First Report of Bothynus striatellus (Coleoptera: Melolonthidae) Damaging Lucerne Crops in Argentina.

We report for the first time that larvae of the genus Bothynus Hope (Coleoptera: Melolonthidae) caused economic damage to lucerne (Medicago sativa L., Fabaceae) crops in General Acha, province of La Pampa, Argentina. In two consecutive years (2021 and 2022), this insect infested 150 ha of lucerne, causing seedling losses of 80 ha. Based on soil sampling and laboratory insect rearing, the species was identified as Bothynus striatellus (Faimaire) (Coleoptera: Melolonthidae). Information is given here on the damage recorded in this forage crop, the density of the larvae observed at the time of damage assessment and the morphological characteristics of the third instar larvae reported in this crop in Argentina.

Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Social Attention Patterns and Emotion Recognition Ability in Male Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by impairments in social cognition including emotion recognition (ER) abilities. Common symptoms include unusual patterns of visual social attention, which are investigated as early developmental biomarkers for ASD. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) has shown promising results in influencing social functioning in individuals with ASD. However, the effects of tDCS on social attention patterns and ER ability in adolescents with ASD remain unclear. This double-blind, sham-controlled, randomized clinical trial examined the effects of repeated sessions of tDCS on gaze behavior and ER ability in 22 male adolescents diagnosed with ASD. Participants received either 20 min of 2 mA active tDCS or sham stimulation for 10 days and an intra-stimulation training. Social allocation patterns were assessed using eye-tracking paradigms, including ER tasks. Our results indicated no tDCS-specific effects. Both groups showed improvements in ER and more frequent, faster, and longer fixations on the eyes than the mouth, and on social than nonsocial areas. In tasks with low social content, fixating the mouth seemed to increase ER accuracy. Understanding the effects of tDCS on social functioning in adolescents with ASD holds promise for the development of targeted interventions to improve their social cognition abilities.

Genome-Wide Characterization of Light-Regulated Gene Expression in Botrytis cinerea Reveals Underlying Complex Photobiology.

Botrytis cinerea is a necrotrophic fungus characterized mainly by its wide host range of infected plants. The deletion of the white-collar-1 gene (bcwcl1), which encodes for a blue-light receptor/transcription factor, causes a decrease in virulence, particularly when assays are conducted in the presence of light or photocycles. However, despite ample characterization, the extent of the light-modulated transcriptional responses regulated by BcWCL1 remains unknown. In this study, pathogen and pathogen:host RNA-seq analyses, conducted during non-infective in vitro plate growth and when infecting Arabidopsis thaliana leaves, respectively, informed on the global gene expression patterns after a 60 min light pulse on the wild-type B05.10 or ∆bcwcl1 B. cinerea strains. The results revealed a complex fungal photobiology, where the mutant did not react to the light pulse during its interaction with the plant. Indeed, when infecting Arabidopsis, no photoreceptor-encoding genes were upregulated upon the light pulse in the ∆bcwcl1 mutant. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in B. cinerea under non-infecting conditions were predominantly related to decreased energy production in response to the light pulse. In contrast, DEGs during infection significantly differ in the B05.10 strain and the ∆bcwcl1 mutant. Upon illumination at 24 h post-infection in planta, a decrease in the B. cinerea virulence-associated transcripts was observed. Accordingly, after a light pulse, biological functions associated with plant defense appear enriched among light-repressed genes in fungus-infected plants. Taken together, our results show the main transcriptomic differences between wild-type B. cinerea B05.10 and ∆bcwcl1 after a 60 min light pulse when growing saprophytically on a Petri dish and necrotrophically over A. thaliana.

The Botrytis cinerea Gene Expression Browser.

