex assays using immune sera of P. vivax patients from Brazil and PNG to determine IgG and subclass responses. Concordances between the two methods in the seropositivity responses were evaluated using the Kappa statistic and the Spearman's rank correlation. Results: The results using this methodology were compared with the classical microtitre enzyme-linked immnosorbent assay ( ELISA), showing that the assay was sensitive, reproducible and had good concordance with ELISA; yet, further research into different statistical analyses seems desirable before claiming conclusive results exclusively based on multiplex assays. As expected, results demonstrated that PvMSP1 was immunogenic in natural infections of patients from different endemic regions of Brazil and Papua New Guinea ( PNG), and that age correlated only with antibodies against the C-terminus part of the molecule. Furthermore, the IgG subclass profiles were different in these endemic regions having IgG3 predominantly recognizing PvMSP1 in Brazil and IgG1 predominantly recognizing PvMSP1 in PNG. Conclusions: This study validates the use of the multiplex assay to measure naturally-acquired IgG antibodies against the merozoite surface protein 1 of P. vivax.

The road to rulership : Henry Tudor, King of England

At the close of the Wars of the Roses, a new dynasty was founded by a man lacking a prince’s education; moreover, his weak claim to the throne of England gave rise to a set of serious problems. These two crucial, interrelated elements are central in Francis Bacon’s biographical account of Henry VII. The literal road leading Richmond from exile to victory in Bosworth Field, in 1485, is eventually transformed into a metaphoric path that prefigures the long, deep process of learning undertaken during his 24-year reign. This fundamental process carried out by the king will be approached mainly through the passages focused on the Lambert Simnell/Perkin Warbeck affairs, the most difficult probelms the monarch had to face in a time and in a kingdom of many uncertainties. The Simnell/Warbeck menaces embodied Henry Tudor’s greatest dilemmas, continually emphasised in Bacon’s work – the essence of legitimacy and the essence of royalty.

Trends in public health policies addressing violence against women

OBJECTIVE To analyze the content of policies and action plans within the public healthcare system that addresses the issue of violence against women.METHODS A descriptive and comparative study was conducted on the health policies and plans in Catalonia and Costa Rica from 2005 to 2011. It uses a qualitative methodology with documentary analysis. It is classified by topics that describe and interpret the contents. We considered dimensions, such as principles, strategies, concepts concerning violence against women, health trends, and evaluations.RESULTS Thirteen public policy documents were analyzed. In both countries’ contexts, we have provided an overview of violence against women as a problem whose roots are in gender inequality. The strategies of gender policies that address violence against women are cultural exchange and institutional action within the public healthcare system. The actions of the healthcare sector are expanded into specific plans. The priorities and specificity of actions in healthcare plans were the distinguishing features between the two countries.CONCLUSIONS The common features of the healthcare plans in both the counties include violence against women, use of protocols, detection tasks, care and recovery for women, and professional self-care. Catalonia does not consider healthcare actions with aggressors. Costa Rica has a lower specificity in conceptualization and protocol patterns, as well as a lack of updates concerning health standards in Catalonia.

A sensitivity study of the WRF model in wind simulation for an area of high wind energy

The performance of the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model in wind simulation was evaluated under different numerical and physical options for an area of Portugal, located in complex terrain and characterized by its significant wind energy resource. The grid nudging and integration time of the simulations were the tested numerical options. Since the goal is to simulate the near-surface wind, the physical parameterization schemes regarding the boundary layer were the ones under evaluation. Also, the influences of the local terrain complexity and simulation domain resolution on the model results were also studied. Data from three wind measuring stations located within the chosen area were compared with the model results, in terms of Root Mean Square Error, Standard Deviation Error and Bias. Wind speed histograms, occurrences and energy wind roses were also used for model evaluation. Globally, the model accurately reproduced the local wind regime, despite a significant underestimation of the wind speed. The wind direction is reasonably simulated by the model especially in wind regimes where there is a clear dominant sector, but in the presence of low wind speeds the characterization of the wind direction (observed and simulated) is very subjective and led to higher deviations between simulations and observations. Within the tested options, results show that the use of grid nudging in simulations that should not exceed an integration time of 2 days is the best numerical configuration, and the parameterization set composed by the physical schemes MM5–Yonsei University–Noah are the most suitable for this site. Results were poorer in sites with higher terrain complexity, mainly due to limitations of the terrain data supplied to the model. The increase of the simulation domain resolution alone is not enough to significantly improve the model performance. Results suggest that error minimization in the wind simulation can be achieved by testing and choosing a suitable numerical and physical configuration for the region of interest together with the use of high resolution terrain data, if available.

