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Insects are a main component of a stable ecosystem and influence crop production. Pollinators, in particular, by regulating pollination between flowers, shape and secure plant communities around crop fields. They are also essential for food provisioning by sustaining the pollination of crops. Studies in recent decades have been covering the mixture of effects various factors have on pollinators. However, there is still a gap in understanding how different taxa in pollinator guilds respond to these pressures and how is network structure affected by it. Therefore, here we tried to further uncover the complex relationship between habitat suitability and pollinator biodiversity in an agro-riparian matrix. Using bipartite network analysis and geographical information systems (GIS) in four sites with different land cover configuration, we assessed faunal and floral diversity, land cover differences and network metrics. Hymenoptera were responsible for most of the visits, while also exhibiting higher levels of richness across sites. Lepidoptera on the other hand, were the order less represented. Overall, tillage intensity and Arundo donax were determinant in differences in the number of visits for both orders, with Diptera and Coleoptera being less affected. However, results regarding visitation rates reported tillage’s higher explanatory power, in comparison with A. donax. Intensive sites showed significantly higher levels of nestedness and lower specialization and diversity across taxa. The results suggest that intensive agriculture and exotic species infestation can impact pollinator taxa differently, thus influencing network structure. By scoping network metrics, we can better determine what species are more affected by agricultural expansion, assess ecosystem resilience and consequently, determine appropriate conservation measures to maintain stable plant-pollinator networks.

Agricultural expansion and intensification worldwide has caused a reduction in ecological infrastructures for insects, herbaceous plants, and vertebrate insectivores, among other organisms. Agriculture is recognized as one of the key influences in biodiversity decline, and initiatives such as the European Green Deal highlight the need to reduce ecosystem degradation. Among fruit crops, grapes are considered one of the most intensive agricultural systems with the greatest economic relevance. This study presents a compilation of management practices to enhance biodiversity performance, which applies generally to the agricultural sector and, in particular, to viticulture, concerning the diversity of plants, semi-natural habitats, soil management, and the chemical control strategies and pesticides used in agricultural cultivation. Through a critical review, this study identifies a set of recommendations for biodiversity performance and their corresponding effects, contributing to the dissemination of management options to boost biodiversity performance. The results highlight opportunities for future investigations in determining the needed conditions to ensure both biodiversity enhancement and productive gains, and understanding the long-term effects of innovative biodiversity-friendly approaches.

The invasive Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) poses a significant threat to ecosystem stability worldwide. In Mediterranean citrus ecosystems, its spread may be limited by interactions with dominant native ant species. We conducted laboratory experiments to investigate the competitive dynamics between Argentine ants and two major native species, Tapinoma nigerrimum and Lasius grandis. At the individual level, both native species exhibited superior competitive performance, attributed to their larger body sizes and potential differences in chemical defences. At the colony level, T. nigerrimum demonstrated efficiency in interference competition, successfully defending food resources from Argentine ants. However, the Argentine ant exhibited higher recruitment capacity, albeit it was density-dependent. Our findings support the hypothesis that dominant native ants can serve as barriers against Argentine ant invasion in citrus ecosystems, highlighting the importance of interspecific competition in shaping community dynamics and invasive species management. This study underscores the potential role of native ant species in mitigating the impacts of invasive ants on ecosystem functioning and biodiversity conservation in agricultural landscapes, offering valuable insights for invasive species management strategies in Mediterranean citrus ecosystems.

