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This cross-sectional study aims to describe and compare energy, nutrient intake and food consumption according to eating location and by age groups using data from the National Food, Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (IAN-AF 2015/2016). Dietary intake was estimated by two non-consecutive days of food diaries (children)/24-h recalls (other age groups), and four eating location categories were defined according to the proportion of meals consumed at out-of-home locations: Home (at least 80 % of meals at home), Other Homes , School or Work and Restaurants and Other Places . The majority of meals (69·1 %) were consumed at home. Meals were also often taken at school by children and adolescents and in restaurants and similar outlets by adults and elderly. Children and adolescents in the School or Work category ate more fruit, vegetables and pulses and cereals and starchy tubers, whereas adults in this category ate more red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages and sweets. Compared with Home category, Restaurants and Other Places was associated with worse diet adequacies among children ( β = -1·0; 95 % CI = -2·0, -0·04), adolescents: ( β = -2·4; 95 % CI = -3·2, -1·5) and adults ( β = -1·3; 95 % CI = -1·6, -1·0) reflecting higher intakes of energy, fat, trans -fatty acids and SFA, and Na. The elderly consumed more free sugars and fat when eating out of home in general. Overall, findings reflect important variation in nutrient profiles by eating location, with meals taken at school or work contributing to higher consumption of nutrient-dense foods and those taken in restaurants and other similar settings implying higher consumption of energy-dense foods.

We assessed factors that determine the tissue-specific bioactivation of ProTide prodrugs by comparing the disposition and activation of remdesivir (RDV), its methylpropyl and isopropyl ester analogues (MeRDV and IsoRDV, respectively), the oral prodrug GS-621763, and the parent nucleotide GS-441524 (Nuc). RDV and MeRDV yielded more active metabolite remdesivir-triphosphate (RDV-TP) than IsoRDV, GS-621763, and Nuc in human lung cell models due to superior cell permeability and higher susceptivity to cathepsin A. Intravenous administration to mice showed that RDV and MeRDV delivered significantly more RDV-TP to the lung than other compounds. Nevertheless, all four ester prodrugs exhibited very low oral bioavailability (<2%), with Nuc being the predominant metabolite in blood. In conclusion, ProTides prodrugs, such as RDV and MeRDV, are more efficient in delivering active metabolites to the lung than Nuc, driven by high cell permeability and susceptivity to cathepsin A. Optimizing ProTides' ester structures is an effective strategy for enhancing prodrug activation in the lung.

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted and continues to impact the health and well-being of Australian adults. However, there has been no instrument validated to comprehensively measure how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted adults in Australia across several domains (e.g. fear of COVID-19, attitudes towards vaccination, psychosocial impact of lockdowns).The current study conducted a rigorous psychometric process to develop and validate an instrument to measure the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, the COVID-19 Impact Scale (CIS)., Method: Data was obtained from the Australian population. Participants ( N =  563) aged between 19 and 91 years ( M  = 54.50, SD  = 16.16) provided online responses between June, 2021 and May, 2022. The majority of participants were female (60.9%), employed either full-time (37.7%) or part-time (22.0%), and had completed an undergraduate degree or higher (70.1%). An initial pool of 30 items was developed based on a review of the literature and input from a panel of experts including psychologists, epidemiologists, and public health experts, among others. The study used network psychometrics to examine the psychometric properties of: (1) item score distributions; (2) item redundancy; (3) dimensionality; (4) model fit; (5) measurement invariance; (6) reliability; and (7) criterion validity., Results: Following an evaluation of items for ceiling/floor effects and redundancy, the final CIS network model included eighteen nodes and displayed a three-dimensional structure. The three communities of "Fear" (consisting of three nodes; ω  = 0.82), "Attitudes" (consisting of ten nodes; ω  = 0.89), and "Ill-being" (consisting of five nodes; ω  = 0.79) displayed adequate reliability. The evaluation of model fit indicated a good fit of the network model (RMSEA = 0.047; CFI =0.98)., Conclusion: The instrument is available to be used by Australian researchers and implemented to evaluate public policies, adapted for future pandemics, or used internationally.

The development of the human nervous system makes up a series of fundamental and interdependent events involving birth, growth, and neuronal maturation, in addition to the positive or negative selection of synapses of these neurons that will participate in the composition of neural circuits essential to the activity of the nervous system. In this context, where environment and social relationships seem to be relevant markers for neurodevelopment, advanced neuroimaging techniques and behavioral assessment tools have demonstrated alterations in brain regions and cognitive functions among children developing in low or high socioeconomic status environments. Considering the aspects mentioned, this review aimed to identify the importance of socioeconomic status in children's brain development, seeking to identify what are the impacts of these factors on the morphological and physiological formation of the nervous system, allowing a greater understanding of the importance of environmental factors in neurodevelopmental processes., Competing Interests: Disclosure: The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Against the growing world demand for food and the possibility of recovering some nutrients, this work focused on the evaluation of the use of Bioclastic Granules (BG) from the algae Lithothamnium calcareum as sorbent material for the removal/recovery of phosphorus from aqueous solutions. The main variables that affect the sorption process, pH, initial concentration of phosphate, and GB, as well as the contact time, were evaluated. The effect of pH was very significant, obtaining the best results of PO 4 3- removal at pH 5. In the coarser granulometric fractions (+ 106 - 150 and + 210 - 300 μm), the best removals were observed (around 75%). Regarding the initial PO 4 3- concentration in the solutions, the highest removal (in the range of 74 to 78%) was observed in the lowest concentrations (5 to 70 mg L -1 ) and the best uptake (10 to 14 mg g -1 ) at higher concentrations (200 to 420 mg L -1 ). The PO 4 3- sorption data fitted the Freundlich model well, with k F of 1.35 L mg -1 and n of 2.43. A q max of 14.35 mg g -1 was obtained using the Langmuir model. Regarding the sorption data over time, a better fit to the pseudo-first-order kinetic model was observed, obtaining a calculated q eq of 6.56 mg g -1 and a k 1 of 0.0073 min -1 . The incorporation of PO 4 3- ions in the GB structure was confirmed through the characterization results before and after the sorption experiments using X-ray fluorescence (FRX) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

During surveys conducted in South America and Africa to identify natural fungal enemies of coffee leaf rust (CLR), Hemileia vastatrix , over 1500 strains were isolated, either as endophytes from healthy tissues of Coffea species or as mycoparasites growing on rust pustules. Based on morphological data, eight isolates-three isolated from wild or semiwild coffee and five from Hemileia species on coffee, all from Africa-were provisionally assigned to the genus Clonostachys . A polyphasic study of their morphological, cultural and molecular characteristics-including the Tef1 (translation elongation factor 1 alpha), RPB1 (largest subunit of RNA polymerase II), TUB (β-tubulin) and ACL1 (ATP citrate lyase) regions-confirmed these isolates as belonging to three species of the genus Clonostachys : namely C. byssicola , C. rhizophaga and C. rosea f. rosea . Preliminary assays were also conducted to test the potential of the Clonostachys isolates to reduce CLR severity on coffee under greenhouse conditions. Foliar and soil applications indicated that seven of the isolates had a significant effect ( p < 0.05) in reducing CLR severity. In parallel, in vitro tests that involved conidia suspensions of each of the isolates together with urediniospores of H. vastatrix resulted in high levels of inhibition of urediniospore germination. All eight isolates showed their ability to establish as endophytes in C. arabica during this study, and some proved to be mycoparasites of H. vastatrix . In addition to reporting the first records of Clonostachys associated with healthy coffee tissues and with Hemileia rusts of coffee, this work provides the first evidence that Clonostachys isolates have potential as biological control agents against CLR.

