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Boron (B) and silicon (Si) are fundamental for brassica nutrition, and in some cases, they have potential as an insecticide. Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), one of the most economically important agricultural pests, is difficult to control due to the resistance to insecticides and the absence of alternative control methods.Cauliflower leaves sprayed with Si and B showed a higher concentration of the beneficial element and micronutrient, respectively. When evaluating the firmness of the cauliflower leaves, it was found that the plants with leaf sprayings of Si and B did not differ statistically from each other. However, they showed an increase in firmness, in relation to the plants of the control treatment. Leaf spraying of Si and B on cauliflower did not influence the number of eggs/female. The attractiveness index showed that both Si and B applications stimulated the presence of second instar larvae, being more stimulating in relation to the control treatment. However, the use of Si and B in isolation showed a positive result, since it caused high mortality in diamondback moth larvae compared to the control treatment.The application of both foliar fertilizers positively affects the attractiveness index of the larvae, being attractive; however, both Si and B caused high mortality (~80%). The results showed that Si and B have the potential to control P. xylostella and serve as a basis for alternative pest management in brassica crops. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Methylphenidate hydrochloride (MPH) is a psychostimulant widely used in the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), as well as a performance enhancer, for at least 60 years. Despite the notable effectiveness as a psychostimulant, ADHD is a chronic disorder and has a two-third chance of accompanying the individual throughout life. Long-term use of MPH has been associated not only with an increase in the development of neurodegenerative diseases, but it also causes side effects on male fertility in experimental animals.To investigate whether methylphenidate poses a risk to sperm DNA structure and to the quality of embryos conceived after treatment during adolescence in rats.Wistar rats at 38 days of age were treated either with 5 mg/kg body weight of MPH, in a single daily dose for 30 days, via gavage or with distilled water-only protocol. Levels of oxidative stress in testicular and epididymal tissues were evaluated. Sperm chromatin quality and acrosome integrity was assessed under flow cytometry. From 107 days of age, animals were mated with untreated females. The effects of the paternal contribution at two different embryo development moments-cleavage stage (2.5 days post coitum) and late gestation (20 days post coitum) -were analyzed.MPH caused high levels of sperm DNA damage, which was reflected in 40% of decrease in early embryo quality and a lower number of live pups at 20 dpc.The high level of fragmentation seen in the embryos sired from the MPH group is consistent with the poor chromatin structure of the sperm and does not seem to be a result of oxidative stress in the reproductive tissues.The results presented here suggest that the subchronic use of MPH during male prepubertal phase may cause long-term subfertility and compromise embryo survival.

Embrapa has led breeding programs for irrigated and upland rice (Oryza sativa L.) since 1977, generating a large amount of pedigree and phenotypic data. However, there were no systematic standards for data recording nor long-term data preservation and reuse strategies. With the new aim of making data reuse practical, we recovered all data available and structured it into the Embrapa Rice Breeding Dataset (ERBD). In its current version, the ERBD includes 20,504 crosses involving 9,974 parents, the pedigrees of most of the 4,532 inbred lines that took part in advanced field trials, and phenotypic data from 2,711 field trials (1,118 irrigated, 1,593 upland trials), representing 226,458 field plots. Those trials were conducted over 38 years (1982-2019), in 247 locations, in latitudes ranging from 3°N to 33°S. Phenotypic traits included grain yield, days to flowering, plant height, canopy lodging, and five important fungal diseases: leaf blast, panicle blast, brown spot, leaf scald, and grain discoloration. The total number of data points surpasses 1.27 million. Descriptive statistics were computed over the dataset, split by cropping systems (irrigated or upland). The mean heritability of grain yield was high for both systems, at around .7, whereas the mean coefficient of variation was 13.9% for irrigated trials and 18.7% for upland trials. The ERBD offers the possibility of conducting studies on different aspects of rice breeding and genetics, including genetic gain, G×E analysis, genome-wide association studies and genomic prediction. Made available in DSpace on 2021-11-30T12:00:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 cropscience-2021.pdf: 1682169 bytes, checksum: e47084fb3060926dd37ca8419b8936da (MD5) Previous issue date: 2021