When a non-native species succeeds in establishing in a new habitat, one of the possible responses is to attempt its eradication. In the present study, we analysed European eradication programmes against non-native pests and pathogens of woody plants (PPWP) from 1945 to date. Our main goal was to identify which factors affect the success of an eradication programme, reinforcing guidelines for future eradication of PPWP. Data on eradication campaigns were obtained from online databases, scientific and grey literature, and Plant Protection Organizations’ reports. Factors influencing eradication success for both arthropods and pathogens were analysed with LASSO regression and decision tree learning. A total of 848 cases officially declared as eradication attempts were documented in our database (8-fold higher than previous reports). Both the number of programmes and their rate of success increased sharply over the last two decades. Only less than 10% of the non-native organisms affecting woody plants were targeted for attempted eradication despite the high economic and ecological impacts caused by some species for which no efforts were undertaken. Almost one-third of the officially declared cases of eradication concerned organisms that were still restricted to the material with which they were introduced. For these cases the success rate was 100%. The success rate of established species was only 50% for arthropods and 61% for pathogens. The spatial extent of the outbreak was the factor that most affected the outcome of eradication campaigns. The eradication success decreased abruptly above 100 ha for arthropods and 10 ha for pathogens. Additionally, other variables were shown to influence the outcome of eradication programmes, in particular the type of environment, with the highest eradication success rate found in nurseries and glasshouses, with successful outcomes increasing if quarantine measures were applied and when monitoring included asymptomatic plants. Particular species traits may reduce eradication success: parthenogenetic arthropods, saprotrophic pathogens, wind dispersal, the possibility to remain asymptomatic indefinitely, and the existence of resting spores or stages. In conclusion, small affected areas, quick response, and efficient implementation of quarantine restrictions, together with particular species traits, may allow a high probability of eradication success. Preparedness at the country and European level would allow a larger number of target species to be included in future eradication programmes.

The African citrus psyllid, Trioza erytreae (Del Guercio) (Hemiptera, Triozidae), is native to tropical Africa and invasive species in North America and Europe. The main host plants are citrus, displaying a preference for lemon trees. This psyllid was recently detected in the northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula, both in Spain and Portugal. Here, we used a model combining a reaction-diffusion model to a stochastic long-distance dispersal model to simulate the invasion dynamics of T. erytreae in Portugal. The psyllid spread in Portugal was simulated between 2015 and 2021 for different combinations of model parameters: two fecundity levels; spread with and without stochastic long-distance dispersal; single or two introductions of T. erytreae; and considering or not the urban and peri-urban citrus trees, besides citrus orchards, estimated using Google Street view imagery. The incorporation of long-distance human mediated dispersal significantly improved the F1-score in the model validation using the official reports as the observed data. Concomitantly, the dispersal rate of T. erytreae in Portugal was on average about 66 km/year, whereas removing long-distance dispersal events, the observed mean was 7.8 ± 0.3 km/year. The dispersal was mainly towards the south along the coastline, where human population is concentrated. The inclusion of the estimated citrus trees outside orchards areas significantly increased the F1-score in the model validation, revealing the importance these isolated host plants hold as stepping stones for the species current invasion and possibly for other species alike.

Agriculture intensification has driven the loss of biodiversity at a global level. The implementation of strategies to conserve and promote biodiversity in agricultural areas can be favoured by adequate assessment methods that foster the awareness of decision makers about the impact of management practices. This paper presents a state-of-the-art review of assessment methods of the overall biodiversity in agricultural systems, focusing on the quantitative methods applied, indicators of biodiversity, and functionalities. It was concluded that compensation effects and difficulties in interpretation are associated with currently common methodologies of composite indicator calculation to assess biodiversity performance. This review allowed for the identification and critical analysis of current methodologies for biodiversity assessments in the agricultural sector, and it highlighted the need for more implementation-oriented approaches. By providing recommendations on what should be considered when formulating biodiversity assessment methods, this study can contribute to the formulation of appropriate assessment frameworks for agricultural management policies and strategies.

The Riparian Ecological Infrastructure (REI) is defined by the ensemble of natural and semi-natural woody and herbaceous vegetation patches located contiguously to water courses. Freshwater environments and the associated REI provide habitat for many species, acting as corridors linking landscapes at a wider scale.Focusing on ants, a ubiquitous and diverse group of insects that provide a large number of ecosystem roles, we address the relative importance of REI-related local and landscape factors that drive the species and functional richness of ant communities.The study was conducted in 2019, at 100 sites in central Portugal, in Tagus and Sorraia irrigated valleys, comprising three landscape systems, namely, Forest production, Agroforestry and Irrigated cropland. Four major types of variables were used to characterize the sampling patches, including the landscape system, patch typology, spatial configuration and habitat quality. Ants were collected using pitfall traps and species composition was used to classify functional groups. Using an extensive survey, machine learning methods were used to identify the relative importance of REI-related variables in explaining ant specific and functional richness.Results indicated that ant biodiversity was primarily explained by the ‘Landscape system’ and the ‘Argentine ant abundance’. Nevertheless, ‘Shrub richness’ was selected as an important variable to enhance ‘Animal community regulation’ and ‘Plant community regulation’ functional groups, while herbaceous patches appeared to be relevant for the ‘Decomposition through scavenging’ group.The highest ant biodiversity was found in the Forest production ‘Landscape system’, where patches were larger, more complex and less fragmented, showing high habitat quality associated with a reduced abundance of the invasive Argentine ant. Contrarily, the lowest was expected in the Intensive cropland ‘Landscape system’, where the REI is highly fragmented, showing low habitat quality and suffering from a high Argentine ant invasion, as a result of high human pressure. The Agroforestry ‘Landscape system’ showed moderate ant biodiversity, mainly associated with patches characterized by low strata complexity and shrub cover densities, due to understory clearing and grazing activities.