This study aims to evaluate the interaction effect of socio-economic environment (SEE) in the relationship between the eating location (EL) and diet quality, in children and adolescents. Data included Portuguese children and adolescents (3-17 years) from a National Dietary Survey Sample (IAN-AF 2015/2016, n 987). Dietary intake was obtained by 2-d food diaries (children) or 2-24-h-recall (adolescents). Participants were classified into four groups of EL: 'Home', 'Other homes', 'School' and 'Restaurants'. Diet quality was measured as a higher adherence to a healthy eating pattern. A previous developed socio-economic classification was used, and participants were grouped as belonging to a low socio-economic environment (LSE) or middle-high socio-economic environment (MHSE). Linear regression models were used to evaluate the association between EL and diet quality, stratified by the SEE. A statistically significant interaction effect was found ( P < 0·01) for the SEE in the association between EL and diet quality. After adjustment for potential confounders, in LSE, participants belonging to 'Other homes' ( β = -2·07; 95 % CI:-3·70, -0·44) and 'Restaurants' ( β = -3·31; 95 % CI: -5·08, -1·54) had lower scores in the diet quality score, comparing to 'Home'. In MHSE, comparing with 'Home', 'Restaurants' showed lower diet quality ( β = -1·56; 95 % CI:-2·65, -0·48), while the 'School' had better diet quality ( β = 0·90; 95 % CI: 0·16, 1·64). The SEE influences the association between EL and diet quality and, belonging to more disadvantaged SEE, might represent a higher risk of unhealthy eating habits when eating out-of-home.

This article discusses insights arising from a Community of Practice (CoP) initiative within a mental health short stay inpatient unit adjacent to a major Emergency Department to explore how COVID-19 has influenced engagement and support of people in mental distress. The present initiative was designed as a collaboration between the University of South Australia and SA Health. Community of Practice (CoP) is combined with a narrative review of current evidence to explain specific nursing care responses within an operating environment of pandemic-induced fear and uncertainty. Meetings discussed the challenges associated with delivering mental health care for people experiencing mental health distress in the COVID-19 context. Applying trauma-informed principles to mental health care delivery was identified to be of relevance in the context of an ongoing pandemic. Humanizing nursing care and increasing people's sense of predictability and safety contributed to therapeutic engagement and support during COVID-19. Factors discussed to mitigate the effects of safety measures include, for example, nuanced verbal and non-verbal engagement of health workers with people in mental distress when wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). We highlight the need to 'humanise' nursing and openly communicating that both practitioners and people in distress are navigating special circumstances. The CoP participants additionally acknowledged that the experience of moral distress among frontline health workers needs to be addressed in future policy responses to COVID-19. Person-centred and trauma-informed responses at the point of care might help to mitigate the pandemic short- and long-term effects for both service users and frontline health workers., (© 2022 The Authors. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Objectives : This study investigated the relationship between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in cytokine genes and the susceptibility to Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions (SIL), cervical cancer and HPV infection through a systematic review with meta-analysis. To verify the effect of SNPs, we also analyzed the transcription factor binding affinity using bioinformatics tools. Methods : Seven electronic databases (MEDLINE, Scielo, BIREME, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Science Direct) were searched for case-control studies. Results : A total of 35 relevant case-control studies were meta-analyzed, including 7 cytokine genes and 15 SNPs. SNPs in IL-17A (rs2275913, rs3748067); IL-17 F (rs763780); IL-12A (rs568408); IL-12B (rs3212227); TNFA (rs1800629, rs361525); IL-1B (rs16944); IL-6 (rs1800795); IL-10 (rs1800896) genes were associated with increased risk for cervical cancer. No association was observed between meta-analyzed polymorphisms and SIL. Additional bioinformatics analysis suggested a possible transcriptional regulation pathway of the TNFA and IL-10 genes through the MZF1 ( TNFA -308 G > A and IL-10  - 1082A>G) and ZNF263 ( TNFA -238 G > A) transcription factors binding. Conclusion : Overall, 10 SNPs in cytokine genes were associated with increased risk for cervical cancer. Therefore, in our meta-analysis, these SNPs demonstrated to be potential biomarkers for predicting or identifying cases of high risk for SIL and cervical cancer.

As smart devices have become commonly used to access internet banking applications, these devices constitute appealing targets for fraudsters. Impersonation attacks are an essential concern for internet banking providers. Therefore, user authentication countermeasures based on biometrics, whether physiological or behavioral, have been developed, including those based on touch dynamics biometrics. These measures take into account the unique behavior of a person when interacting with touchscreen devices, thus hindering identitification fraud because it is hard to impersonate natural user behaviors. Behavioral biometric measures also balance security and usability because they are important for human interfaces, thus requiring a measurement process that may be transparent to the user. This paper proposes an improvement to Biotouch, a supervised Machine Learning-based framework for continuous user authentication. The contributions of the proposal comprise the utilization of multiple scopes to create more resilient reasoning models and their respective datasets for the improved Biotouch framework. Another contribution highlighted is the testing of these models to evaluate the imposter False Acceptance Error (FAR). This proposal also improves the flow of data and computation within the improved framework. An evaluation of the multiple scope model proposed provides results between 90.68% and 97.05% for the harmonic mean between recall and precision (F1 Score). The percentages of unduly authenticated imposters and errors of legitimate user rejection (Equal Error Rate (EER)) are between 9.85% and 1.88% for static verification, login, user dynamics, and post-login. These results indicate the feasibility of the continuous multiple-scope authentication framework proposed as an effective layer of security for banking applications, eventually operating jointly with conventional measures such as password-based authentication.

A survey for species of the genus Trichoderma occurring as endophytes of Coffea, and as mycoparasites of coffee rusts (Hemileia), was undertaken in Africa; concentrating on Cameroon and Ethiopia. Ninety-four isolates of Trichoderma were obtained during this study: 76 as endophytes of healthy leaves, stems and berries and, 18 directly from colonized rust pustules. A phylogenetic analysis of all isolates used a combination of three genes: translation elongation factor-1α (tef1), rpb2 and cal for selected isolates. GCPSR criteria were used for the recognition of species; supported by morphological and cultural characters. The results reveal a previously unrecorded diversity of Trichoderma species endophytic in both wild and cultivated Coffea, and mycoparasitic on Hemileia rusts. Sixteen species were delimited, including four novel taxa which are described herein: T. botryosum, T. caeruloviride, T. lentissimum and T. pseudopyramidale. Two of these new species, T. botryosum and T. pseudopyramidale, constituted over 60% of the total isolations, predominantly from wild C. arabica in Ethiopian cloud forest. In sharp contrast, not a single isolate of Trichoderma was obtained using the same isolation protocol during a survey of coffee in four Brazilian states, suggesting the existence of a 'Trichoderma void' in the endophyte mycobiota of coffee outside of Africa. The potential use of these African Trichoderma isolates in classical biological control, either as endophytic bodyguards-to protect coffee plants from Hemileia vastatrix, the fungus causing coffee leaf rust (CLR)-or to reduce its impact through mycoparasitism, is discussed, with reference to the on-going CLR crisis in Central America.

Introduction: In Australia, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) instruments have been adopted in national population surveys to inform policy decisions that affect the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. However, Western-developed HRQoL instruments should not be assumed to capture Indigenous conceptualization of health and well-being. In our study, following recommendations for cultural adaptation, an Indigenous Reference Group indicated the EQ-5D-5L as a potentially valid instrument to measure aspects of HRQoL and endorsed further psychometric evaluation. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the construct validity and reliability of the EQ-5D-5L in an Aboriginal Australian population., Methods: The EQ-5D-5L was applied in a sample of 1012 Aboriginal adults. Dimensionality was evaluated using Exploratory Graph Analysis. The Partial Credit Model was employed to evaluate item performance and adequacy of response categories. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was used to investigate discriminant validity regarding chronic pain, general health and experiences of discrimination., Results: The EQ-5D-5L comprised two dimensions, Physiological and Psychological, and reliability was adequate. Performance at an item level was excellent and the EQ-5D-5L individual items displayed good discriminant validity., Conclusions: The EQ-5D-5L is a suitable instrument to measure five specific aspects (Mobility, Self-Care, Usual activities, Pain/Discomfort, Anxiety/Depression) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander HRQoL. A future research agenda comprises the investigation of other domains of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander HRQoL and potential expansions to the instrument.