COVID-19 appeared in December 2019, needing efforts of science. Besides, a range of light therapies (PDT, Ultraviolet UV, Laser) has shown scientific alternatives to conventional decontamination therapies. METHODS: Investigating the efficacy of light-based therapies for environment decontamination against SARS-CoV2, a PRISMA systematic review of Phototherapies against SARS-CoV or MERS-CoV species discussing changes in viral RT-PCR was done. After searching MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, and LILACS we have found studies about cell cultures irradiation (18), blood components irradiation (10), N95 masks decontamination (03), inanimate surface decontamination (03), aerosols decontamination (03), hospital rooms irradiation (01) with PDT, LED, and UV therapy. The best quality results showed an effective low time and dose UV irradiation for environments and inanimate surfaces without human persons as long as the devices have safety elements dependent on the surfaces, viral charge, humidity, radiant exposure. To interpersonal contamination in humans, PDT or LED therapy seems very promising and are encouraged.

The analysis of drugs in wastewater for forensic purposes has been constantly increasing and the investigation of the potential interaction between drugs or metabolites and sewage microbiota is important. The results demonstrated that cocaine esterase genes were widely distributed in 1142 global wastewater samples collected from 64 countries and linked to several bacterial species. In addition, in silico predictions indicated that carfentanil, 4F-MDMB-BINACA, 5F-MDMB-PICA, MDMB-4en-PINACA and mitragynine might also undergo microbial hydrolysis, in a similar fashion of cocaine degradation by cocaine esterase. In conclusion, it was demonstrated the microbial potential to hydrolyze drugs of abuse in wastewater environments, contributing to the critical evaluation of potential metabolites as biomarkers for microbial and human transformation of drugs in wastewater.

The genus Psidium comprises several native Brazilian plants, such as the araçá and guava trees. They are interesting sources of essential oils (EOs) that can be used as natural preservatives in foods due to their bioactive properties. This work aimed to evaluate and correlate the biological properties of the EOs from araçá and guava leaves with their chemical compounds. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used to determine the chemical composition of EOs. The antimicrobial activity was tested against 16 foodborne pathogens and the antioxidant capacity was determined by ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP assays. The major compounds identified in the essential oil of araçá (EOA) were β-caryophyllene and β-elemene, representing 38.69% and 7.47%, respectively, whereas β-selinene (13.83%), α-humulene (10.90%), and β-caryophyllene (7.61%) were the major compounds identified in the essential oil of guava (EOG). Both EOs showed activity against Salmonella Enteritidis, with MIC being 1.41 µg/ml for the EOA and 1.37 µg/ml for the EOG. The EOA was more effective than the EOG against strains of Listeria monocytogenes and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, with the MIC being 1.41 µg/ml. The EOA showed 10.43, 12.35, and 3.92 µmol TE/ml at 90 µg/ml whereas the EOG showed 4.54, 8.94, and 3.43 µmol TE/ml at 88 µg/ml for ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP, respectively. Thus, the EOs demonstrated an effective action against foodborne pathogens and free radicals, indicative of their potential use as natural preservatives for foods. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Guava and araçá are native Brazilian plants producers of essential oils, natural compounds with antimicrobial and antioxidant potential. The chemical composition of essential oils is responsible for its beneficial properties. The results demonstrated that the essential oils studied are rich in β-caryophyllene and has excellent activity against malefic microorganisms and free radicals, and can also be used as natural preservatives in foods.

