Effects of UV-B radiation on the antagonistic ability of Clonostachys rosea to Botrytis cinerea on strawberry leaf disc

Human activities are altering the concentrations of ozone in the troposphere and hence in the incidence of ultraviolet-B (UV-B) on Earth’s surface. Although representing only five percent of UV-B radiation striking the Earth's surface, this radiation has the potential to cause effects on biologically active molecules. Sensitivity to UV-B radiation is one of the limitations of biological control of plant pathogens in the field. The objectives of this work were to evaluate the effects of UV-B on several isolates of Clonostachys rosea, and the ability of an isolate of C. rosea, previously selected for its tolerant to UV-B radiation, to control Botrytis cinerea on strawberry leaves in controlled conditions (strawberry leaf discs). The germination of C. rosea conidia was inversely proportional to the irradiance. The most tolerant strain (LQC62) had relative germination of about 60% after irradiation of 4.2kJ/m2, and this strain was selected to be used in the subsequent studies. The data showed that even with exposure to UV-B radiation, C. rosea LQC62 controlled the pathogen. Conidial concentrations of strain LQC62 above 105 conidia/ml showed higher tolerance to UV-B radiation and increased ability to control more than 75% of the B. cinerea even with exposure to radiation. According to our results, in addition to showing less growth under UV-B, conidia of C. rosea had lower antagonistic ability. Further studies are needed to observe the tolerance of B. cinerea conidia to UV-B radiation and thereby prove that an environment with increased UV-B radiation may be favoring the pathogen due to a lower ability of C. rosea to control the pathogen in conditions of increased UV-B.

Qualidade do tomate ‘pitenza’ com utilização da radiação ultravioleta (UV-C)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Pré-tratamentos com luz em sementes de tomateiro para indução de tolerância ao déficit hídrico

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

No evidence of UV cone input to mono- and biphasic horizontal cells in the goldfish retina

Many animal species make use of ultraviolet (UV) light in a number of behaviors, such as feeding and mating. The goldfish (Carassius auratus) is among those with a UV photoreceptor and pronounced UV sensitivity. Little is known, however, about the retinal processing of this input. We addressed this issue by recording intracellularly from second-order neurons in the adult goldfish retina. In order to test whether cone-driven horizontal cells (HCs) receive UV cone inputs, we performed chromatic adaptation experiments with mono- and biphasic HCs. We found no functional evidence of a projection from the UV-sensitive cones to these neurons in adult animals. This suggests that goldfish UV receptors may contact preferentially triphasic HCs, which is at odds with the hypothesis that all cones contact all cone-driven HC types. However, we did find evidence of direct M-cone input to monophasic HCs, favoring the idea that cone-HC contacts are more promiscuous than originally proposed. Together, our results suggest that either UV cones have a more restricted set of post-synaptic partners than the other three cone types, or that the UV input to mono- and biphasic HCs is not very pronounced in adult animals.

Decentralization and regionalization: dynamics and conditioning factors for the implementation of the Health Pact in Brazil

Decentralization and regionalization represent constitutional guidelines for the organization of the Unified Health System, which in the last 20 years has required the adoption of mechanisms to coordinate and accommodate federative tensions in Brazil's healthcare sector. This paper analyzes the national implementation of the Health Pact between 2006 and 2010 involving a strategy that reconfigures intergovernmental relations in the sector. The study involved the analysis of documents, official data and interviews with federal, state and municipal managers in the Brazilian states. The content of the national proposal is initially discussed, including its implications for health policy. The different rhythms and degrees of implementation of the Health Pact are then reviewed, with respect to adherence by states and municipalities and the formation of Regional Management Boards. Lastly, the conditioning factors for the multiplicity of experiences observed in the country are identified and the challenges facing progress toward a decentralized and regionalized health system in Brazil are discussed.

UV Radiation as an Attractor for Insects

Light pollution due to exterior lighting is a rising concern. While glare, light trespass and general light pollution have been well described, there are few reported studies on the impact of light pollution on insects. By studying insect behavior in relation to artificial lighting, we suggest that control of the UV component of artificial lighting can significantly reduce its attractiveness, offering a strong ability to control the impact on insects. Traditionally, the attractiveness of a lamp to insects is calculated using the luminous efficiency spectrum of insect rhodopsin. This has enabled the development of lamps that emit radiation with wavelengths that are less visible to insects (that is, yellow lamps). We tested the assumption that the degree of visibility of a lamp to insects can predict its attractiveness by means of experimental collections. We found that the expected lamp's visibility is indeed related to the extent to which it attracts insects. However, the number of insects attracted to a lamp is disproportionally affected by the emission of ultraviolet radiation. UV triggers the behavior of approaching lights more or less independently of the amount of UV radiation emitted. Thus, even small amounts of UV should be controlled in order to develop bug-free lamps.