Purpose: The South Australian Aboriginal Birth Cohort (SAABC) is a prospective, longitudinal birth cohort established to: (1) estimate Aboriginal child dental disease compared with population estimates; (2) determine the efficacy of an early childhood caries intervention in early versus late infancy; (3) examine if efficacy was sustained over time and; (4) document factors influencing social, behavioural, cognitive, anthropometric, dietary and educational attainment over time., Participants: The original SAABC comprised 449 women pregnant with an Aboriginal child recruited February 2011 to May 2012. At child age 2 years, 324 (74%) participants were retained, at age 3 years, 324 (74%) participants were retained and at age 5 years, 299 (69%) participants were retained. Fieldwork for follow-up at age 7 years is underway, with funding available for follow-up at age 9 years., Findings to Date: At baseline, 53% of mothers were aged 14-24 years and 72% had high school or less educational attainment. At age 3 years, dental disease experience was higher among children exposed to the intervention later rather than earlier in infancy. The effect was sustained at age 5 years, but rates were still higher than general child population estimates. Experiences of racism were high among mothers, with impacts on both tooth brushing and toothache. Compared with population estimates, levels of self-efficacy and self-rated oral health of mothers at baseline were low., Future Plans: Our data have contributed to a better understanding of the environmental, behavioural, dietary, biological and psychosocial factors contributing to Aboriginal child oral and general health, and social and emotional well-being. This is beneficial in charting the trajectory of cohort participants' health and well-being overtime, particularly in identifying antecedents of chronic diseases which are highly prevalent among Aboriginal Australians. Funding for continued follow-up of the cohort will be sought., Trial Registration Number: ACTRN12611000111976; Post-results., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Introduction: Measles, mumps, and rubella are viral contagious diseases preventable by the MMR vaccine. MMR is a part of the immunization schedule of the Brazilian Ministry of Health, which recommends 2 doses of the vaccine for professionals working in health care facilities., Objectives: To determine the vaccination coverage for measles, mumps, and rubella among active professionals of a tertiary hospital in the city of Porto Alegre, state of Rio Grande do Sul; to analyze the importance of vaccinating professionals that work at health care facilities; to detect and highlight high-risk services for contagious diseases according to patient profiles - children, pregnant and puerperal women, immunocompromised individuals., Methods: This is a descriptive transversal study that analyzed the database of the Occupational Medicine Service of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre considering active professionals in January 2019., Results: We evaluated the vaccination records of 7802 active professionals of this hospital; 52% of them had taken at least 1 dose of the MMR vaccine (1 or 2 doses) and 47% had not been vaccinated. Among high-risk services, 56.4% of the professionals had had at least 1 MMR dose, while 43.4% had not been vaccinated., Conclusions: This study revealed that the vaccination coverage for measles, mumps, and rubella at the analyzed health care facility was still far from the ideal; however, the Occupational Medicine Service has been making efforts to gradually broaden this coverage., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: None

The development of the multidrug resistance phenotype is one of the major challenges faced in the treatment of cancer. The multidrug resistance phenotype is characterized by cross-resistance to drugs with different chemical structures and mechanisms of action. In this work, we hypothesized that the acquisition of resistance in cancer is accompanied by activation of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition process, where the tumor cell acquires a more mobile and invasive phenotype; a fundamental step in tumor progression and in promoting the invasion of other organs and tissues. In addition, it is known that atypical glycosylations are characteristic of tumor cells, being used as biomarkers. We believe that the acquisition of the multidrug resistance phenotype and the activation of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition provoke alterations in the cell glycophenotype, which can be used as glycomarkers for chemoresistance and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition processes. Herein, we induced the multidrug resistance phenotype in the PC-3 human prostate adenocarcinoma line through the continuous treatment with the drug paclitaxel. Our results showed that the induced cell multidrug resistance phenotype (1) acquired a mixed profile between epithelial and mesenchymal phenotypes and (2) modified the glycophenotype, showing an increase in the level of sialylation and in the number of branched glycans. Both mechanisms are described as indicators of poor prognosis.

Influenza A virus infection has rarely been documented to cause viremia. In 28 blood donations in Brazil that were deferred because of postdonation information, we identified influenza A(H3N2) virus RNA in 1 donation using metagenomic analysis. Our finding implies theoretical risk for viremia and transfusion transmission.

Aim: The present study aims to develop the Race-related Attitudes and Multiculturalism Scale (RRAMS), as well as to perform an initial psychometric assessment of this instrument in a national sample of Australian adults., Methods: The sample comprised 2,714 Australian adults who took part in the 2013 National Dental Telephone Interview Survey (NDTIS), which includes a telephone-based interview and a follow-up postal questionnaire. We used Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) to evaluate the RRAMS' factorial structure (n = 271) and then proceeded with Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) to confirm the proposed structure in an independent sample (n = 2,443). Measurement invariance was evaluated according to sex, age and educational attainment. Construct validity was assessed through known-groups comparisons. Internal consistency was assessed with McDonald's ΩH and ordinal α. Multiple imputation by chained equations was adopted to handle missing data., Results: EFA indicated that, after excluding 4 out of the 12 items, a two-factor structure provided a good fit to the data. This configural structure was then confirmed in an independent sample by means of CFA (χ2(19) = 341.070, p<0.001, CFI = 0.974, RMSEA = 0.083; 90% CI [0.076, 0.091]). Measurement invariance analyses suggested that the RRAMS items can be used to compare men/women, respondents with/without tertiary education and young/older participants. The "Anglo-centric/Assimilationist attitudes" (ΩH = 0.83, αORDINAL = 0.85) and "Inclusive/Pluralistic attitudes" subscales (ΩH = 0.77, αORDINAL = 0.79) showed adequate reliability. Men and participants with low education had higher Anglo-centric/assimilationist attitudes and lower inclusive/pluralistic attitudes, suggesting construct validity., Conclusions: The RRAMS appears to be a valid and reliable measure to evaluate multiculturalist attitudes in the Australian context. The instrument may be useful in the assessment and monitoring of interventions aiming to promote multiculturalist inclusive attitudes and to increase social cohesion in Australia., Competing Interests: I confirm the authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Introduction: Positive attitudes towards ethnic-racial identity (ERI) is a key factor in Aboriginal Australian children's development. The present study aims to offer evidence of construct and criterion validity, reliability, and measurement invariance of a brief measure of Aboriginal children's ERI affirmation., Methods: Data was from 424 children aged 10-12 years (mean 10.5 years; SD 0.56) participating in the 8th wave of the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LSIC). Information on ERI was obtained from 4 child-reported items. Sociodemographic characteristics and child social and emotional outcomes were caregiver-reported. A factorial structure was tested by Confirmatory Factor Analysis. The estimation method was weighted least squares with mean and variance adjusted test statistic (WLSMV). For reliability verification, the ordinal α and Ω hierarchical α were assessed. For construct validity, a generalized linear model with log-Poisson link estimated the association between ERI and children's social and emotional outcomes. We hypothesized that children with positive ERI would have lower behavioural and emotional difficulties., Results: We found evidence of excellent fit for a unidimensional model of ERI affirmation after adjusting for correlated uniqueness between items 1 and 3 (χ2(2) = 0.06, p = 0.80; RMSEA = 0.000 [90% CI 0.000-0.080], p = 0.088; CFI = 1.000). Internal consistency reliability was considered adequate (ordinal α = 0.83; Ω hierarchical α = 0.72). The unidimensional model was shown to be invariant among boys and girls (Δχ2 (4) = 6.20, p = 0.18; ΔCFI = 0.000). Higher ERI was associated with lower risk of problematic scores (>17) on the SDQ (Risk Ratioa = 0.91, 95% CI 0.64, 1.29)., Discussion: The four LSIC items perform as a brief measure of Aboriginal children ERI affirmation among boys and girls. Results contribute much needed evidence for LSIC's ongoing success and to future research on Aboriginal children's development and wellbeing., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: Racism is a pervasive experience in the life of Aboriginal Australians that begins in childhood. As a psychosocial stressor, racism compromises wellbeing and impacts developmental trajectories. The purpose of the present study was to estimate the effect of racism on indicators of Australian Aboriginal child socio-emotional wellbeing (SEWB) at one to two years after exposure. Age-related differences in the onset of symptoms were explored., Methods: Data from the B- and K-cohorts of the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children were used (aged 6 to 12 years). Racism, confounding variables, and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (a measure of SEWB) were collected by questionnaires and guided interviews with each child's main caregiver. Adjusted Poisson regression was used to estimate the relative risk (RR a ) effects of racism on SEWB for both cohorts separately. RR a were pooled in a random effects meta-analysis., Results: Exposure to racism was associated with an adjusted point estimate indicating a 41% increased risk for total emotional and behavioural difficulties, although the confidence intervals were wide (pooled RR a 1.41, 95% CI 0.75, 2.07). Analyses by cohort showed younger children had higher RR a for total difficulties (RR a 1.72, 95% CI 1.16, 2.54), whilst older children had higher RR a for hyperactive behaviour (RR a 1.66, 95% CI 1.01, 2.73)., Conclusions: The effects observed contributes to our understanding of the impact of racism on Aboriginal Australian children. Support for emotional and behavioural difficulties, and hyperactive behaviour, for Aboriginal children might help counteract the effects of racism. Future longitudinal research and policies aimed at reducing racism in Australian society are necessary.