Farmer populations living in houses inside vegetable gardens are exposed to indoor pesticide pollution. The pulverization drift and volatile pesticides transported by wind are important sources of indoor pollution, which can be mitigated by hedgerows. This study was the first attempt in Brazil to investigate the efficiency of six different hedgerow species in reducing pesticide residues in air. A fluorescent compound (p-aminobenzoic acid or PABA) was introduced in the sprayed pesticide fluid that traced the pesticide in the water. Samples were collected in Petri dishes positioned on stakes at different heights in front of and behind the hedgerows. Data indicated barrier efficiency of up to 99%. Simulation of nontarget drift contamination with herbicide concentrations exhibited reduced senescence effects on leaves and posed no threat to survival. Hedgerows are feasible, simple, and inexpensive techniques, which may be used easily by farmers, independent of external support and efficiently mitigating indoor pesticide pollution, thus protecting human health. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:19-24. © 2021 SETAC.

The precise coordination of respiratory muscles during exercise minimizes work of breathing and avoids exercise intolerance. Fibrotic interstitial lung disease (f-ILD) patients are exercise-intolerant. We assessed whether respiratory muscle incoordination and thoracoabdominal asynchrony (TAA) occur in f-ILD during exercise, and their relationship with pulmonary function and exercise performance.We compared breathing pattern, respiratory mechanics, TAA and respiratory muscle recruitment in 31 f-ILD patients and 31 healthy subjects at rest and during incremental cycle exercise. TAA was defined as phase angle (PhAng)20°.During exercise, when compared with controls, f-ILD patients presented increased and early recruitment of inspiratory rib cage muscle (p 0.05), and an increase in PhAng, indicating TAA. TAA was more frequent in f-ILD patients than in controls, both at 50% of the maximum workload (42.3% vs. 10.7%, p = 0.01) and at the peak (53.8% vs. 23%, p = 0.02). Compared with f-ILD patients without TAA, f-ILD patients with TAA had lower lung volumes (forced vital capacity, p 0.01), greater dyspnoea (Medical Research Council 2 in 64.3%, p = 0.02), worse exercise performance (lower maximal work rate % predicted, p = 0.03; lower tidal volume, p = 0.03; greater desaturation and dyspnoea, p 0.01) and presented higher oesophageal inspiratory pressures with lower gastric inspiratory pressures and higher recruitment of scalene (p 0.05).Exercise induces TAA and higher recruitment of inspiratory accessory muscle in ILD patients. TAA during exercise occurred in more severely restricted ILD patients and was associated with exertional dyspnoea, desaturation and limited exercise performance.

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T10:50:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-02-01 Cryptorchidism is one of the main risk factors for infertility and testicular cancer. Orchiopexy surgery corrects cryptorchidism effects. Different models of cryptorchidism developed in the rat include surgery. We assessed testicular alterations in rats submitted to surgical cryptorchidism and examined their potential for reversibility at different time points in order to verify time dependency effect(s) on the recovery of the undescended testes. Cryptorchidism was induced in 3-week-old rats. Animals were euthanized 3, 6 or 11 weeks after surgery to evaluate the morphological progression of cryptorchidism-induced germinative epithelial alterations. Other groups underwent orchiopexy 3, 5 or 9 weeks after surgical cryptorchidism, before or after puberty. Animals were euthanized 3 or 8 weeks after orchiopexy. Controls underwent sham surgery at the same time points as the surgical groups. Cryptorchid testes showed decreased weight, germinative epithelial degeneration, apoptosis and vacuolation, corresponding to impairment of spermatogenesis and of Sertoli cells. Some tubules has a Sertoli cell-only pattern and atrophy. The intensity of damage was related to the duration of cryptorchidism. After orchiopexy, spermatogenesis completely recovered only when testicular relocation occurred before puberty and the interval for recovery was extended. These results indicate that age, sexual maturity and extension of germ cell damage were relevant for producing germ cell restoration and normal spermatogenesis. We provide original observations on the time dependency of testicular alterations induced by cryptorchidism and their restoration using morphologic, morphometric and immunohistochemical approaches. It may be useful to study germ cell impairment, progression and recovery in different experimental settings, including exposure to exogenous chemicals. Center for the Evaluation of the Environmental Impact on Humans Health (TOXICAM) Department of Pathology Botucatu Medical School São Paulo State University (UNESP) Department of Urology Botucatu Medical School São Paulo State University (UNESP) Department of Pathology and Microbiology University of Nebraska Medical Center Havlik-Wall of Oncology Department of Pathology and Microbiology University of Nebraska Medical Center Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology University of Louisville Southwestern University Center of São Paulo Center for the Evaluation of the Environmental Impact on Humans Health (TOXICAM) Department of Pathology Botucatu Medical School São Paulo State University (UNESP) Department of Urology Botucatu Medical School São Paulo State University (UNESP)