Abstract The African citrus psyllid Trioza erytreae is one of the major threats to citrus industry as the vector of the incurable disease known as huanglongbing (HLB) or citrus greening. The psyllid invaded the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula 6 years ago. The invasion alarmed citrus growers in the Mediterranean basin, the largest citrus producing area in Europe, which is still free of HLB. Before our study, no research had been carried out on the genetic diversity of T. erytreae populations that have invaded the Iberian Peninsula and the archipelagos of the Macaronesia (Madeira and the Canary Islands). In this study, combining microsatellites markers and mtDNA barcoding analysis, we characterize the genetic diversity, structure and maternal relationship of these new invasive populations of T. erytreae and those from Africa. Our results suggest that the outbreaks of T. erytreae in the Iberian Peninsula may have derived from the Canary Islands. The populations of T. erytreae that invaded Macaronesia and the Iberian Peninsula are likely to have originated from southern Africa. We anticipate our results to be a starting point for tracking the spread of this invasive pest outside of Africa and to be important for optimizing contingency and eradication plans in newly invaded and free areas.

A comprehensive annotated checklist of the ladybeetle species of Portugal, including the Azores and Madeira archipelagos, is presented. The Coccinellidae fauna comprises a total of 101 species: 83 from the Mainland, 39 from Madeira, and 32 from the Azores. The listed species are distributed among 2 sub-families and 13 tribes: within the subfamily Microweiseinae, Madeirodulini (1 species), Serangiini (2 species), and within the subfamily Coccinellinae, Azyini (1 species), Chilocorini (4 species), Coccidulini (7 species), Coccinellini (30 species), Epilachnini (4 species), Hyperaspidini (7 species), Noviini (2 species), Platynaspini (1 species), Scymnini (37 species), Stethorini (3 species), and Sticholotidini (2 species). The Portuguese fauna comprises 10 exotic species: 5 present in the Mainland, 7 in Madeira, and 6 in the Azores. Harmonia axyridis (Pallas, 1773) from Madeira, Propylea quatuordecimpunctata (Linnaeus, 1758) from the Azores, Delphastus catalinae (Horn, 1895) from the Azores and Madeira, Nephus (Geminosipho) reunioni (Fürsch, 1974) and Nephus (Nephus) voeltzkowi Weise, 1910 from Madeira and Microserangium sp. from the Mainland, are reported for the first time. Some species are considered doubtful records, as explained in the text. These results were obtained by compiling information on the available literature regarding ladybeetle species on the Portuguese mainland and insular territories, and original data.