Objectives: This study investigates the protective role of ethnic-racial identity (ERI) affirmation on the longitudinal association between racism and Aboriginal Australian children's social and emotional well-being (SEWB)., Methods: 408 children from the K-Cohort of the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children were included in the analysis. Data were collected through questionnaire-guided interviews at 7-10 and 9-12 years of age. Children's racism experience, SEWB (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire), and confounding were reported by caregivers. ERI was reported by children and dichotomized into high versus low. Generalized linear models with log-Poisson links and robust errors were used to estimate adjusted Risk Ratios (RRa) for the effect of racism on SEWB domains. Effect-measure modification analysis was used to verify differences on effect sizes per strata of ERI affirmation. The presence of modification was indicated by the Relative Excess Risk due to Interaction (RERI)., Results: Slightly above half (51.4%) of the children presented high ERI affirmation. Children exposed to racism and with low ERI affirmation were at increased risk of hyperactive behavior (RRa 2.53, 95% CI 1.17, 5.48), conduct problems (RRa 2.35, 95% CI 1.07, 5.15), and total difficulties (RRa 1.73, 95% CI 0.84, 3.55). Positive RERIs indicated the joint effects of racism and low ERI affirmation surpassed the sum of their separate effects in these domains. Children with high ERI affirmation were at increased risk of peer problems (RRa 1.66, 95% CI 0.78, 3.52)., Conclusions: These findings suggest that ERI may mitigate the risk of poor SEWB due to racism. Fostering affirmative ERI can be an important strategy in promoting resilience in Aboriginal Australian children., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

A sediment core was sampled in an urban lake in southern Brazil, and the presence of 27 trace elements was assessed. The geochronology showed that the core corresponds to the period from 1914 to 2012. Accumulation of metals and the level of pollution was measured by the geoaccumulation index (I geo ) and enrichment factor (EF). According to I geo and EF, the lake showed a high concentration of Ag, Se, Na, Au, S, Ca, Mg, Ba, Sb, Bi, and Sr with 5 ≤ EF ≤ 45 and I geo class = 2-6. The EF to Au = 45 and Ag = 40. In contrast, Fe, Al, As, Cr, Ga, La, Sc, and Th do not represent pollution (I geo  ≤ 0 and EF ≤ 1.6). A principal component analysis and Spearman correlation showed a first group composed of Ca, Mg, P, Ba, Sr, Na, K, Ag, Bi, Au, Mo, sand, silt, and total organic carbon with positive correlation ≥ 0.70 and > 0.95 to Sr, Ag, sand, and silt. These were negatively correlated ≥- 0.70 with Fe. The second group: Fe, La, Ga, Ti, V, Cr, As, Al, Th from lithogenic source. Prediction models for the concentration for Mg, Na, P, Sr, Fe, Ga, and total organic carbon to years 2020-2050 were obtained with R 2  > 0.65. In the anthropogenic source analyses, a watershed land use map indicates multiple uses of the land, with 53% urban area, 14.6% agriculture, and 14.5% forest.

This systematic review investigates how violence against children and adolescents data have been accessed, analyzed and discussed in Health scientific literature in Brazil. A sample of 50 articles, based in violence cases registered in the period from 1990 to 2015, was selected throughout the bases SciELO, PePSIC, Lilacs, Web of Science e Scopus. The analysis of frequency distribution pointed out that the major document typology consulted was the violence notification to the Guardianship Council. Characteristics of victims and of the violence situation were the most frequently analyzed. The data set permitted infer about the evolution of the violence epidemiological vigilance in the period considered. The Thematic Analysis showed that data was discussed in relation to the different contextual levels in which violence is manifested. The high absence of the information registered and the inexistence of psychosocial variables precedents to the violent situations interfered in the appliance of recent theoretical models.

The potential of Bioclastic Granules - BG (calcium-carbonate-based material) using the algae Lithothamnium calcareum as sorbent for the removal of Cd(II) from aqueous solutions by sorption was evaluated through batch and continuous systems tests using a fixed-bed column. Sorption process variables, in particular pH (2-7), particle size (<38-300 μm), initial BG concentration (0.1-1.0 g L -1 ), initial Cd(II) concentrations (5-400 mg L -1 ) and contact time (5-240 min), were evaluated. Adsorption isotherm profiles of Cd(II) per BG were similar to an L-type, or Langmuir type, with the adsorption forming a monolayer of approximately 0.61 μm, with a q max of 188.74 mg g -1 and k L of 0.710 L mg -1 . Thomas's model considers that sorption is not limited to a chemical reaction but is controlled by mass transfer at the interface. In the present study, the obtained value of k Th was 0.895 mL h -1  mg -1 , reaching a sorption capacity q o of 124.4 mg g -1 . For the Yoon-Nelson model, it was possible to obtain two important parameters to describe the behavior of the column, the rate constant (k YN ), obtaining a value of 0.09 h -1 and an τ of 82.12 h corresponding to the time required for sorption to occur of 50% of the solute in the rupture curve. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy analyses coupled to the X-ray dispersive energy system (SEM/EDS) of the BG after the Cd(II) ion sorption tests evidenced the formation of crystals with the prevalence of a new mineral phase (otavite).

Intraguild predation is a mix of competition and predation and occurs when one species feeds on another species that uses similar resources. Theory predicts that intraguild predation hampers coexistence of species involved, but it is common in nature. It has been suggested that increasing habitat complexity and the presence of alternative food may promote coexistence. Reciprocal intraguild predation limits possibilities for coexistence even further. Habitat complexity and the presence of alternative food are believed to promote coexistence. We investigated this using two species of predatory mites, Iphiseiodes zuluagai and Euseius concordis , by assessing co-occurrence in the field and on arenas differing in spatial structure in the laboratory. The predators co-occured on the same plants in the field. In the laboratory, adults of the two mites fed on juveniles of the other species, both in the presence and the absence of a shared food source, showing that the two species are involved in reciprocal intraguild predation. Adults of I. zuluagai also attacked adults of E. concordis . This suggests limited possibilities for coexistence of the two species. Indeed, E. concordis invariably went extinct extremely rapidly on arenas without spatial structure with populations consisting of all stages of the two predators and with a shared resource. Coexistence was prolonged on host plant leaves with extra food sources, but E. concordis still went extinct. On small, intact plants, coexistence of the two species was much longer, and ended with the other species, I. zuluagai , often going extinct. These results suggest that spatial structure and the presence of alternative food increase the coexistence period of intraguild predators.

