Profile of the Trypanosoma cruzi vector infestation in Jaboticatubas, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Introduction This work aimed to analyze the triatomine infestation scenario in Jaboticatubas after 30 years of the uninterrupted actions of the Program of Chagas Disease Control. Methods From 2007 to 2010, household unit infestation was researched, and an exploratory analysis of the localities infested with Panstrongylus megistus was performed. Results In total, 613 triatomines were captured in 78 households, the majority of which were Panstrongylus megistus and were captured mainly in chicken houses, but they were also found to be colonizing human houses. Conclusions The epidemiological importance of Panstrongylus megistus was confirmed in Jaboticatubas, and capability to colonize indoors has been demonstrated, as has its proximity to humans. Its distribution is aggregated in the northern and in central-eastern regions of the municipality.

Application of superconducting bulks and stacks of tapes in electrical machines

The present dissertation focuses on the research of the recent approach of innovative high-temperature superconducting stacked tapes in electrical ma-chines applications, taking into account their potential benefits as an alternative for the massive superconducting bulks, mainly related with geometric and me-chanical flexibility. This work was developed in collaboration with Institut de Ciència de Ma-terials de Barcelona (ICMAB), and is related with evaluation of electrical and magnetic properties of the mentioned superconducting materials, namely: analysis of magnetization of a bulk sample through simulations carried out in the finite elements COMSOL software; measurement of superconducting tape resistivity at liquid nitrogen and room temperatures; and, finally, development and testing of a frequency controlled superconducting motor with rotor built by superconducting tapes. In the superconducting state, results showed a critical current density of 140.3 MA/m2 (or current of 51.15 A) on the tape and a 1 N∙m developed motor torque, independent from the rotor position angle, typical in hysteresis motors.

Smart machines in day-to-day financial management:

Starting from Novabase’s challenge to launch in the UK Millennials a personal financial advisor mobile application, this work project aims to build a planning model to frame a business side of a launch strategy for mobile application in similar market and category. This study culminates on the design of SPOSTAC planning model. The created framework is intended to effectively and efficiently plan a launch strategy, being structured based on seven sequential elements: Situation, Product, Objectives, Strategy, Tactics, Action, and Control.

Stomoxys calcitrans as possible vector of Trypanosoma evansi among camels in an affected area of the Canary Islands, Spain

Introduction Trypanosoma evansi was first identified in the Canary Islands in 1997, and is still present in a small area of the Archipelago. To date, the disease has exclusively affected camel herds, and has not been detected in any other animal hosts. However potential vectors of Trypanosoma evansi must be identified. Methods One Nzi trap was placed on a camel farm located in the infected area for a period of one year. Results Two thousand five hundred and five insects were trapped, of which Stomoxys calcitrans was the sole hematophagous vector captured. Conclusions Stomoxys calcitrans could be exclusively responsible for the transmission of Trypanosoma evansi among camels in the surveyed area, as other species do not seem to be infected by S. calcitrans in the presence of camels.

Larvicidal activity of the methanol extract and fractions of the green fruits of Solanum lycocarpum(Solanaceae) against the vector Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae)

IntroductionThe larvicidal activity of Solanum lycocarpumagainst Culex quinquefasciatus is unknown.MethodsWe evaluated the larvicidal activity of extracts of the green fruits of Solanum lycocarpum against third and fourth instar larvae of C. quinquefasciatus.ResultsDichloromethane and ethyl acetate fractions showed the greatest larvicidal effect at 200mg/L (83.3% and 86.7%, respectively). The methanol and dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and hydromethanolic fractions demonstrated larvicidal effects against C. quinquefasciatus, with LC50 values of 126.24, 75.13, 83.15, and 207.05mg/L, respectively.ConclusionsThus, when considering new drugs with larvicidal activity from natural products, S. lycocarpum fruits may be good candidate sources.