UV-Vis spectroscopic study preferential solvation and intermolecular interactions in methanol/1-propanol/acetonitrile by means of solvatochromic probes

Solvatochromic UV-Vis shifts of four indicators (4-nitroaniline, 4-nitroanisole, 4-nitrophenol and N,N-dimethy-1-4-nitro aniline) have been measured at 298.15 K in the ternary mixture methano1/1-propanol/acetonitrile (MeOH/1-PrOH/MeCN) in a total of 22 mole fractions, along with 18 additional mole fractions for each of the corresponding binary mixtures, MeOH/1-PrOH, 1-PrOH/MeCN and MeOH/MeCN. These values, combined with our previous experimental results for 2,6-dipheny1-4-(2,4,6-triphenylpyridinium-1-yl)phenolate (Reichardt's betaine dye) in the same mixtures, permitted the computation of the Kamlet-Taft solvent parameters, alpha, beta, and pi*. The rationalization of the spectroscopic behavior of each probe within each mixture's whole mole fraction range was achieved through the use of the Bosch and Roses preferential solvation model. The applied model allowed the identification of synergistic behaviors in MeCN/alcohol mixtures and thus to infer the existence of solvent complexes in solution. Also, the addition of small amounts of MeCN to the binary mixtures was seen to cause a significant variation in pi*, whereas the addition of alcohol to MeCN mixtures always lead to a sudden change in a and The behavior of these parameters in the ternary mixture was shown to be mainly determined by the contributions of the underlying binary mixtures. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hiskipper - sistema de informação apoio à náutica de recreio

Trabalho de projecto apresentado como requisito parcial para a obtenção do grau de Mestre em Estatística e Gestão de Informação

Le gisement de Asseiceira, Portugal (Miocène supérieur) Données complémentaires sur Freiria de Rio Maior

A new upper Miocene locality at Asseiceira (Rio Maior), near the top of the "Calcários de Almoster e Santarém" unit (Almoster and Santarém limestones) is studied. Animal and plant fossils are described. Comparisons are drawn to other localities related to the same unit: Freiria and Azambujeira (middle and upper levels, both with large mammals). Small mammals from Asseiceira and Freiria point out to a rather old age amidst the upper Vallesian, MN 10 mammal-unit. This gives a fairly accurate datation for the "Calcários de Almoster e Santarém" and for the short time span of the corresponding sedimentation. Climate was warm and quite dry, with contrasting seasons and arid events. During upper Vallesian times, climate in Iberian Peninsula was varied but drier than in France, and specially so in the inner basins. However in Portugal and in Catalonia climate would he less different in comparison with that of the Rhône basin. Environmental evolution has been important: at Freiria and Azambujeira (middle level) there were mainly shallow lacustrine environments that received ressurgence waters from the nearby "Maciço calcário". Humid areas were closely surrounded by dense forests and these by broader and drier savanna or steppe areas. Still later, carbonate sedimentation ended. For some time there was still a river system with oxbows; humid areas probably were decreasing in favour of surrounding, rather dry environments. This study stressed the nced for revision of the geology of the region of Rio Maior and for a new geological mapping of that area. Environmental evolution has been important: at Freiria and Azambujeira (middle level) there were mainly shallow lacustrine environments that received ressurgence waters from the nearby "Maciço calcário".

Prevalência da C.trachomatis entre homens que fazem sexo com homens (HSH) que frequentam um centro clínico comunitário alternativo em Barcelona

RESUMO - Enquadramento: A infeção por Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) é considerada um grave problema de Saúde Pública. É causa de infeções sintomáticas tanto no homem como na mulher, bem como, de infeções assintomáticas que podem ter consequências muito graves a longo prazo. A presença de CT sem tratamento aumenta o risco de transmissão do vírus da imunodeficiência humana. Existem vários estudos publicados de prevalência da CT por todo o mundo, no entanto, estudos de prevalência da CT em populações assintomáticas, envolvendo homens que fazem sexo com homens (HSH) são raros na Europa. Assim, o presente estudo, ao estimar a prevalência e ao descrever as caraterísticas epidemiológicas e de conduta dos HSH, pretende contribuir para o plano de ação contra as IST´s e VIH na Catalunha, através de estratégias concretas para deteção e prevenção da CT. Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo observacional, transversal de prevalência da CT em HSH utentes de um serviço comunitário em Barcelona, com recurso a técnicas de diagnóstico de biologia molecular e a um questionário. Durante Março e Junho de 2015, foram recrutados 200 voluntários de um serviço comunitário em Barcelona que foram testados para CT e NG em três locais anatómicos através de uma PCR em tempo real utilizando o ensaio Anyplex™ CT/NG Real-time Detection. Resultados: O presente estudo permitiu uma caraterização da situação atual quanto á prevalência e aos fatores de risco associados á infeção por CT em HSH. A prevalência nesta população específica foi de 12,6% e os fatores risco associados foram o facto de serem VIH e praticarem sexo anal insertivo/recetivo com parceiro estável. Conclusões: Os resultados obtidos reforçam a necessidade do desenvolvimento de estratégias adequadas de controlo e prevenção da CT nesta população de risco, tais como: rastreios frequentes e tratamento dos casos positivos para quebrar a cadeia de transmissão, promoção da saúde, educação e notificação dos parceiros sexuais. Também demonstram a importância destes rastreios nos três locais anatómicos: uretra, reto e faringe.