Nosso objetivo neste artigo é fazer algumas aproximações entre as ações culturais desenvolvidas no movimento cultural apuí em Boa Vista (RR) e o pensamento freiriano no tocante a busca de transformação social. Optamos pela Pesquisa Ação Participante para delinear nosso processo reflexivo em razão de sermos agentes culturais/pesquisadores. Baseados em nossas experiências e registros abrimos um diálogo com a obra de Paulo Freire. Iniciamos fazendo alguns apontamentos gerais sobre esta concepção metodológica para em seguida trazermos informações sobre o contexto migratório em Roraima e uma breve descrição do movimento cultural apuí. Selecionamos três ações culturais realizadas no âmbito do movimento realizadas no período de 2019-2020: português de acolhimento, oficina de gênero e círculos de estudo sobre alimentação saudável. Estabelecemos como fio condutor para a reflexão a transformação social, a nosso ver um eixo teórico-prático presente no pensamento freiriano e nas ações do movimento. Na parte final do artigo abordamos de uma forma mais conceitual a questão da transformação social. A LO LARGO DE LOS CAMINOS DE LA TRANSFORMACIÓN SOCIAL: ACERCAMIENTOS ENTRE EL PENSAMIENTO FREIRIANO Y LAS ACCIONES CULTURALES DEL MOVIMIENTO CULTURAL APUÍ Nuestro objetivo en este artículo es hacer algunas aproximaciones entre las acciones culturales desarrolladas en el movimiento cultural apuí y el pensamiento freiriano en torno a la búsqueda de la transformación social. Optamos por la Investigación Acción Participante para delinear nuestro proceso de reflexión porque somos agentes culturales/investigadores. A partir de nuestras experiencias y registros, abrimos un diálogo con la obra de Paulo Freire. Empezamos haciendo algunos apuntes generales sobre esta concepción metodológica para luego traer información sobre el contexto migratorio en Roraima y una breve descripción del movimiento cultural apuí. Seleccionamos tres acciones culturales realizadas en el ámbito del movimiento realizado en el período 2019-2020: portugués de acolchamiento, taller de género y círculos de estudio sobre alimentación saludable. Establecimos como línea conductora de las reflexiones la transformación social, a nuestro juicio un eje teórico-práctico presente en el pensamiento freiriano y en las acciones del movimiento. En la parte final del artículo, abordamos la cuestión de la transformación social de una manera más conceptual. PALABRAS CLAVES: Transformación Cultural; Educación No Formal; Género; Migración; Alimentación Saludable. SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION WAYS: APPROXIMATIONS BETWEEN FREIREAN THOUGHT AND THE CULTURAL ACTIONS OF THE APUÍ CULTURAL MOVEMENT The article objective is the approximation between cultural actions developed in the Apuí cultural movement in Boa Vista (RR) and the Freirean thought regarding the search for social transformation. We opted for the Participant Action Research to outline our reflective process because we are cultural agents / researchers. Based on our experiences and records, we opened a dialogue with the Paulo Freire’s work. We started by making some general notes on this methodological conception in order to bring information about the migratory context in Roraima and a brief description of the apuí cultural movement. We selected three cultural actions carried out within the scope of the movement developed in the period of 2019-2020: welcoming Portuguese, gender workshop and study circles on healthy eating. We established the social transformation as a guiding thread for reflection, in our view a theoretical-practical axis present in the Freirean thought and in the movement's actions. In the final part of the article we approached the question of social transformation in a more conceptual way. KEYWORDS: Cultural Transformation; Non-Formal Education; Genre; Migration; Healthy Eating.

The world’s forests have never been more threatened by invasions of exotic pests and pathogens, whose causes and impacts are reinforced by global change. However, forest entomologists and pathologists have, for too long, worked independently, used different concepts and proposed specific management methods without recognising parallels and synergies between their respective fields. Instead, we advocate increased collaboration between these two scientific communities to improve the long-term health of forests. Our arguments are that the pathways of entry of exotic pests and pathogens are often the same and that insects and fungi often coexist in the same affected trees. Innovative methods for preventing invasions, early detection and identification of non-native species, modelling of their impact and spread and prevention of damage by increasing the resistance of ecosystems can be shared for the management of both pests and diseases. We, therefore, make recommendations to foster this convergence, proposing in particular the development of interdisciplinary research programmes, the development of generic tools or methods for pest and pathogen management and capacity building for the education and training of students, managers, decision-makers and citizens concerned with forest health.

Tuta absoluta is a major pest attacking tomato crops. This invasive species emerged in Europe (Spain) in 2006, and 3 years later it spread to Portugal. In 2009/2010, it was recorded for the first time in the Azores archipelago. Macrolophus pygmaeus is a predator widely used as biological control agent against the tomato leaf miner. This study contrasted the life-history traits and population growth parameters of two feral populations of M. pygmaeus, one from Portugal mainland and one from the Azores archipelago. The predators were tested on single prey diet, either of Ephestia kuehniella eggs, a factitious prey used for mass rearing of mirids, or T. absoluta eggs. We predicted that populations would express differences in its phenotypic characteristics, with the Azorean population displaying low performance due to likely low genetic diversity, as expected for insular populations. Our results revealed the inexistence of phenotypic differences in several life history traits, such as immature developmental time, female longevity, males’ body weight and sex ratio. Contrary to our predictions, traits with direct impact on fitness, such as lifetime fertility (95.78 ± 14.23 vs. 61.38 ± 13.52 nymphs), explain better performances for the population of the Azores. Azorean M. pygmaeus females were larger, matured earlier and reproduced at a higher rate for longer periods, than mainland females. Therefore, population growth parameters show a positive advantage for the population of the Azores, fed on T. absoluta (time required for doubling the population Azores, Ek: 8.42 ± 0.50, Ta: 5.76 ± 0.31 and mainland, Ek: 10.88 ± 1.94, Ta: 12.07 ± 3.15). Biological performance of M. pygmaeus was similar when fed with T. absoluta or E. kuehniella that could be beneficial both to optimize mass production of the predator and biological control of the pest. Our results are discussed as well in a fundamental perspective, seeking if differences in biological performance can be explained by lower genetic diversity driven by geographic isolation.