Potential for entomopathogenic fungi to control Triatoma dimidiata (Hemiptera: Reduviidae), a vector of Chagas disease in Mexico

Introduction The use of entomopathogenic fungi to control disease vectors has become relevant because traditional chemical control methods have caused damage to the environment and led to the development of resistance among vectors. Thus, this study assessed the pathogenicity of entomopathogenic fungi in Triatoma dimidiata. Methods Preparations of 108 conidia/ml of Gliocladium virens, Talaromyces flavus, Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae were applied topically on T. dimidiata nymphs and adults. Controls were treated with the 0.0001% Tween-80 vehicle. Mortality was evaluated and recorded daily for 30 days. The concentration required to kill 50% of T. dimidiata (LC50) was then calculated for the most pathogenic isolate. Results Pathogenicity in adults was similar among B. bassiana, G. virens and T. flavus (p>0.05) and differed from that in triatomine nymphs (p=0.009). The most entomopathogenic strains in adult triatomines were B. bassiana and G. virens, which both caused 100% mortality. In nymphs, the most entomopathogenic strain was B. bassiana, followed by G. virens. The native strain with the highest pathogenicity was G. virens, for which the LC50 for T. dimidiata nymphs was 1.98 x108 conidia/ml at 13 days after inoculation. Conclusions Beauveria bassiana and G. virens showed entomopathogenic potential in T. dimidiata nymphs and adults. However, the native G. virens strain presents a higher probability of success in the field, and G. virens should thus be considered a potential candidate for the biological control of triatomine Chagas disease vectors.

Ecoepidemiology and biology of Eratyrus mucronatus Stål, 1859 (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae), a sylvatic vector of Chagas disease in the Brazilian Amazon

Introduction Eratyrus mucronatus Stål, 1859 is a wild triatomine vector of Trypanosoma cruzi Chagas, 1909. However, little is known regarding the biology and ecoepidemiology of this triatomine in the Brazilian Amazon. The present study describes the biology of E. mucronatus grown under laboratory conditions and the epidemiological aspects of its natural breeding sites. Methods Five colonies were monitored in the field for 3 years. Temperature and humidity measurements were taken in the mornings and afternoons at the natural breeding sites, and the behavior and distribution of the nymphs and adults were observed in the wild colony. We also monitored the life cycle under controlled laboratory conditions. Results Some factors that were considered decisive for the establishment of these colonies were present at all of the colonies studied in the field. These factors included an active termite nest, a vertebrate for repast, and dry and shaded substrates with temperatures of 24-28°C and with humidity of 80-90%. A generation was developed in 274 days under these microclimatic conditions in the laboratory. Conclusions The climatic variables described in the field indicate that these environmental parameters have a limiting effect on the dispersal and colonization of E. mucronatus to new environments. In addition, the long period of development to adulthood demonstrates that only one generation can develop per year even under the more favorable laboratory conditions.

Spatial analysis of visceral leishmaniasis in the municipality of Rondonópolis, in the Brazilian State of Mato Grosso, from 2003 to 2012: human, canine and vector distribution in areas of disease transmission

INTRODUCTION: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a zoonosis of great importance to public health and is considered a neglected disease by the World Health Organization. The disease has expanded and become more prevalent in urban areas in Brazil. METHODS: Geospatial analyses were performed and thematic maps of the triad of the disease were produced for the study period (2003-2012) in the urban area of the municipality of Rondonópolis in the midwestern State of Mato Grosso (MT), Brazil, TerraView 4.2.2 software was used for the analyses. RESULTS: A total of 87.9% of the 186 confirmed human cases of VL were cured. Children between the ages of 1 and 4 were the most affected. Registered deaths were predominant among adults aged 60 years or older. The urban area of the municipality consists of eight strata and 12 census districts include 237 neighborhoods. All sectors had confirmed cases of VL. During the study period, human cases of the disease were recorded in 90 neighborhoods. The 23 deaths from the disease were distributed in 21 neighborhoods. Sandflies carrying the parasite were captured in 192 out of 200 neighborhoods evaluated for the presence of the VL vector. The presence of dogs carrying the parasite was confirmed in, 140 out of 154 surveyed neighborhoods. CONCLUSIONS: The data demonstrated the endemic nature of VL, with a high percentage of infected children, a high distribution of canine infection, and a wide adaptation and dispersal of the vectors in the urban environment. These results, illustrate the process of urbanization of VL in the municipality of Rondonópolis, MT, Brazil.

