Effects of pesticide application on arthropod pests of nursery-grown maples.

Insecticides used against potato leafhopper, Empoasca fabae (Harris) (Homoptera: Cicadellidae), have been reported to cause problems with maple spider mite, Oligonychus aceris (Shimer) (Acarina: Tetranychidae), on nursery-grown 'Red Sunset' red maple and 'Autumn Blaze' Freeman maple. To test this, we conducted two experiments on field-grown trees in nurseries. In the first, the effects of early-season pesticide applications were examined during 2009.

Highly pathogenic adapted HIV-1 strains limit host immunity and dictate rapid disease progression.

Objective: The study of HIV-1 rapid progressors has been limited to specific case reports. Nevertheless, identification and characterization of the viral and host factors involved in rapid progression are crucial when attempting to uncover the correlates of rapid disease outcome.

Design: We carried out comparative functional analyses in rapid progressors (n = 46) and standard progressors (n = 46) early after HIV-1 seroconversion (≤1 year).

Genetically engineered crops: from idea to product.

Genetically engineered crops were first commercialized in 1994 and since then have been rapidly adopted, enabling growers to more effectively manage pests and increase crop productivity while ensuring food, feed, and environmental safety. The development of these crops is complex and based on rigorous science that must be well coordinated to create a plant with desired beneficial phenotypes. This article describes the general process by which a genetically engineered crop is developed from an initial concept to a commercialized product.

Distinctive histopathology and modulation of cytokine production during oral and intraperitoneal Trypanosoma cruzi Y strain infection.

Acute Chagas disease outbreaks are related to the consumption of food or drink contaminated by triatomine feces, thus making oral infection an important route of transmission. Both vector-borne and oral infections trigger important cardiac manifestations in the host that are related to a dysregulated immune response. The aims of this work were to evaluate possible alterations of lymphocyte CD4+/CD8+ sub-populations, Th1 and Th2 cytokines, nitrite concentrations and cardiac histopathology.

Differential escape patterns within the dominant HLA-B*57:03-restricted HIV Gag epitope reflect distinct clade-specific functional constraints.

Unlabelled: HLA-B*57:01 and HLA-B*57:03, the most prevalent HLA-B*57 subtypes in Caucasian and African populations, respectively, are the HLA alleles most protective against HIV disease progression. Understanding the mechanisms underlying this immune control is of critical importance, yet they remain unclear. Unexplained differences are observed in the impact of the dominant cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response restricted by HLA-B*57:01 and HLA-B*57:03 in chronic infection on the Gag epitope KAFSPEVIPMF (KF11; Gag 162 to 172).

Subcritical and supercritical technology for the production of second generation bioethanol.

There is increased interest in reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and increasing the share of renewable raw materials in our energy supply chain due to environmental and economic concerns. Ethanol is emerging as a potential alternative to liquid fuels due to its eco-friendly characteristics and relatively low production costs. As ethanol is currently produced from commodities also used for human and animal consumption, there is an urgent need of identifying renewable raw materials that do not pose a competitive problem.

The superior transverse scapular ligament in fetuses.

Introduction. The superior transverse scapular ligament (STSL) links the margins of the suprascapular notch and converts it into a foramen, through which, the suprascapular nerve and, on some rare occasions, the suprascapular vessels pass. This conversion often results from partial or complete ossification of the STSL and may produce compressive symptoms in the suprascapular nerve.

Epidemiological study on tibial plateau fractures at a level I trauma center.

Objectives: To review the epidemiological aspects of fractures of the tibial plateau in a level one hospital.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 239 tibial plateau fractures treated surgically. We took into account age, gender, trauma mechanism, classification of the injuries, associated injuries and affected side.

Acute illness associated with use of pest strips - seven U.S. States and Canada, 2000-2013.

Dichlorvos-impregnated resin strips (DDVP pest strips) are among the few organophosphate products still available for indoor residential use. The residential uses for most other organophosphate products, including most DDVP products, were canceled because they posed unreasonable risks to children. DDVP pest strips act by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase activity in the brain and nerves of insect pests and are designed to gradually release DDVP vapor for up to 4 months.

Phosphodiesterase 5 inhibition at disease onset prevents experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis progression through immunoregulatory and neuroprotective actions.

In addition to detrimental inflammation, widespread axon degeneration is an important feature of multiple sclerosis (MS) pathology and a major correlate for permanent clinical deficits. Thus, treatments that combine immunomodulatory and neuroprotective effects are beneficial for MS. Using myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein peptide 35-55 (MOG)-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) as a model of MS, we recently showed that daily treatment with the phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitor sildenafil at peak disease rapidly ameliorates clinical symptoms and neuropathology (Pifarre et al.

Ligation bias in illumina next-generation DNA libraries: implications for sequencing ancient genomes.

Ancient DNA extracts consist of a mixture of endogenous molecules and contaminant DNA templates, often originating from environmental microbes. These two populations of templates exhibit different chemical characteristics, with the former showing depurination and cytosine deamination by-products, resulting from post-mortem DNA damage. Such chemical modifications can interfere with the molecular tools used for building second-generation DNA libraries, and limit our ability to fully characterize the true complexity of ancient DNA extracts.

[Adherence to copper and stainless steel metal coupons of common nosocomial bacterial strains].

Background: Copper has a bactericidal activity against a series of bacterial strains.

Aim: To measure resistance to bacterial adherence of copper (Cu) and stainless steel (SS) metal coupons.

Material And Methods: Bacterial strains causing nosocomial infections in Chile were analyzed.

The neural bases of the multiplication problem-size effect across countries.