We aimed at assessing the role of ecological infrastructures (EI) in promoting ant biodiversity in floodplain Mediterranean agricultural crops. We examined and compared ant communities at the interface between EI (remnant vegetation patches) and adjoining agricultural matrix (maize, rice, others) in irrigated farmland. The study was conducted in 2019, in two agricultural landscapes in the valleys of the rivers Tagus and Sorraia, Central Portugal. We used the Akaike information criterion for model selection and to distinguish among a set of possible models describing the relationship between: the ant richness in the agricultural matrix and drivers associated with the surrounding landscape and crop type; the ant richness in EI and the habitat quality of EI patches, the characteristics of the surrounding landscape, and the presence of invasive ant species. We found that: EI patches supported a higher ant diversity and an overall specialized ant community, distinctive from the agricultural matrix; location but not vegetation physiognomy influenced ant diversity; ant richness within the agricultural matrix decreased with the distance to the EI, and that this relationship was influenced by the crop type; and that ant richness in the EI was associated with the absence of the invasive Argentine ant and the area of terrestrial EI in the surrounding landscape.

In this study, we assess the potential of ants as bioindicators of riparian ecological health in two river types (upland and lowland type) located in the Catalonian region. We proposed to understand to what extent do metrics based on ant responses provide useful information that cannot be presented by traditional biophysical assessments while attempting an approach to creating an ant-based multimetric index (ant-based MMI) of the riparian ecological health. A total of 22 ant species were identified, and 42 metrics related to ant foraging activity, species richness, and functional traits were evaluated as potential core metrics of the index. Riparian features and proximal land use land cover (LULC) were used to distinguish disturbed from less disturbed sites. We found that ant communities strongly responded to human disturbance. When compared with an exclusively physical-based index for the assessment of the riparian health, the ant-based MMI was more sensitive to human disturbance, by also reacting to the effects of the surrounding LULC pressure. This study provides a preliminary approach for an ant-based assessment tool to evaluate the health of riparian corridors although additional research is required to include other river types and a wider stressor gradient before a wider application.

The invasion of the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) can alter the entire ecosystem with serious impacts on the native community structure (e.g., ant diversity) and processes (e.g., trophic interactions) leading to biodiversity loss and pest outbreaks. Most studies addressing these impacts have been conducted in natural or semi-natural areas, few are those conducted in agricultural ecosystems, such as citrus orchards. These are dominant agricultural ecosystems in Mediterranean landscapes. Furthermore, most studies have been conducted in a short span, not evidencing seasonal fluctuations. In this work, we assessed the ecological impact of the Argentine ant on the native ant communities in citrus orchards, in the region of Algarve, southern Portugal. By using principal response curve, we compared seasonal variation on ant assemblages in invaded and uninvaded citrus orchards foraging on tree canopy from a two-year sampling. The Argentine ant had a marked negative impact on the native ant community foraging on citrus canopy. In the uninvaded orchards, the native ant community had a rich assemblage composed of 16 ant species, in its majority (72%) controlled by the dominant species Lasius grandis Forel, Tapinoma nigerrimum (Nylander) and/or Pheidole pallidula (Nylander). In the invaded orchards, the native ant community was poorer and highly modified, mostly dominated by the Argentine ant (80%). Apparently, the only native ant species not affected by the presence of the Argentine ant was Plagiolepis pygmaea (Latreille). A significant negative effect was found between the proportion of infested trees by L. humile and the number of native ant species per orchard. Differences in the native ant community in the invaded and uninvaded orchards persisted over seasons and years. However, negative impacts were higher in the spring and summer, and less pronounced in the autumn. We discuss implications for citrus pest management.