Introduction and Objectives: Cognitive impairment is a significant comorbidity of temporal lobe epilepsy that is associated with extensive hippocampal cell loss. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the anterior thalamic nucleus (ANT) has been used for the treatment of refractory partial seizures. In the pilocarpine model of epilepsy, ANT DBS applied during status epilepticus (SE) reduces hippocampal inflammation and apoptosis. When given to chronic epileptic animals it reduces hippocampal excitability and seizure frequency. Here, we tested whether ANT DBS delivered during SE and the silent phase of the pilocarpine model would reduce cognitive impairment when animals became chronically epileptic., Materials and Methods: SE was induced by a systemic pilocarpine injection (320 mg/kg). Immediately after SE onset, rats were assigned to receive DBS during the first six hours of SE (n = 8; DBSa group) or during SE + the silent period (i.e., 6 h/day until the animals developed the first spontaneous recurrent seizure; n = 10; DBSs group). Four months following SE, animals underwent water maze testing and histological evaluation. Nonstimulated chronic epileptic animals (n = 13; PCTL group) and age-matched naïve rats (n = 11, CTL group) were used as controls. Results were analyzed by repeated-measures analyses of variance (RM&#95;ANOVA) and one-way ANOVAs, followed by Newman-Keuls post hoc tests., Results: Although all groups learned the spatial task, epileptic animals with or without DBS spent significantly less time in the platform quadrant, denoting a spatial memory deficit (p < 0.02). Despite these negative behavioral results, we found that animals given DBS had a significantly higher number of cells in the CA1 region and dentate gyrus. Mossy fiber sprouting was similar among all epileptic groups., Conclusions: Despite lesser hippocampal neuronal loss, ANT DBS delivered either during SE or during SE and the silent phase of the pilocarpine model did not mitigate memory deficits in chronic epileptic rats., (© 2017 International Neuromodulation Society.)

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Antarctica : Cadophora antarctica from soil. Australia : Alfaria dandenongensis on Cyperaceae , Amphosoma persooniae on Persoonia sp., Anungitea nullicana on Eucalyptus sp . , Bagadiella eucalypti on Eucalyptus globulus , Castanediella eucalyptigena on Eucalyptus sp., Cercospora dianellicola on Dianella sp., Cladoriella kinglakensis on Eucalyptus regnans , Cladoriella xanthorrhoeae (incl. Cladoriellaceae fam. nov. and Cladoriellales ord. nov.) on Xanthorrhoea sp., Cochlearomyces eucalypti (incl. Cochlearomyces gen. nov. and Cochlearomycetaceae fam. nov.) on Eucalyptus obliqua , Codinaea lambertiae on Lambertia formosa , Diaporthe obtusifoliae on Acacia obtusifolia , Didymella acaciae on Acacia melanoxylon , Dothidea eucalypti on Eucalyptus dalrympleana , Fitzroyomyces cyperi (incl. Fitzroyomyces gen. nov.) on Cyperaceae , Murramarangomyces corymbiae (incl. Murramarangomyces gen. nov., Murramarangomycetaceae fam. nov. and Murramarangomycetales ord. nov.) on Corymbia maculata , Neoanungitea eucalypti (incl. Neoanungitea gen. nov.) on Eucalyptus obliqua , Neoconiothyrium persooniae (incl. Neoconiothyrium gen. nov.) on Persoonia laurina subsp. laurina , Neocrinula lambertiae (incl. Neocrinulaceae fam. nov.) on Lambertia sp., Ochroconis podocarpi on Podocarpus grayae , Paraphysalospora eucalypti (incl. Paraphysalospora gen. nov.) on Eucalyptus sieberi , Pararamichloridium livistonae (incl. Pararamichloridium gen. nov., Pararamichloridiaceae fam. nov. and Pararamichloridiales ord. nov.) on Livistona sp., Pestalotiopsis dianellae on Dianella sp., Phaeosphaeria gahniae on Gahnia aspera , Phlogicylindrium tereticornis on Eucalyptus tereticornis , Pleopassalora acaciae on Acacia obliquinervia , Pseudodactylaria xanthorrhoeae (incl. Pseudodactylaria gen. nov., Pseudodactylariaceae fam. nov. and Pseudodactylariales ord. nov.) on Xanthorrhoea sp., Pseudosporidesmium lambertiae (incl. Pseudosporidesmiaceae fam. nov.) on Lambertia formosa , Saccharata acaciae on Acacia sp., Saccharata epacridis on Epacris sp., Saccharata hakeigena on Hakea sericea , Seiridium persooniae on Persoonia sp., Semifissispora tooloomensis on Eucalyptus dunnii , Stagonospora lomandrae on Lomandra longifolia , Stagonospora victoriana on Poaceae , Subramaniomyces podocarpi on Podocarpus elatus , Sympoventuria melaleucae on Melaleuca sp . , Sympoventuria regnans on Eucalyptus regnans , Trichomerium eucalypti on Eucalyptus tereticornis , Vermiculariopsiella eucalypticola on Eucalyptus dalrympleana , Verrucoconiothyrium acaciae on Acacia falciformis , Xenopassalora petrophiles (incl. Xenopassalora gen. nov.) on Petrophile sp . , Zasmidium dasypogonis on Dasypogon sp., Zasmidium gahniicola on Gahnia sieberiana. Brazil : Achaetomium lippiae on Lippia gracilis , Cyathus isometricus on decaying wood, Geastrum caririense on soil, Lycoperdon demoulinii (incl. Lycoperdon subg. Arenicola ) on soil, Megatomentella cristata (incl. Megatomentella gen. nov.) on unidentified plant, Mutinus verrucosus on soil, Paraopeba schefflerae (incl. Paraopeba gen. nov.) on Schefflera morototoni , Phyllosticta catimbauensis on Mandevilla catimbauensis , Pseudocercospora angularis on Prunus persica , Pseudophialophora sorghi on Sorghum bicolor , Spumula piptadeniae on Piptadenia paniculata. Bulgaria : Yarrowia parophonii from gut of Parophonus hirsutulus . Croatia : Pyrenopeziza velebitica on Lonicera borbasiana. Cyprus : Peziza halophila on coastal dunes. Czech Republic : Aspergillus contaminans from human fingernail. Ecuador : Cuphophyllus yacurensis on forest soil, Ganoderma podocarpense on fallen tree trunk. England : Pilidium anglicum (incl. Chaetomellales ord. nov.) on Eucalyptus sp. France : Planamyces parisiensis (incl. Planamyces gen. nov.) on wood inside a house. French Guiana : Lactifluus ceraceus on soil. Germany : Talaromyces musae on Musa sp. India : Hyalocladosporiella cannae on Canna indica , Nothophoma raii from soil. Italy : Setophaeosphaeria citri on Citrus reticulata , Yuccamyces citri on Citrus limon. Japan : Glutinomyces brunneus (incl. Glutinomyces gen. nov.) from roots of Quercus sp. Netherlands (all from soil): Collariella hilkhuijsenii , Fusarium petersiae , Gamsia kooimaniorum , Paracremonium binnewijzendii , Phaeoisaria annesophieae , Plectosphaerella niemeijerarum , Striaticonidium deklijnearum , Talaromyces annesophieae , Umbelopsis wiegerinckiae , Vandijckella johannae (incl. Vandijckella gen. nov. and Vandijckellaceae fam. nov.), Verhulstia trisororum (incl. Verhulstia gen. nov.). New Zealand : Lasiosphaeria similisorbina on decorticated wood. Papua New Guinea : Pseudosubramaniomyces gen. nov. (based on Pseudosubramaniomyces fusisaprophyticus comb. nov.). Slovakia : Hemileucoglossum pusillum on soil. South Africa : Tygervalleyomyces podocarpi (incl. Tygervalleyomyces gen. nov.) on Podocarpus falcatus. Spain : Coniella heterospora from herbivorous dung, Hymenochaete macrochloae on Macrochloa tenacissima , Ramaria cistophila on shrubland of Cistus ladanifer. Thailand : Polycephalomyces phaothaiensis on Coleoptera larvae, buried in soil. Uruguay : Penicillium uruguayense from soil. Vietnam : Entoloma nigrovelutinum on forest soil, Volvariella morozovae on wood of unknown tree. Morphological and culture characteristics along with DNA barcodes are provided.

