Caracterização fenotípica e genotípica de progênies de pupunheira para palmito

A pupunheira (Bactris gasipaes H.B.K.) é considerada a espécie com maior potencial de produção de palmitos, em substituição aos tradicionais açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) e juçara (Euterpe edulis Mart.). Os objetivos deste trabalho foram estimar alguns parâmetros genéticos associados à avaliação de 31 progênies de meios-irmãos de pupunheiras e classificar as melhores progênies pelo teste de médias de Scott-Knott. O delineamento experimental usado foi o de blocos ao acaso com três repetições, com parcelas experimentais de cinco plantas. As avaliações dos caracteres de altura da planta no momento do corte (APC), diâmetro da planta na altura do colo (DPC) e peso do palmito líquido (PPL) foram realizadas aos 15, 26 e 37 meses após o plantio. A população avaliada apresentou variação genética disponível para seleção e não sofreu efeito de interação com os cortes; o caráter PPL deverá ser testado com maior número de repetições, sendo o caráter mais sensível a efeitos de cortes; a razão entre o coeficiente de variação genética e o coeficiente de variação do erro indica que existem dificuldades nos processos de seleção nos caracteres avaliados; a correlação genotípica entre os caracteres DPC e PPL apresenta-se promissora para facilitar a seleção indireta do caráter PPL pelo caráter DPC. O agrupamento de médias de Scott-Knott classificou as progênies em dois grupos.

Meta-analysis identifies multiple loci associated with kidney function-related traits in east Asian populations.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD), impairment of kidney function, is a serious public health problem, and the assessment of genetic factors influencing kidney function has substantial clinical relevance. Here, we report a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies for kidney function-related traits, including 71,149 east Asian individuals from 18 studies in 11 population-, hospital- or family-based cohorts, conducted as part of the Asian Genetic Epidemiology Network (AGEN). Our meta-analysis identified 17 loci newly associated with kidney function-related traits, including the concentrations of blood urea nitrogen, uric acid and serum creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate based on serum creatinine levels (eGFRcrea) (P < 5.0 × 10(-8)). We further examined these loci with in silico replication in individuals of European ancestry from the KidneyGen, CKDGen and GUGC consortia, including a combined total of ∼110,347 individuals. We identify pleiotropic associations among these loci with kidney function-related traits and risk of CKD. These findings provide new insights into the genetics of kidney function.

The effect of mutations in the DRY motif on the constitutive activity and structural instability of the histamine H(2) receptor.

In previous studies we showed that the wild-type histamine H(2) receptor stably expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells is constitutively active. Because constitutive activity of the H(2) receptor is already found at low expression levels (300 fmol/mg protein) this receptor is a relatively unique member of the G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family and a useful tool for studying GPCR activation. In this study the role of the highly conserved DRY motif in activation of the H(2) receptor was investigated. Mutation of the aspartate 115 residue in this motif resulted in H(2) receptors with high constitutive activity, increased agonist affinity, and increased signaling properties. In addition, the mutant receptors were shown to be highly structurally instable. Mutation of the arginine 116 residue in the DRY motif resulted also in a highly structurally instable receptor; expression of the receptor could only be detected after stabilization with either an agonist or inverse agonist. Moreover, the agonist affinity at the Arg-116 mutant receptors was increased, whereas the signal transduction properties of these receptors were decreased. We conclude that the Arg-116 mutant receptors can adopt an active conformation but have a decreased ability to couple to or activate the G(s)-protein. This study examines the pivotal role of the aspartate and arginine residues of the DRY motif in GPCR function. Disruption of receptor stabilizing constraints by mutation in the DRY motif leads to the formation of active GPCR conformations, but concomitantly to GPCR instability.

Diferenciação molecular de cultivares elites de bananeira

Este trabalho teve como objetivo caracterizar molecularmente genótipos elite, e recomendados, de bananeira, por meio de marcadores RAPD e microssatélites. Foram utilizados 47 primers de RAPD e 34 primers de microssatélites. Foi também conduzido um ensaio de contaminação, utilizando-se o primer AGMI 24-25, cuja variedade Tropical foi considerada a amostra-padrão, e as cultivares Caipira e Prata Graúda como contaminantes. Os marcadores permitiram separar as cultivares de acordo com a origem e a constituição genômica e definiram padrões moleculares para algumas cultivares avaliadas. As cultivares Garantida, Preciosa e Pacovan Ken apresentaram alta similaridade genética com ambos marcadores. O primer AGMI 24-25 demonstrou alta capacidade discriminatória de genótipos em ensaios de contaminação.

European expert opinion on the management of invasive candidiasis in adults.