Occurrence of inter-species hybrids in natural populations might be evidence of gene flow between species. In the present study we found evidence of gene flow between two sympatric, genetically related scale insect species--the citrus mealybug Planococcus citri (Risso) and the vine mealybug Planococcus ficus (Signoret). These species can be distinguished by morphological, behavioral, and molecular traits. We employed the sex pheromones of the two respective species to study their different patterns of male attraction. We also used nuclear ITS2 (internal transcribed spacer 2) and mitochondrial COI (Cytochrome c oxidase sub unit 1) DNA sequences to characterize populations of the two species, in order to demonstrate the outcome of a possible gene flow between feral populations of the two species. Our results showed attraction to P. ficus pheromones of all tested populations of P. citri males but not vice versa. Furthermore, ITS2 sequences revealed the presence of 'hybrid females' among P. citri populations but not among those of P. ficus. 'hybrid females' from P. citri populations identified as P. citri females according to COI sequences. We offer two hypotheses for these results. 1) The occurrence of phenotypic and genotypic traits of P. ficus in P. citri populations may be attributed to both ancient and contemporary gene flow between their populations; and 2) we cannot rule out that an ancient sympatric speciation by which P. ficus emerged from P. citri might have led to the present situation of shared traits between these species. In light of these findings we also discuss the origin of the studied species and the importance of the pherotype phenomenon as a tool with which to study genetic relationships between congener scale insects.

The occurrence of polyandry in Planococcuscitri, presumed by earlier observations of mating behavior, was confirmed using microsatellite genotyping of pools of over 400 eggs resulting from controlled crosses of one female with two males. The genetic contribution of both mated males was confirmed in 13 out of 43 crosses. In three crosses it was possible to determine that only the first male fertilized the eggs, which may be due to sperm competition or unviable sperm supply. The microsatellite analysis also allowed the confirmation of aspects of the chromosomal inheritance detected previously in cytogenetic studies in Planococcuscitri, namely that only one of the alleles is transmitted by the male, indicating that the males are functionally haploid, supporting the observation of Paternal Genome Elimination (PGE) in these insects.

É apresentada técnica para correção do refluxo valvar aórtico pela desinserção e ampliação de uma ou mais das válvulas com pericárdio bovino. Após estudo experimental em peças animais isoladas, a técnica foi empregada, com sucesso imediato, em seis pacientes. Em todos os casos, ampliou-se a válvula não coronariana e, em dois, ampliou-se, também, a válvula coronariana esquerda. O levantamento das comissuras valvares poderá constituir-se em uma técnica complementar, desde que foi uma constante em todos os pacientes operados. Uma paciente faleceu no sétimo mês de pós-operatório por endocardite bacteriana. Os demais pacientes encontram-se em períodos de observação de quatro a 12 meses. As observações iniciais permitem afirmar que a técnica é reproduzível com bons resultados imediatos. A evolução clínica a médio e a longo prazo é fundamental para uma apreciação mais definitiva, sendo motivo de constante preocupação a ocorrência de endocardite bacteriana e as conseqüências da evolução do processo reumático.A new technique for correction of aortic incompetence by the advancement of one more valve leaflets with bovine pericardium is presented. After experimental studies in isolated animal hearts, this technique was used with immediate success in six patients. In all cases non coronarian leaflet was advanced and in two cases the left coronarian leaflet was also advanced. The elevation of valve comissure may constitute a complimentary technique, as long as it has been constant in all cases operated. One patient died in the seventh month after surgery of bacterian endocarditis. All the others are now in postoperative follow-up of four to twelve months. Early observation allows the statement that the technique is reproducible with good immediate results. The early and late follow-up are fundamental to take a more definitive conclusion. The occurence of bacterian endocarditis and the consequences of evolution of rheumatic process are motives of constant preocupation.