KEY POINTS Time-restricted feeding (TRF, in which energy intake is restricted to 8 h/day during the dark phase) alone or combined with aerobic exercise (AE) training can prevent weight gain and metabolic disorders in Swiss mice fed a high-fat diet. The benefits of TRF combined with AE are associated with improved hepatic metabolism and decreased hepatic lipid accumulation. TRF combined with AE training increased fatty acid oxidation and decreased expression of lipogenic and gluconeogenic genes in the liver of young male Swiss mice. TRF combined with AE training attenuated the detrimental effects of high-fat diet feeding on the insulin signalling pathway in the liver. ABSTRACT Time-restricted feeding (TRF) or physical exercise have been shown to be efficient in the prevention and treatment of metabolic disorders; however, the additive effects of TRF combined with aerobic exercise (AE) training on liver metabolism have not been widely explored. In this study TRF (8 h in the active phase) and TRF combined with AE (TRF+Exe) were compared in male Swiss mice fed a high-fat diet, with evaluation of the effects on insulin sensitivity and expression of hepatic genes involved in fatty acid oxidation, lipogenesis and gluconeogenesis. As in previous reports, we show that TRF alone (eating only between zeitgeber time 16 and 0) was sufficient to reduce weight and adiposity gain, increase fatty acid oxidation and decrease lipogenesis genes in the liver. In addition, we show that mice of the TRF+Exe group showed additional adaptations such as increased oxygen consumption ( VO2 ), carbon dioxide production ( VCO2 ) and production of ketone bodies (β-hydroxybutyrate). Also, TRF+Exe attenuated the negative effects of high-fat diet feeding on the insulin signalling pathway (insulin receptor, insulin receptor substrate, Akt), and led to increased fatty acid oxidation (Ppara, Cpt1a) and decreased gluconeogenic (Fbp1, Pck1, Pgc1a) and lipogenic (Srebp1c, Cd36) gene expression in the liver. These molecular results were accompanied by increased glucose metabolism, lower serum triglycerides and reduced hepatic lipid content in the TRF+Exe group. The data presented in this study show that TRF alone has benefits but TRF+Exe has additive benefits and can mitigate the harmful effects of consuming a high-fat diet on body adiposity, liver metabolism and glycaemic homeostasis in young male Swiss mice.