Transcriptome Analysis of Renal Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury and Its Modulation by Ischemic Pre-Conditioning or Hemin Treatment

Ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) is a leading cause of acute renal failure. The definition of the molecular mechanisms involved in renal IRI and counter protection promoted by ischemic pre-conditioning (IPC) or Hemin treatment is an important milestone that needs to be accomplished in this research area. We examined, through an oligonucleotide microarray protocol, the renal differential transcriptome profiles of mice submitted to IRI, IPC and Hemin treatment. After identifying the profiles of differentially expressed genes observed for each comparison, we carried out functional enrichment analysis to reveal transcripts putatively involved in potential relevant biological processes and signaling pathways. The most relevant processes found in these comparisons were stress, apoptosis, cell differentiation, angiogenesis, focal adhesion, ECM-receptor interaction, ion transport, angiogenesis, mitosis and cell cycle, inflammatory response, olfactory transduction and regulation of actin cytoskeleton. In addition, the most important overrepresented pathways were MAPK, ErbB, JAK/STAT, Toll and Nod like receptors, Angiotensin II, Arachidonic acid metabolism, Wnt and coagulation cascade. Also, new insights were gained about the underlying protection mechanisms against renal IRI promoted by IPC and Hemin treatment. Venn diagram analysis allowed us to uncover common and exclusively differentially expressed genes between these two protective maneuvers, underscoring potential common and exclusive biological functions regulated in each case. In summary, IPC exclusively regulated the expression of genes belonging to stress, protein modification and apoptosis, highlighting the role of IPC in controlling exacerbated stress response. Treatment with the Hmox1 inducer Hemin, in turn, exclusively regulated the expression of genes associated with cell differentiation, metabolic pathways, cell cycle, mitosis, development, regulation of actin cytoskeleton and arachidonic acid metabolism, suggesting a pleiotropic effect for Hemin. These findings improve the biological understanding of how the kidney behaves after IRI. They also illustrate some possible underlying molecular mechanisms involved in kidney protection observed with IPC or Hemin treatment maneuvers.

Advanced oxidation process H2O2/UV combined with anaerobic digestion to remove chlorinated organics from bleached kraft pulp mill wastewater

This study investigated the application of an advanced oxidation process combining hydrogen peroxide with ultraviolet radiation (H2O2/UV) to remove recalcitrant compounds from Kraft bleaching effluent. Anaerobic pre-treatment was performed to remove easily degraded organics using a horizontal-flow anaerobic immobilized biomass (HAIB) reactor. Bleaching plant effluent was treated in the HAIB reactor processed over 19 h of hydraulic retention time (HRT), reaching the expected removal efficiencies for COD (61 +/- 3%), TOC (69 +/- 9%), BOD5 (90 +/- 5%) and AOX (55 +/- 14%). However, the anaerobic treatment did not achieve acceptable removal of UV254 compounds. Furthermore, there was an increase of lignin, measured as total phenols. The H2O2/UV post-treatment provided a wide range of removal efficiencies depending on the dosage of hydrogen peroxide and UV irradiation: COD ranged from 0 to 11%, UV254 from 16 to 35%, lignin from 0 to 29% and AOX from 23 to 54%. All peroxide dosages applied in this work promoted an increase in the BOD5/COD ratio of the wastewater. The experiments demonstrate the technical feasibility of using H2O2/UV for post-treatment of bleaching effluents submitted to anaerobic pre-treatment.