Recent research has shown broad antifungal activity of the classic antidepressants selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). This fact, combined with the increased cross-resistance frequency of the genre Candida regarding the main treatment today, fluconazole, requires the development of novel therapeutic strategies. In that context, this study aimed to assess the antifungal potential of fluoxetine, sertraline, and paroxetine against fluconazole-resistant Candida spp. planktonic cells, as well as to assess the mechanism of action and the viability of biofilms treated with fluoxetine. After 24 h, the fluconazole-resistant Candida spp. strains showed minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) in the ranges of 20-160 μg/mL for fluoxetine, 10-20 μg/mL for sertraline, and 10-100.8 μg/mL for paroxetine by the broth microdilution method (M27-A3). According to our data by flow cytometry, each of the SSRIs cause fungal death after damaging the plasma and mitochondrial membrane, which activates apoptotic signaling pathways and leads to dose-dependant cell viability loss. Regarding biofilm-forming isolates, the fluoxetine reduce mature biofilm of all the species tested. Therefore, it is concluded that SSRIs are capable of inhibit the growth in vitro of Candida spp., both in planktonic form, as biofilm, inducing cellular death by apoptosis., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I) is due to deficient alpha-L-iduronidase (IDUA) which leads to storage of undegraded glycosaminoglycans (GAG). The severe form of the disease is characterized by mental retardation of unknown etiology. Trying to unveil the mechanisms that lead to cognitive impairment in MPS I, we studied alterations in the proteome from MPS I mouse hippocampus. Eight-month old mice presented increased LAMP-1 expression, GAG storage in neurons and glial cells, and impaired aversive and non-aversive memory. Shotgun proteomics was performed and 297 proteins were identified. Of those, 32 were differentially expressed. We found elevation in proteins such as cathepsins B and D; however their increase did not lead to cell death in MPS I brains. Glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) was markedly elevated, and immunohistochemistry confirmed a neuroinflammatory process that could be responsible for neuronal dysfunction. We didn't observe any differences in ubiquitin expression, as well as in other proteins related to protein folding, suggesting that the ubiquitin system is working properly. Finally, we observed alterations in several proteins involved in synaptic plasticity, including overexpression of post synaptic density-95 (PSD95) and reduction of microtubule-associated proteins 1A and 1B. These results together suggest that the cognitive impairment in MPS I mice is not due to massive cell death, but rather to neuronal dysfunction caused by multiple processes, including neuroinflammation and alterations in synaptic plasticity., (Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Unlabelled: Ingesting sweet substances in excess may attenuate the effects of stress in women and impact leptin levels, which are also affected by alcohol dependence and overeating. Excess intake of sweet substances also influences ghrelin levels, involved in the onset of food intake and stress. This paper aimed to identify sweet craving (SC) in women with stress to assess how it impacts basal leptin and active ghrelin levels, anthropometric measurements, and body composition. This observational, transversal study included 57 women and used the Stress Symptoms Inventory Lipp in Adults (ISSL); it verified that 31 of the participants were stressed, whereas 26 were symptom-free. The Questionnaire for Assessment of Sweet Substance Dependence and Abuse helped to characterize SC. ELISA furnished leptin and active ghrelin serum levels. HOMA was also evaluated. Electrical bioimpedance provided body composition values. Among the women with stress, 77.42% had SC, and they behaved differently from women without SC. Women with SC exhibited significantly higher basal leptin levels (P < 0.01), but women with and without stress did not differ statistically in terms of leptin levels. Active ghrelin levels in stressed and non-stressed women and in women with and without SC were similar. A larger number of women with SC presented body fat percentage higher than 30% (P < 0.04). Stressed women had significantly higher waist circumference than non-stressed women (P < 0.02)., Conclusion: Stressed women are more prone to SC, and this condition is associated with increased basal leptin levels, larger hip circumference, and altered body composition., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: South American leaf blight (SALB) of rubber has been the main constraint to production in its neotropical centre of origin since commercial plantations were first established. The fungal causal agent was identified and described more than a century ago but its precise placement within the Ascomycota still remains uncertain. Indeed, such is the ambiguity surrounding the pathogen that each of the spore morphs would, according to their present classification, be placed in different ascomycete families: the Microcyclus sexual morph in the Planistromellaceae and the two purported asexual morphs--Fusicladium and Aposphaeria--in the Venturiaceae and Lophiostomataceae, respectively. Given the historical importance of the fungus and the ever-menacing threat that it poses to rubber production in the Palaeotropics--and, thus to the rubber industry and to the global economy--its phylogeny, as well as its biology, should be resolved as a matter of urgency., Methods and Results: Here, six genomic regions (LSU rRNA, mtSSU, MCM7, EF-1α, Act and ITS) were used for reconstructing the molecular phylogeny of the SALB fungus based on material collected throughout Brazil. The analyses support the classification of the fungus in the family Mycosphaerellaceae s. str. (Capnodiales, Dothideomycetes) and place it firmly within the clade Pseudocercospora s. str., now accepted as one of the distinct genera within Mycosphaerellaceae. The new combination Pseudocercospora ulei is proposed and the life cycle of the fungus is confirmed, based on both experimental and phylogenetic evidence, with the Aposphaeria morph shown to have a spermatial rather than an infective-dispersal function., Conclusions: Because the phylogeny of the SALB fungus has now been clarified, new insights of its epidemiology and genomics can be gained following comparison with closely-related, better-researched crop pathogens.

Sinapis alba (Brassicaceae), white mustard, is broadly cultivated for its seed used as component of table mustard (4). In June 2013, a group of diseased S. alba were observed in a vegetable garden on the campus of the Universidade Federal de Viçosa (municipality of Viçosa, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil). Foliage of diseased plants showed numerous chlorotic areas that developed into severe leaf blight with abundant downy mildew growth abaxially. A dried representative specimen has been deposited in the herbarium at the Universidade Federal de Viçosa (accession no. VIC 39743). The fungus had the following morphology: Sporangiophores arborescent, dichotomously branched, 540 to 840 × 8 to 10 μm hyaline, smooth, branches 105 to 210 μm long; esterigmata subacutate and curved, in pairs, 15 to 42 μm long; sporangia globose, 18 to 24 × 15 to 18 μm, hyaline, smooth. DNA was extracted using a Wizard Promega purification kit. The cytochrome oxidase subunit II (COX2) region was amplified with COX2f and COX2r primers (3). The sequence has been deposited in GenBank (Accession No. KJ396953). DNA sequences representing morphologically similar taxa were downloaded from GenBank nucleotide database, aligned in MEGA 5, and analyzed using Bayesian inference and Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation implemented in MrBayes 3.0 with five repetitions. A sequence of Albugo candida was used as outgroup in the analysis. The morphological characteristics places the fungus on S. alba in the complex of species of Pernosporaceae that attack the Brassicaceae. These are notoriously difficult to discriminate by morphology but our COX2-based phylogenetic analysis places it in Hyaloperonospora lunariae (1). This species was previously only known to cause downy mildew on other species of Brassicaceae (Lunaria annua and Erucastrum nasturtiifolium) in Europe (2). To our knowledge, this is the first report of this pathogen-host association in the world. References: (1) O. Constantinescu and J. Fatehi. Nova Hediwigia 74:291, 2002 (2) D. F. Farr and A. Y. Rossman. Fungal Databases, Systematic Mycology and Microbiology Laboratory. Online publication. ARS, USDA, 2013. (3) D. S. S. Hudspeth et al. Mycologia 92:674, 2000. (4) B. B. Simpson and M. C. Ogorzaly. Econonic Botany. McGraw Hill, San Diego, CA, 2001.