Larvicidal activity of oils, fatty acids, and methyl esters from ripe and unripe fruit of Solanum lycocarpum (Solanaceae) against the vector Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae)

ABSTRACTINTRODUCTION:The larvicidal activity of oils, fatty acids, and methyl esters of Solanum lycocarpum fruit against Culex quinquefasciatus is unknown.METHODS:The larvicidal activity of samples of ripe and unripe fruit from S. lycocarpum was evaluated against third and fourth instar larvae of C. quinquefasciatus .RESULTS:The oils, fatty acids, and methyl esters of S. lycocarpum showed the greatest larvicidal effect (57.1-95.0%) at a concentration of 100mg/L (LC 50values between 0.70 and 27.54mg/L).CONCLUSIONS:Solanum lycocarpum fruit may be a good source of new natural products with larvicidal activity.

Knowledge and practices related to dengue and its vector: a community-based study from Southeast Brazil

Abstract INTRODUCTION: This study investigated the knowledge of users of primary healthcare services living in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, about dengue and its vector. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 605 people was conducted following a major dengue outbreak in 2013. RESULTS: Participants with higher levels of education were more likely to identify correctly the vector of the disease. CONCLUSIONS: The results emphasize the relevance of health education programs, the continuous promotion of educational campaigns in the media, the role of the television as a source of information, and the importance of motivating the population to control the vector.

An agent based architecture to support monitoring in plug and produce manufacturing systems using knowledge extraction

In recent years a set of production paradigms were proposed in order to capacitate manufacturers to meet the new market requirements, such as the shift in demand for highly customized products resulting in a shorter product life cycle, rather than the traditional mass production standardized consumables. These new paradigms advocate solutions capable of facing these requirements, empowering manufacturing systems with a high capacity to adapt along with elevated flexibility and robustness in order to deal with disturbances, like unexpected orders or malfunctions. Evolvable Production Systems propose a solution based on the usage of modularity and self-organization with a fine granularity level, supporting pluggability and in this way allowing companies to add and/or remove components during execution without any extra re-programming effort. However, current monitoring software was not designed to fully support these characteristics, being commonly based on centralized SCADA systems, incapable of re-adapting during execution to the unexpected plugging/unplugging of devices nor changes in the entire system’s topology. Considering these aspects, the work developed for this thesis encompasses a fully distributed agent-based architecture, capable of performing knowledge extraction at different levels of abstraction without sacrificing the capacity to add and/or remove monitoring entities, responsible for data extraction and analysis, during runtime.

A technical investigation of an oil painting on copper support, including a study on consolidants for treatment

Paper submitted to e-conservation Journal: Maria Leonor Oliveira, Leslie Carlyle, Sara Fragoso, Isabel Pombo Cardoso and João Coroado, “Investigations into paint delamination and consolidation of an oil painting on copper support”.

A multi-criteria decision support system for a routing problem in waste collection

Autor proof

Continuous monitoring of concrete mechanical properties since an early age to support construction phasing

The assessment of concrete mechanical properties during construction of concrete structures is of paramount importance for many intrinsic operations. However many of the available non-destructive methods for mechanical properties have limitations for use in construction sites. One of such methodologies is EMM-ARM, which is a variant of classic resonant frequency methods. This paper aims to demonstrate the efforts towards in-situ applicability of EMMARM, as to provide real-time information about concrete mechanical properties such as E-modulus and compressive strength. To achieve the aforementioned objective, a set of adaptations to the method have been successfully implemented and tested: (i) the reduction of the beam span; (ii) the use of a different mould material and (iii) a new support system for the beams. Based on these adaptations, a reusable mould was designed to enable easier systematic use of EMMARM. A pilot test was successfully performed under in-situ conditions during a bridge construction.

A decision support system for a waste collection vehicle routing problem

The selective collection of municipal solid waste for recycling is a very complex and expensive process, where a major issue is to perform cost-efficient waste collection routes. Despite the abundance of commercially available software for fleet management, they often lack the capability to deal properly with sequencing problems and dynamic revision of plans and schedules during process execution. Our approach to achieve better solutions for the waste collection process is to model it as a vehicle routing problem, more specifically as a team orienteering problem where capacity constraints on the vehicles are considered, as well as time windows for the waste collection points and for the vehicles. The final model is called capacitated team orienteering problem with double time windows (CTOPdTW).We developed a genetic algorithm to solve routing problems in waste collection modelled as a CTOPdTW. The results achieved suggest possible reductions of logistic costs in selective waste collection.