Size distributions and temporal variations of biological aerosol particles in the Amazon rainforest characterized by microscopy and real-time UV-APS fluorescence techniques during AMAZE-08

As a part of the AMAZE-08 campaign during the wet season in the rainforest of central Amazonia, an ultraviolet aerodynamic particle sizer (UV-APS) was operated for continuous measurements of fluorescent biological aerosol particles (FBAP). In the coarse particle size range (> 1 mu m) the campaign median and quartiles of FBAP number and mass concentration were 7.3x10(4) m(-3) (4.0-13.2x10(4) m(-3)) and 0.72 mu g m(-3) (0.42-1.19 mu g m(-3)), respectively, accounting for 24% (11-41%) of total particle number and 47% (25-65%) of total particle mass. During the five-week campaign in February-March 2008 the concentration of coarse-mode Saharan dust particles was highly variable. In contrast, FBAP concentrations remained fairly constant over the course of weeks and had a consistent daily pattern, peaking several hours before sunrise, suggesting observed FBAP was dominated by nocturnal spore emission. This conclusion was supported by the consistent FBAP number size distribution peaking at 2.3 mu m, also attributed to fungal spores and mixed biological particles by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), light microscopy and biochemical staining. A second primary biological aerosol particle (PBAP) mode between 0.5 and 1.0 mu m was also observed by SEM, but exhibited little fluorescence and no true fungal staining. This mode may have consisted of single bacterial cells, brochosomes, various fragments of biological material, and small Chromalveolata (Chromista) spores. Particles liquid-coated with mixed organic-inorganic material constituted a large fraction of observations, and these coatings contained salts likely from primary biological origin. We provide key support for the suggestion that real-time laser-induce fluorescence (LIF) techniques using 355 nm excitation provide size-resolved concentrations of FBAP as a lower limit for the atmospheric abundance of biological particles in a pristine environment. We also show some limitations of using the instrument for ambient monitoring of weakly fluorescent particles < 2 mu m. Our measurements confirm that primary biological particles, fungal spores in particular, are an important fraction of supermicron aerosol in the Amazon and that may contribute significantly to hydrological cycling, especially when coated by mixed inorganic material.

Regionalization and access to healthcare in Brazilian states: historical and political-institutional conditioning factors

This article examines the healthcare regionalization process in the Brazilian states in the period from 2007 to 2010, seeking to identify the conditions that favor or impede this process. Referential analysis of public policies and especially of historical institutionalism was used. Three dimensions sum up the conditioning factors of regionalization: context (historical-structural, political-institutional and conjunctural), directionality (ideology, object, actors, strategies and instruments) and regionalization features (institutionality and governance). The empirical research relied mainly on the analysis of official documents and interviews with key actors in 24 states. Distinct patterns of influence in the states were observed, with regionalization being marked by important gains in institutionality and governance in the period. Nevertheless, inherent difficulties of the contexts prejudice greater advances. There is a pressing need to broaden the territorial focus in government planning and to integrate sectorial policies for medium and long-term regional development in order to empower regionalization and to overcome obstacles to the access to healthcare services in Brazil.

Automated analysis of lidocaine and its metabolite in plasma by in-tube solid-phase microextraction coupled with LC-UV for pharmacokinetic study

A sensitive, selective, and reproducible in-tube solid-phase microextraction and liquid chromatographic (in-tube SPME/LC-UV) method for determination of lidocaine and its metabolite monoethylglycinexylidide (MEGX) in human plasma has been developed, validated, and further applied to pharmacokinetic study in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) subjected to epidural anesthesia. Important factors in the optimization of in-tube SPME performance are discussed, including the draw/eject sample volume, draw/eject cycle number, draw/eject flow rate, sample pH, and influence of plasma proteins. The limits of quantification of the in-tube SPME/LC method were 50 ng/mL for both metabolite and lidocaine. The interday and intraday precision had coefficients of variation lower than 8%, and accuracy ranged from 95 to 117%. The response of the in-tube SPME/LC method for analytes was linear over a dynamic range from 50 to 5000 ng/mL, with correlation coefficients higher than 0.9976. The developed in-tube SPME/LC method was successfully used to analyze lidocaine and its metabolite in plasma samples from pregnant women with GDM subjected to epidural anesthesia for pharmacokinetic study.

CHEMICAL DEGRADATION OF ESFENVALERATE AND HPLC-UV-PAD DETECTION OF INTERMEDIATES AND BY-PRODUCTS

The impact of pyretroids, their by-products and degradation products on humans and the environment is recognized as a serious problem. Despite several studies regarding esfenvalerate toxicity and its detection in water and sediments, there is still a lack of information about its degradation intermediates and by-products in water. In this work, an HPLC method was developed to follow up the degradation of esfenvalerate and to detect the intermediates and by-products formed during the chemical degradation process. The chemical degradation was performed using an esfenvalerate suspension and different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, temperatures, and pH. The reaction was monitored for 24 hr, and during the kinetic experiments, samples were collected at several reaction times and analyzed by HPLC-UV-PAD. In the degradation process, eleven different compounds (intermediate and by-products) were detected, among them the metabolites 3-phenoxybenzoic acid and 3-phenoxybenzaldehyde. HPLC-UV-PAD proved to be a valuable analytical technique for the rapid and reliable separation and determination of esfenvalerate, its degradation intermediates, and by-products.