Acalypha wilkesiana (Euphorbiaceae), common names copperleaf or Jacob's coat (in Brazil, crista-de-peru), is a popular ornamental native from the Pacific islands. It is widely used in gardens in Brazil (4). In January 2012, a group of diseased A. wilkesiana was found in a nursery at the municipality of Itaboraí (state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). Later, another group of individuals of the same plant species bearing identical disease symptoms were found in a botanic garden in the city of Rio de Janeiro (Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro). Diseased plants had intense leaf blight. Such leaves dropped over healthy leaves of the same or other plants and necrosis was hence initiated on such leaves. Inflorescences were also affected by blight and after becoming necrotic a dieback of supporting stems also resulted. Abundant grayish sporulation was easily observed over necrotic tissues. Samples were collected, dried in a plant press, and representative specimens were deposited in the herbarium at the Universidade Federal de Viçosa. These were from Itaboraí (VIC 31822) and from Rio de Janeiro (VIC 31931). Structures were mounted in lactophenol for observation under a microscope and isolated in pure culture on PCA plates. Isolates were deposited in the culture collection of the Universidade Federal de Viçosa with accession numbers of COAD 1112 and COAD 1108, respectively. The fungus had the following morphology: conidiophores cylindrical, up to 1,200 μm branching dicotomously at mid-length in broad angles and then branching secondarily, light brown; conidiogenous cells ampulliform, terminal, denticulate; conidia globose, 6 to 11 μm diam, subhyaline to pale brown, smooth. This combination of features is typical of Amphobotrys ricini (2), a common pathogen of castor bean (1) and several other members of the Euphorbiaceae. DNA was extracted from each isolate growing in pure culture and ITS sequences were generated and deposited in GenBank under the accession numbers JX961613 (COAD 1108) and JX961614 (COAD 1112). These were compared by BLASTn with other entries in GenBank, and the closest match for both isolates was A. ricini (JF433374) with 97% nucleotide homology (over 97% query coverage) for COAD 1112 and 98% nucleotide homology (over 98% query coverage) for COAD 1112. Pathogenicity of the isolate from A. wilkesiana was demonstrated through brush inoculation of a conidial suspension (3 × 10 6 conidia. mL -1 ) onto healthy leaves of a A. wilkesiana individual followed by its transfer to a humid chamber for 48 h. Symptoms appeared after 3 days of inoculation and sporulation appeared over necrotic tissues after 10 days. Despite the importance of A. ricini as a plant pathogen, little has been investigated on its taxonomy with molecular tools. Although morphology and host-association are the basis for the delimitation of A. ricini, our preliminary results for ITS sequences suggest that this species may include cryptic taxa that are not properly discriminated on a morphological and pathological basis. This report follows other novel reports of A. ricini on ornamental Euphorbiaceae in Brazil (3) and, to our knowledge, represents the first report of A. ricini on A. wilkesiana worldwide. References: (1) G. H. Godfrey. J. Agric. Res. 23:679, 1923. (2) G. L. Hennebert. Persoonia 7:183, 1973. (3) B. V. Lima et al. Australas. Plant Dis. Notes 3:5, 2008. (4) H. Lorenzi and H. M. Souza. Plantas Ornamentais no Brasil - Arbustivas, Herbáceas e Trepadeiras. Nova Odessa: Instituto Plantarum, 1999.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major global health threat. There is a need for the development of more efficient drugs for the sterilization of the disease's causative agent, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). A more comprehensive understanding of the bacilli's nucleotide metabolic pathways could aid in the development of new anti-mycobacterial drugs. Here we describe expression and purification of recombinant iunH-encoded nucleoside hydrolase from MTB (MtIAGU-NH). Glutaraldehyde cross-linking results indicate that MtIAGU-NH predominates as a monomer, presenting varied oligomeric states depending upon binding of ligands. Steady-state kinetics results show that MtIAGU-NH has broad substrate specificity, accepting inosine, adenosine, guanosine, and uridine as substrates. Inosine and adenosine displayed positive homotropic cooperativity kinetics, whereas guanosine and uridine displayed hyperbolic saturation curves. Measurements of kinetics of ribose binding to MtIAGU-NH by fluorescence spectroscopy suggest two pre-existing forms of enzyme prior to ligand association. The intracellular concentrations of inosine, uridine, hypoxanthine, and uracil were determined and thermodynamic parameters estimated. Thermodynamic activation parameters (Ea, ΔG(#), ΔS(#), ΔH(#)) for MtIAGU-NH-catalyzed chemical reaction are presented. Results from mass spectrometry, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), pH-rate profile experiment, multiple sequence alignment, and molecular docking experiments are also presented. These data should contribute to our understanding of the biological role played by MtIAGU-NH., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Schinus terebinthifolius (Anacardiaceae), Brazilian peppertree (BP), is a major environmental weed in many tropical and subtropical areas of the globe, including Florida, Hawai'i, and Australia. This plant has been the target of a classical biocontrol project in the United States involving pathogens collected in Brazil for several years. A fungus was found in the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo causing leaf spots and severe foliage blight on BP. Examination of the morphology and internal transcribed spacer sequence analysis confirmed that the fungus is a strain of Corynespora cassiicola. Preliminary host-range tests involving 24 species, including 11 species in the family Anacardiaceae, were conducted with the fungus, and specificity toward BP was confirmed. Plants of Brazilian pepper tree from populations in Florida and Hawai'i included in the tests became severely diseased. Therefore, the recognition of a new forma specialis-Corynespora cassiicola f. sp. schinii-is proposed. The specificity of this forma specialis and the severity of the disease it caused in the field and under controlled conditions indicate that it has the potential for use as a biocontrol agent for BP in areas where it is an exotic invasive species.

Aims: The study was designed to evaluate the newborn (NB) stress response during the inpatient time in the neonatal intensive care unit., Methods: A quantitative, prospective, observational study was conducted with two NB groups. The first group consisted of 12 NB patients in the neonatal intensive care unit as the experimental group (EG), and the second included 43 NBs who were sent to their own homes and were considered the control group (CG). The EG's salivary cortisol concentration was measured on the 2nd day (D2) and 9th day (D9) of life. The CG's salivary cortisol concentration was measured on the 14th day of life at the child's own home., Results: The salivary cortisol concentration levels for the EG on D2 and D9 and for the CG were 4.3151 ± 2.6492, 1.826 ± 1.2252, and 1.0166 ± 0.8300 ng/dl, respectively. These findings indicated the presence of an adrenal response to stress during the first inpatient days., Conclusions: The salivary cortisol concentration is an accurate method to indicate neonatal stress. The glucocorticoids frequently used in the prenatal period suppress the adrenal glands and interfere with the stress response., (Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Acca sellowiana (Myrtaceae), feijoa (in Brazil, goiaba da serra), is a native southern South America tree that produces edible fruits which, although only occasionally cultivated in South America, became a significant fruit crop in New Zealand. Recently, during surveys for fungal pathogens of feijoa in southern Brazil, several plants were found bearing tar-spot symptoms caused by a species of Phyllachora. A literature search enabled us to identify the fungus as Phyllachora feijoae, a little-known species originally described in the 19(th) century by H. Rehm and later transferred to the genus Catacauma. The name Catacauma feijoae, although now regarded as a later synonym of P. feijoae is still mistakenly in use (as, for instance, in the Brazilian list of fungi on plants). The type specimen was most probably deposited in the Botanisches Garten und Museum Berlin-Dahlem (B) and lost or destroyed during World War II, and could not be located. The recent recollection of abundant material of this fungus in the vicinity of Pelotas (Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil) allowed its re-examination and neotypification. Phyllachora feijoae is also illustrated here for the first time.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic infectious disease caused mainly by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The worldwide emergence of drug-resistant strains, the increasing number of infected patients among immune compromised populations, and the large number of latent infected individuals that are reservoir to the disease have underscored the urgent need of new strategies to treat TB. The nucleotide metabolism pathways provide promising molecular targets for the development of novel drugs against active TB and may, hopefully, also be effective against latent forms of the pathogen. The orotate phosphoribosyltransferase (OPRT) enzyme of the de novo pyrimidine synthesis pathway catalyzes the reversible phosphoribosyl transfer from 5'-phospho-α-D-ribose 1'-diphosphate (PRPP) to orotic acid (OA), forming pyrophosphate and orotidine 5'-monophosphate (OMP). Here we describe cloning and characterization of pyrE-encoded protein of M. tuberculosis H37Rv strain as a homodimeric functional OPRT enzyme. The M. tuberculosis OPRT true kinetic constants for forward reaction and product inhibition results suggest a Mono-Iso Ordered Bi-Bi kinetic mechanism, which has not been previously described for this enzyme family. Absence of detection of half reaction and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) data support the proposed mechanism. ITC data also provided thermodynamic signatures of non-covalent interactions between substrate/product and M. tuberculosis OPRT. These data provide a solid foundation on which to base target-based rational design of anti-TB agents and should inform us how to better design inhibitors of M. tuberculosis OPRT.