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T10:18:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-04-01 Aim: Evaluating how groups of organisms vary in dispersal capability and how environmental, spatial and temporal signals vary across multiple scales is critical to elucidating metacommunity theory. We examined whether the relative contributions of environmental, spatial and hydrological factors have different effects on organismal groups with different dispersal abilities at three spatial scales, and how this knowledge contributes to our understanding of metacommunity dynamics. Location: Four major Brazilian floodplains, with the largest distance among them of 2,300 Km. Taxon: 10 aquatic organismal groups, ranging from bacterioplankton to fish. Methods: We sampled lakes connected to the main river in the low- and high-water periods of each floodplain between 2011 and 2012. Different biological groups were analysed across three hierarchical spatial scales (fine, intermediate and subcontinental) within and between floodplain systems. We applied a series of partial redundancy analyses to estimate the relative contributions of environmental factors, spatial factors and hydrological period for each biological group. Results: At the fine spatial scale, predominantly environmental factors and hydrological period structure metacommunities, although less so for microorganisms than for micro-invertebrates and macro-organisms. The relative importance of environmental factors increased at the intermediate spatial scale. At the subcontinental scale, the relative importance of spatial factors increased for all biological groups, but environmental factors remained the primary regulators of microorganisms even at the largest scale. Main conclusions: This study design allowed us to make more robust inferences about the mechanisms responsible for regulating community structure of distinct biological groups at different spatial scales. Our results suggest that biological groups displaying distinct body size likely determine the spatial extent at which environmental, spatial and hydrological processes prevail as the primary regulators of community structure. These findings are important in guiding the conservation and management of floodplain biodiversity because these systems are naturally highly heterogeneous in space and time. Universidade Estadual de Maringá (UEM) DBI/PEA/NUPÉLIA Departamento de Ecologia Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG) Freshwater Centre Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) Department of Botany University of British Columbia INPA-Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia Centro Universitário Ingá - Uningá/Engenharia Elétrica Departamento de Oceanografia e Limnologia – DOL Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) Universidade de Brasília (UnB) American Museum of Natural History Department of Natural Sciences University of South Carolina Beaufort Department of Biology University of Illinois Springfield Departamento de Ecologia e Conservação - Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia de Ecótono Universidade Federal de Tocantins (UFT) Departamento de Ecologia Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp) Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS) Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS) OD Nature Department of Biology University of Ghent UniCesumar–PPGTL Instituto Cesumar de Ciência Tecnologia e Inovação (ICETI) Departamento de Ecologia Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp)

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T10:33:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-12-01 Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Fundação para o Desenvolvimento da UNESP (FUNDUNESP) Background: The occurrence of calcium (Ca)-related disorders is common in tomato production and may be due to factors such as excess nitrogen (N) fertilization. Thus, Ca sprays are often applied as preventive measure to avoid the occurrence of blossom-end rot. In addition, evidence indicates that Si can act beneficially on tomatoes and relieve Ca deficiency. Aims: We aimed to verify the effects of Ca-EDTA and Si application on tomatoes experiencing moderate Ca deficiency. Methods: Tomato plants were grown in nutrient solutions with Ca sufficiency (+CaR) or Ca deficiency (–CaR) or under conditions of –CaR plus 25 mM Ca-EDTA shoot sprays (–CaR +CaS), –CaR plus 7.1 mM Si shoot sprays (–CaR +SiS) or –CaR +CaSiS, with a total of nineteen sprays being supplied after anthesis, per foliar treatment. Results: Plants grown under –CaR had smaller leaves and fruits, and new shoots were deformed. Plants that were sprayed with Ca-EDTA and Ca-EDTA plus Si in the same solution developed more blossoms than those grown without Ca; however, they showed chlorosis and necrosis on the edges of older leaves, i.e., Ca-EDTA was toxic. However, the plants sprayed with Si alone were the most similar to control plants, showing only deformations in the younger leaves. Conclusion: Ca-EDTA at 25 mM sprayed twice a week after anthesis, totaling 19 sprays, caused toxicity in MT tomatoes. Sodium silicate (7.1 mM Si) sprayed twice a week after anthesis, totaling 19 sprays, made MT tomatoes less sensitive to Ca deficiency. Thus, we highlighted the potential of Si spraying to alleviate the slight Ca deficiency, which is relatively common in horticulture. São Paulo State University (Unesp) Department of Agricultural Sciences School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences Jaboticabal, Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castelane, Castellane – S/N – Vila Industrial São Paulo State University (Unesp) Department of Biology Applied to Agriculture School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences Jaboticabal, Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castelane, Castellane – S/N – Vila Industrial São Paulo State University (Unesp) Department of Agricultural Sciences School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences Jaboticabal, Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castelane, Castellane – S/N – Vila Industrial São Paulo State University (Unesp) Department of Biology Applied to Agriculture School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences Jaboticabal, Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castelane, Castellane – S/N – Vila Industrial