Cannabidiol injected into the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis reduces the expression of contextual fear conditioning via 5-HT1A receptors

Systemic administration of cannabidiol (CBD) attenuates cardiovascular and behavioral changes induced by re-exposure to a context that had been previously paired with footshocks. Previous results from our group using cFos immunohistochemistry suggested that the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is involved in this effect. The mechanisms of CBD effects are still poorly understood, but could involve 5-HT1A receptor activation. Thus, the present work investigated if CBD administration into the BNST would attenuate the expression of contextual fear conditioning and if this effect would involve the activation of 5-HT1A receptors. Male Wistar rats with cannulae bilaterally implanted into the BNST were submitted to a 10 min conditioning session (six footshocks, 1.5 mA/3 s). Twenty-four hours later freezing and cardiovascular responses (mean arterial pressure and heart rate) to the conditioning box were measured for 10 min. CBD (15, 30 or 60 nmol) or vehicle was administered 10 min before the re-exposure to the aversive context. The second experiment was similar to the first one except that animals received microinjections of the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY100635 (0.37 nmol) 5 min before CBD (30 nmol) treatment. The results showed that CBD (30 and 60 nmol) treatment significantly reduced the freezing and attenuated the cardiovascular responses induced by re-exposure to the aversive context. Moreover, WAY100635 by itself did not change the cardiovascular and behavioral response to context, but blocked the CBD effects. These results suggest that CBD can act in the BNST to attenuate aversive conditioning responses and this effect seems to involve 5-HT1A receptor-mediated neurotransmission.

DETERMINATION OF DICLOFENAC SODIUM IN RABBIT PLASMA BY HPLC/UV: EVALUATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ITS CRYSTALLINE FORMS, ANHYDROUS AND HYDRATE, ON THE ANTIPYRETIC EFFECT

Diclofenac sodium (DS) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that is widely prescribed for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and post-surgery analgesia. The active pharmaceutical ingredient is the anhydrous form; however, it can also exist in hydrate form. In this context, knowing the properties of the solid state is important and relevant in the pharmaceutical area because they have a significant impact on the solubility, bioavailability, and chemical stability of the drugs. In the present study, data from XRPD, FTIR spectroscopy, and thermal analysis were used for the identification and characterization of DS forms (anhydrous and hydrate). An HPLC method was optimized to evaluate the plasma concentration of DS in rabbits. The optimized method exhibited good linearity over the range 0.1-60 mu g/mL with correlation coefficients of >0.9991. The mean recovery was 100%. Precision and accuracy were determined within acceptable limits. Finally, to compare the pharmacological properties of anhydrous and hydrate DS forms, we investigated their effects in the febrile response induced by lipopolysaccharide from E. coli in rabbits. The results show that the antipyretic effect of anhydrous and hydrate DS forms are similar.

AN EFFICIENT HPLC-UV METHOD FOR THE QUANTITATIVE DETERMINATION OF CEFADROXIL IN HUMAN PLASMA AND ITS APPLICATION IN PHARMACOKINETIC STUDIES

Cefadroxil is a semi-synthetic first-generation oral cephalosporin used in the treatment of mild to moderate infections of the respiratory and urinary tracts, skin and soft tissue infections. In this work a simple, rapid, economic and sensitive HPLC-UV method is described for the quantitative determination of cefadroxil in human plasma samples using lamivudine as internal standard. Sample pre-treatment was accomplished through protein precipitation with acetonitrile and chromatographic separation was performed with a mobile phase consisting of a mixture of sodium dihydrogen phosphate monohydrate solution, methanol and acetonitrile in the ratio of 90:8:2 (v/v/v) at a flow rate of 1.0mL/min. The proposed method is linear between 0.4 to 40.0 mu g/mL and its average recovery is 102.21% for cefadroxil and 97.94% for lamivudine. The method is simple, sensitive, reproducible, less time consuming for determination of cefadroxil in human plasma. The method can therefore be recommended for pharmacokinetics studies, including bioavailability and bioequivalence studies.