One of the most promising plant species for biofuel production in Brazil is the physic nut Jatropha curcas. Major phytosanitary problems include the attack of two pest mite species, the broad mite Polyphagotarsonemus latus and the spider mite Tetranychus bastosi. Owing to pesticide-related problems, there is an increasing demand for sustainable environmental-friendly control methods such as biological control. In this study we evaluated the suitability of the predatory mite species Iphiseiodes zuluagai and Euseius concordis in controlling P. latus and T. bastosi on J. curcas. The number of T. bastosi killed by I. zuluagai was lower than the number of P. latus consumed. Euseius concordis preyed upon both T. bastosi and P. latus but the number of prey killed was always lower in comparison with I. zuluagai. However, P. latus and T. bastosi are suitable for the development of I. zuluagai and E. concordis as oviposition of both predators did not differ in relation to prey species. The preference of I. zuluagai for leaves of plants infested by either P. latus or T. bastosi, combined with the higher values for predation obtained by this predatory mite when fed on P. latus, compared to those values obtained by E. concordis, suggests that I. zuluagai can be more efficient than E. concordis in reducing populations of P. latus and T. bastosi under field conditions. Furthermore, we report here on the first record of predatory mites associated with P. latus and T. bastosi on native J. curcas plants in Brazil. In conclusion, we emphasize the crucial importance of predatory mites as agents of natural biological control of mite pests on J. curcas in small farms.

Impatiens walleriana, busy lizzy or balsam (local names in Brazil maria-sem-vergonha or beijo-de-frade), is an African member of the Balsaminaceae that has long ago been introduced and established in Brazil. It is now widely cultivated commercially as a potted plant and a popular garden plant (3). It also is a common weed along the coast and is particularly troublesome in some banana plantation areas. There are only two records of fungal pathogens attacking this plant in Brazil: Cercospora fukushiana (leaf spot) and Oidiopsis haplophylli (powdery mildew). In January 2009, a population of diseased plants of I. walleriana was found in a private garden in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Plants had rotted and girdled stem bases, leading to a collapse of stems Necrotic areas were covered with fans of white mycelium as well as abundant spherical sclerotia. The fungus was isolated in pure culture by direct aseptic transfer of mycelial fragments and sclerotia to potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates. Colonies were white, cottony, often forming fans, primary hyphae 3.0 to 6.0 μm in diameter, and bearing clamp connections; sclerotia formed after 7 days, initially white becoming dark brown with age, and 0.8 to 1.85 mm in diameter. These are typical features of Sclerotium rolfsii. A specimen was deposited in the local herbarium (Herbarium VIC) under Accession No. VIC 30732. Koch's postulates were performed by inoculating three healthy potted I. walleriana plants (10 × 40 cm high) with approximately 100 freshly collected sclerotia placed in close vicinity with the stem bases. Noninoculated plants kept in a separate pot served as controls. Plants were incubated in a dew chamber for 48 h at 25 ± 2°C. All inoculated plants showed symptoms of stem rot 72 h after inoculation, whereas controls remained healthy. S. rolfsii is a highly polyphagous species that has been recorded to be causing rots (also known as Southern blights) in Brazil on numerous hosts but there are no records of it attacking any members of the Balsaminaceae in Brazil. The only other published records of S. rolfsii on Impatiens spp. are from the United States (Hawaii and Illinois) (2) and the Philippines (1). In South America, there is a single report from Argentina (4) where the disease is regarded as a major threat to the potted plant industry because I. walleriana is one of the most popular potted plants in that country. The potential for losses is also significant for Brazil. To our knowledge, this is the first report of S. rolfsii as a pathogen of I. walleriana in Brazil. Although very damaging to I. walleriana, it is unlikely that this fungus can be used as a natural enemy of this plant species in weed situations because of its wide host range. References: (1) T. O. Dizon and R. B. Pimentel. Philipp. Phytopathol. 29:101, 1993. (2) D. F. Farr and A. Y. Rossman. Fungal Databases, Systematic Mycology and Microbiology Laboratory. Online publication. ARS, USDA, 2009. (3) H. Lorenzi and H. M. Souza. Plantas Ornamentais no Brasil - Arbustivas, Herbáceas e Trepadeiras. Nova Odessa: Instituto Plantarum, 1995. (4). S. M. Wolcan and P. J. Grego. Australas. Plant Dis. Notes 4:54, 2009.

Objective: To review the efficacy of placebo in comparison with atypical and typical antipsychotics for the treatment of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder and to evaluate the pertinence of using placebo in clinical trials with antipsychotics., Method: Trials in which the atypical antipsychotics were compared with typical antipsychotics and placebo were included. A search was conducted using the terms 'amisulpride', 'aripiprazole', 'clozapine', 'olanzapine', 'quetiapine', 'risperidone', 'sertindole', 'ziprasidone' and 'zotepine'. Main efficacy parameters were calculated using the proportion of 'events' (defined as a deterioration or lack of improvement by at least 20% in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale or Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale) and the pooled relative risk with random effects, with their respective 95% confidence intervals. We also calculated the necessary sample sizes in studies in which the study drug is compared to a typical antipsychotic or placebo., Results: The pooled efficacy rates observed were 40.8%, 34.9% and 21.3% for the atypical antipsychotics, typical antipsychotics and placebo, respectively. One hundred and sixty six patients would have to be included when a new drug is compared with placebo if calculation is based on a difference of 20% found between the atypical antipsychotic and placebo and 2,054 if the difference sought were that found between the atypical antipsychotic and the typical antipsychotic, i.e. 6%. The estimated therapeutic failures would be 115 of the 166 patients when the study drug is compared with placebo, and 1,274 failures in the 2,054 patients when the study drug is compared to the typical antipsychotic., Conclusions: Placebo controlled studies may reduce the number of individuals exposed to the harmful effects of ineffective drugs.

A leaf spot disease was observed attacking some Magnolia aff. candollei plants grown in a private garden in the city of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. Such leaf spots coalesced and led to extensive blight of foliage. A fungus was clearly associated to the disease symptoms and was identified as Botryosphaeria ribis. Its anamorph, Fusicoccum ribis, was also present, although less abundant than the teleomorph. This is first report of this fungus on this host in Brazil and the first record of any fungal disease on a member of the genus Magnolia in Brazil.