This report discusses the present status of antifungal therapy and treatment options for candidaemia, considered by experts in the field in Europe. A conference of 26 experts from 13 European countries was held to discuss strategies for the treatment and prevention of invasive candidiasis, with the aim of providing a review on optimal management strategies. Published and unpublished comparative trials on antifungal therapy were analysed and discussed. Commonly asked questions about the management of candidaemia were selected, and possible responses to these questions were discussed. Panellists were then asked to respond to each question by using a touchpad answering system. After the initial conference, the viewpoint document has been reviewed and edited to include new insights and developments since the initial meeting. For many situations, consensus on treatment could not be reached, and the responses indicate that treatment is likely to be modified on a patient-to-patient basis, depending on factors such as degree of illness, prior exposure to azole antifungals, and the presence of potentially antifungal drug-resistant Candida species.

Características agronômicas de genótipos de bananeira em três ciclos de produção em Rio Branco, AC

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar características agronômicas de genótipos de bananeira, em três ciclos de produção. O experimento foi realizado em blocos ao acaso, com parcelas subdivididas e cinco repetições, em Rio Branco, AC. Os genótipos Preciosa, Japira, Pacovan Ken, Pacovan, PA42-44, Prata-anã, ST12-31, FHIA 02, Nanicão, Grande Naine, Calipso, Ambrósia e Bucaneiro foram avaliados quanto aos caracteres: altura da planta; diâmetro do pseudocaule; número de folhas vivas na floração e na colheita; ciclo de formação do cacho da floração à colheita; número de pencas por cacho; massa do fruto e do cacho; e produtividade. As cultivares Preciosa e Pacovan Ken apresentaram as maiores alturas, e os híbridos PA42-44 e FHIA 02, e as cultivares Prata-anã, Nanicão e Grande Naine, o porte mais baixo. As cultivares Nanicão, Ambrósia, Bucaneiro, Pacovan, Prata-anã e Grande Naine e o híbrido ST12-31 apresentaram os menores números de folhas vivas na colheita. A cultivar Preciosa e o híbrido FHIA 02 foram os mais produtivos. Os híbridos PA42-44 e FHIA 02 apresentam características agronômicas promissoras e podem ser incorporados ao sistema produtivo, assim como os híbridos de Pacovan, já adaptados e recomendados para o cultivo no Estado do Acre.

Micropropagación y estimativa de producción de mudas de bananos para la Amazonia Occidental

El objetivo del trabajo fue de determinar tasas de multiplicación y estimar la producción in vitro de microplantas de las cultivares del banano Preciosa, Maravilha, Pacovan Ken y Japira, durante seis subcultivos y con diferentes concentraciones de BAP. Después de multiplicadas, las microplantas enraizadas fueron aclimatadas, y la sobrevivencia fue determinada después de 30 días. Las tasas de multiplicación fueron de 2,3 y 2,1 brotes por explante de 'Preciosa' y 'Maravilha', respectivamente, y 2,7 brotes por explante de 'Pacovan Ken' y 'Japira', en 4 mg L-1 de BAP. Las pérdidas por contaminación fueron de 22,4%, y la sobrevivencia por lo menos 96%.

Kinetic equations for difussion in the presence of entropic barriers

We use the mesoscopic nonequilibrium thermodynamics theory to derive the general kinetic equation of a system in the presence of potential barriers. The result is applied to a description of the evolution of systems whose dynamics is influenced by entropic barriers. We analyze in detail the case of diffusion in a domain of irregular geometry in which the presence of the boundaries induces an entropy barrier when approaching the exact dynamics by a coarsening of the description. The corresponding kinetic equation, named the Fick-Jacobs equation, is obtained, and its validity is generalized through the formulation of a scaling law for the diffusion coefficient which depends on the shape of the boundaries. The method we propose can be useful to analyze the dynamics of systems at the nanoscale where the presence of entropy barriers is a common feature.

In situ and genetic characterization of Gossypium barbadense populations from the states of Pará and Amapá, Brazil

The objective of this work was to characterize the populations of Gossypium barbadense in the states of Amapá and Pará, Brazil. In situ characterization was conducted through interviews with the owners of the plants and environmental observations. Leaf or petal tissue as well as seed samples were collected for genetic characterization by single sequence repeats markers and for storage in germplasm banks, respectively. The plants were maintained in dooryards and used mainly for medical purposes. The genetic analysis showed no heterozygous plants at the loci tested (f = 1), indicating that reproduction occurs mainly through selfing. The total genetic diversity was high (He = 0.39); and a high level of differentiation was observed between cotton plants from the two states (F ST = 0.36). Conventional methods of in situ maintenance of G. barbadense populations are not applicable. The conservation of the genetic variability of populations present in the two states could be achieved through germplasm collection and establishing of ex situ seed banks.