Na integridade funcional do ventrículo esquerdo, é importante a continuidade entre a valva mitral e a parede ventricular mantida pelas cordas tendíneas e os músculos papilares. Por outro lado, além de maior mortalidade cirúrgica da insuficiência mitral, quando comparada com as próteses aórticas e a revascularização do miocárdio, observa-se menor morbi-mortalidade nos casos de valvoplastias em relação às próteses mitrais. Estes fatos constituem um desafio para a moderna cirurgia cardíaca, justificando-se todos os esforços de ampliação dos estudos no tratamento do refluxo valvar, tanto pelas correções plásticas, como pelo implante de prótese. No presente trabalho, apresenta-se a experiência com dois tipos de técnicas para o tratamento cirúrgico da insuficiência mitral: prótese com preservação de elementos do sistema valvar e plastia valvar com ampliação e avanço da cúspide posterior. Preocupou-se mais com os detalhes cirúrgicos, não tendo sido realizados estudos da função ventricular esquerda. Apresentam-se as diversas táticas para garantir a continuidade entre o anel valvar e parede do ventrículo nas trocas valvares. Ressalta-s a importância, nem sempre lembrada, da ampliação da cúspide posterior e a sua associação com outras técnicas de plastias valvares, tais como: comissurotomias, papilarotomias, anuloplatias e encurtamento de cordas tendíneas.The continuity between mitral valve and the left ventricular wall through chordae tendinae and papillary muscles plays a role in left ventricular function. The morbity and mortality for mitral valve replacement remain much higher than other cardiac procedures such as aortic valve replacement, mitral valvuloplasty and coronary artery bypass grafts. These facts justify all possible studies related to the correction of mitral valve insufficiency. The present paper presents our experience with two techniques for correction of mitral valve insufficiency: valve replacement with preservation of the mitral apparatus components and valvuloplasty by the reconstruction and advancement leaflet. Our main concern was the surgical details and ventricular function studies were not performed. Various techniques to maintain continuity of the mitral valve annulus and the ventricular musculature, when valve replacements is mandatory, are presented. The importance of the reconstruction and advancement of the posterior leaflet, alone or associated with other repair techniques such as comissurotomy, annuloplasty and shortening of chordae tendinae, is emphasized.

Apresenta-se um sistema para obtenção do efeito de contrapulsação aórtica no período intraoperatório pós perfusional de cirurgias cardíacas.The authors present on a system to obtain the aortic counterpulsation-effect in the immediate period after cardiopulmonary bypass for cardiac surgery.

Apresenta-se, preliminarmente, uma técnica para a correção do refluxo valvar aórtico pela ampliação de uma ou mais válvulas com pericárdio bovino. Após estudo experimental em peças animais isoladas, a técnica foi empregada, com sucesso, em uma paciente.A new technique for correction of aortic incompetence by the advancement of one more valve leaflets with bovine pericardial is presented. After experimental studies in isolated animal hearts this technique was used with success in one patient.

O presente trabalho tem por finalidade apresentar as etapas de um projeto para construção de uma bomba-balâo para contrapulsação aórtica. Desenvolveram-se três protótipos, sendo que os dois primeiros utilizavam ar comprimido e vácuo hospitalares para insuflação e deflação do cateter-balão. Esses dois protótipos apresentavam como diferenças fundamentais: o tipo de dispositivo que captava o sinal luminoso da onda R do ECG utilizado para a sincronização do bombeamento; o tipo de válvula solenóide e os componentes eletrônicos de maior resolução utilizados no segundo protótipo. O terceiro e atual protótipo passou a obter o sinal da onda R diretamente da saída de cardioversão do monitor de ECG e substituiu o ar comprimió e o vácuo hospitalares, além das válvulas solenóides, por uma bomba eletromagnética. Está em fase de resolução o problema de deflação tardia que ainda ocorre no sistema.The present paper presents the project and construction of a balloon-pump for aortic counterpulsation. Three experimental models were developed, the first two using hospital air and vacuum lines for inflation and deflation of the balloon catheter. These two inicial models diffères among themselves in the mechanism used to capture the light signal corresponding to the R wave of the ECG, which was used to sincronize the pumping. The solenoid valve and electronic components were of higher resolution in the second model. The third and present model recieves the R wave signal from the cardioversor adaptor of ECG monitor and the hospital vacuum and air lines along with the solenoid valve were substituted by an electromagnetic pump. The problems related to late deflation that have ocurred in the system are still in study. Emphasis is given on the importance of this research, which has incremented knowledge for the construction of other medical equipment, mainly in the area of respiratory care.