Multiplication problems involving large numbers (e.g., 9 × 8) are more difficult to solve than problems involving small numbers (e.

Segmental Maternal UPD6 with Prenatal Growth Restriction.

We report a child with segmental maternal uniparental isodisomy of chromosome 6, involving most of the long arm distal to 6q16, detected by SNP microarray. Clinical features include prenatal growth restriction, global developmental delay, and severe gastro-esophageal reflux disease. Maternal uniparental disomy (UPD) of chromosome 6 has previously been reported to cause intrauterine growth restriction.

[Application of copper bactericidal properties in medical practice].

Copper is essential for cell metabolism in animals and plants and thus for life. Along centuries, copper has been identified as a metal containing antimicrobial properties. In recent years, laboratory assays and clinical studies have revealed that surfaces of metallic copper or its alloys, containing at least 70% copper, eliminate in a few hours several pathogenic organisms including bacterial strains associated with nosocomial infections, influenza virus, HIV, and fungi such as Candida albicans.

Seroepidemiological study of chagas disease in the southern Amazon region of ecuador.

To determine the extent of Trypanosoma cruzi infection and/or transmission in the southern Amazon region of Ecuador, three indigenous communities in the provinces of Pastaza and Morona Santiago were serosurveyed. Chagatest(TM), Immunocomb(®)II and immunofluorescent (IF) assays were used. Among the 385 inhabitants examined, nine (2.

Immunomodulatory effect of the alkaloidic extract of Solanum lycocarpum fruits in mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni.

Schistosomiasis is a chronic disease caused by trematode flatworms of the genus Schistosoma; it accounts for more than 280,000 deaths annually. In this work we investigated the effect of the alkaloidic extract obtained by acid-base extraction of the dried fruits of Solanum lycocarpum on schistosomiasis. We used this extract at concentrations of 10, 20, and 40 mg/kg to treat mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni in different phases of the parasite cycle, and we compared its effect with that of the positive control praziquantel (60 mg/kg).

Early antigen presentation of protective HIV-1 KF11Gag and KK10Gag epitopes from incoming viral particles facilitates rapid recognition of infected cells by specific CD8+ T cells.

CD8(+) T cells are major players in antiviral immunity against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) through recognition of viral epitopes presented on the surface of infected cells. However, the early events involving HIV-1 epitope presentation to CD8(+) T cells remain poorly understood but are nonetheless crucial for the rapid clearance of virus-infected cells. Here, we comprehensively studied the kinetics of antigen presentation of two protective epitopes, KF11Gag and KK10Gag, restricted by HLA alleles B*57:01 and B*27:05, respectively, and compared these to KY9Pol and VL9Vpr epitopes in a single cycle of HIV-1 replication.

[Auriculotherapy effectiveness in the reduction of anxiety in nursing students].

The objective of this single-blinded randomized controlled trial was to assess anxiety levels in nursing school students of the Beneficência Portuguesa Hospital (São Paulo) and the effectiveness of auriculotherapy in the reduction of these levels. The Trait-Anxiety Inventory State was applied at the beginning of the study, after 8 and 12 sessions, and at follow-up (15 days). The sample was comprised of 71 students divided into 3 groups: control without intervention (25), auriculotherapy (24), and placebo (22).

Metallothioneins I/II are involved in the neuroprotective effect of sildenafil in focal brain injury.

We recently reported that administration of the non-selective cyclic GMP-phosphodiesterase (cGMP-PDE) inhibitor zaprinast to cortically cryoinjured rats results three days post-lesion in reduced neuronal cell death that was associated to decreased macrophage/microglial activation and oxidative stress and increased astrogliosis and angiogenesis. Similar effects have been observed in cryoinjured animals overexpressing metallothioneins I/II (MT-I/II), metal-binding cysteine-rich proteins that are up-regulated in response to injury. In this work we have examined the effect of administration of the selective PDE5 inhibitor sildenafil (10mg/kg, sc) 2h before and 24 and 48h after induction of cortical cryolesion in wild-type and MT-I/II-deficient mice.

Novel two-round phenotypic assay for protease inhibitor susceptibility testing of recombinant and primary HIV-1 isolates.

Antiretroviral drug susceptibility tests facilitate therapeutic management of HIV-1-infected patients. Although genotyping systems are affordable, inaccuracy in the interpretation of complex mutational patterns may limit their usefulness. Currently available HIV-1 phenotypic assays are based on the generation of recombinant viruses in which the specific viral gene of interest, derived from a patient plasma sample, is cloned into a susceptible genetic viral backbone prior to in vitro drug susceptibility evaluation.

Relations between depression, alcohol and gender in the metropolitan region of São Paulo, Brazil.

As part of the GENACIS project, this paper sought to assess the prevalence of depression in an urban sample in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, as well as the association between depression and alcohol abuse according to gender. To achieve this, an epidemiological survey was conducted using a stratified probability sample, including 2,083 adults. CIDI SF was used to identify depression.

Efficacy of auriculotherapy for the reduction of stress in nursing students: a randomized clinical trial.

This study is a randomized single-blind trial, which aimed to evaluate the efficacy of true auriculotherapy and placebo auriculotherapy in reducing the stress levels of mid-level Nursing students of the School of Nursing of the Beneficência Portuguesa Hospital. Seventy-one students with average, high and very high scores, according to Vasconcellos' List of Stress Symptoms, were divided into three groups: Control (25), Auriculotherapy (24), and Placebo/Sham (22). They were evaluated at the baseline, 8th and 12th sessions and at the follow-up (15 days) and received Shen Men and Brainstem points (Auriculotherapy Group) and Wrist and Outer Ear points (Placebo/Sham Group).