Molecular imaging in the development of a novel treatment paradigm for glioblastoma (GBM): an integrated multidisciplinary commentary.

Current therapeutic strategies against glioblastoma (GBM) have failed to prevent disease progression and recurrence effectively. The part played by molecular imaging (MI) in the development of novel therapies has gained increasing traction in recent years. For the first time, using expertise from an integrated multidisciplinary group of authors, herein we present a comprehensive evaluation of state-of-the-art GBM imaging and explore how advances facilitate the emergence of new treatment options. We propose a novel next-generation treatment paradigm based on the targeting of multiple hallmarks of cancer evolution that will heavily rely on MI.

Improved NYVAC-based vaccine vectors.

While as yet there is no vaccine against HIV/AIDS, the results of the phase III Thai trial (RV144) have been encouraging and suggest that further improvements of the prime/boost vaccine combination of a poxvirus and protein are needed. With this aim, in this investigation we have generated derivatives of the candidate vaccinia virus vaccine vector NYVAC with potentially improved functions. This has been achieved by the re-incorporation into the virus genome of two host range genes, K1L and C7L, in conjunction with the removal of the immunomodulatory viral molecule B19, an antagonist of type I interferon action. These novel virus vectors, referred to as NYVAC-C-KC and NYVAC-C-KC-ΔB19R, have acquired relevant biological characteristics, giving higher levels of antigen expression in infected cells, replication-competency in human keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts, activation of selective host cell signal transduction pathways, and limited virus spread in tissues. Importantly, these replication-competent viruses have been demonstrated to maintain a highly attenuated phenotype.

Can a Halo CME from the limb be geoeffective?

The probability for a halo coronal mass ejection (CME) to be geoeffective is assumed to be higher the closer the CME launch site is located to the solar central meridian. However, events far from the central meridian may produce severe geomagnetic storms, like the case in April 2000. In this work, we study the possible geoeffectiveness of full halo CMEs with the source region situated at solar limb. For this task, we select all limb full halo (LFH) CMEs that occurred during solar cycle 23, and we search for signatures of geoeffectiveness between 1 and 5 days after the first appearance of each CME in the LASCO C2 field of view. When signatures of geomagnetic activity are observed in the selected time window, interplanetary data are carefully analyzed in order to look for the cause of the geomagnetic disturbance. Finally, a possible association between geoeffective interplanetary signatures and every LFH CME in solar cycle 23 is checked in order to decide on the CME's geoeffectiveness. After a detailed analysis of solar, interplanetary, and geomagnetic data, we conclude that of the 25 investigated events, there are only four geoeffective LFH CMEs, all coming from the west limb. The geoeffectiveness of these events seems to be moderate, turning to intense in two of them as a result of cumulative effects from previous mass ejections. We conclude that ejections from solar locations close to the west limb should be considered in space weather, at least as sources of moderate disturbances.

Forecasting the Earth"s radiation belts and modeling solar energetic particle events: Recent results from SPACECAST

High-energy charged particles in the van Allen radiation belts and in solar energetic particle events can damage satellites on orbit leading to malfunctions and loss of satellite service. Here we describe some recent results from the SPACECAST project on modelling and forecasting the radiation belts, and modelling solar energetic particle events. We describe the SPACECAST forecasting system that uses physical models that include wave-particle interactions to forecast the electron radiation belts up to 3 h ahead. We show that the forecasts were able to reproduce the >2 MeV electron flux at GOES 13 during the moderate storm of 7-8 October 2012, and the period following a fast solar wind stream on 25-26 October 2012 to within a factor of 5 or so. At lower energies of 10- a few 100 keV we show that the electron flux at geostationary orbit depends sensitively on the high-energy tail of the source distribution near 10 RE on the nightside of the Earth, and that the source is best represented by a kappa distribution. We present a new model of whistler mode chorus determined from multiple satellite measurements which shows that the effects of wave-particle interactions beyond geostationary orbit are likely to be very significant. We also present radial diffusion coefficients calculated from satellite data at geostationary orbit which vary with Kp by over four orders of magnitude. We describe a new automated method to determine the position at the shock that is magnetically connected to the Earth for modelling solar energetic particle events and which takes into account entropy, and predict the form of the mean free path in the foreshock, and particle injection efficiency at the shock from analytical theory which can be tested in simulations.

Estudio de alta resolución de las fallas activas y procesos sedimentarios asociados al Cañón de São Vicente, margen Sudoeste de Iberia

The Southwest Iberian Margin is caracterized by an intense and diffuse seismic activity due to the convergence between Eurasian and African plates...

Historical logging, productivity, and structural characteristics of boreal coniferous forests in Norway

Abstract