For comprehensive gene expression analyses of the phytopathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea, which infects a number of plant taxa and is a cause of substantial agricultural losses worldwide, we developed BEB, a web-based B. cinerea gene Expression Browser. This computationally inexpensive web-based application and its associated database contain manually curated RNA-Seq data for B. cinerea. BEB enables expression analyses of genes of interest under different culture conditions by providing publication-ready heatmaps depicting transcript levels, without requiring advanced computational skills. BEB also provides details of each experiment and user-defined gene expression clustering and visualization options. If needed, tables of gene expression values can be downloaded for further exploration, including, for instance, the determination of differentially expressed genes. The BEB implementation is based on open-source computational technologies that can be deployed for other organisms. In this case, the new implementation will be limited only by the number of transcriptomic experiments that are incorporated into the platform. To demonstrate the usability and value of BEB, we analyzed gene expression patterns across different conditions, with a focus on secondary metabolite gene clusters, chromosome-wide gene expression, previously described virulence factors, and reference genes, providing the first comprehensive expression overview of these groups of genes in this relevant fungal phytopathogen. We expect this tool to be broadly useful in B. cinerea research, providing a basis for comparative transcriptomics and candidate gene identification for functional assays.

Organic onion growth, yield and storage improved by foliar sprays of microalgae and fulvic acid as a natural biofertilizer

The use of microalgae as natural biofertilizer in horticulture has recently been reported, while the use of humic substances is widespread. However, the combined use of microalgae with humic substances applied to plant leaves is still unexploited. Thus, the objective of this work was to combine fulvic acid (FA) with the Scenedesmus subspicatus microalga biomass (SC) as a natural biofertilizer applied via leaf in two onion cultivars in organic system. Four experiments were conducted: i) bioassays to verify the bioactive effect of FA, SC and combinations using the Vigna radiata model plant; ii) greenhouse pot experiment with foliar applications of FA, SC and combination in two onion cultivars; iii) field experiment in organic system with foliar applications of FA, SC and combination in two onion cultivars; and iv) onion bulb storage experiment. The bioactive effect of SC, FA and their combinations was identified by promoting changes in root growth of V. radiata. In pots, treatments containing FA, SC and combination promoted increase in fresh and dry leaf mass. The foliar application of FA, SC and combination promoted an increase in field bulb productivity, reduced mass loss in stored bulbs and increased carbohydrate, amino acid and protein contents in onion bulbs.

A comprehensive transcription factor and DNA-binding motif resource for the construction of gene regulatory networks in Botrytis cinerea and Trichoderma atroviride.

Botrytis cinerea and Trichoderma atroviride are two relevant fungi in agricultural systems. To gain insights into these organisms' transcriptional gene regulatory networks (GRNs), we generated a manually curated transcription factor (TF) dataset for each of them, followed by a GRN inference utilizing available sequence motifs describing DNA-binding specificity and global gene expression data. As a proof of concept of the usefulness of this resource to pinpoint key transcriptional regulators, we employed publicly available transcriptomics data and a newly generated dual RNA-seq dataset to build context-specific Botrytis and Trichoderma GRNs under two different biological paradigms: exposure to continuous light and Botrytis-Trichoderma confrontation assays. Network analysis of fungal responses to constant light revealed striking differences in the transcriptional landscape of both fungi. On the other hand, we found that the confrontation of both microorganisms elicited a distinct set of differentially expressed genes with changes in T. atroviride exceeding those in B. cinerea. Using our regulatory network data, we were able to determine, in both fungi, central TFs involved in this interaction response, including TFs controlling a large set of extracellular peptidases in the biocontrol agent T. atroviride. In summary, our work provides a comprehensive catalog of transcription factors and regulatory interactions for both organisms. This catalog can now serve as a basis for generating novel hypotheses on transcriptional regulatory circuits in different experimental contexts.

Repeated Sessions of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Study Protocol for a Randomized, Double-Blind, and Sham-Controlled Clinical Trial.

Background: Social-emotional difficulties are a core symptom of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Accordingly, individuals with ASD have problems with social cognition such as recognizing emotions from other peoples' faces. Various results from functional magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalography studies as well as eye-tracking data reveal a neurophysiological basis of these deficits by linking them to abnormal brain activity. Thus, an intervention targeting the neural origin of ASD impairments seems warranted. A safe method able to influence neural activity is transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). This non-invasive brain stimulation method has already demonstrated promising results in several neuropsychiatric disorders in adults and children. The aim of this project is to investigate the effects of tDCS on ASD symptoms and their neural correlates in children and adolescents with ASD. Method: This study is designed as a double-blind, randomized, and sham-controlled trial with a target sample size of 20 male participants (aged 12-17 years) diagnosed with ASD. Before randomization, the participants will be stratified into comorbid depression, comorbid ADHS/conduct disorder, or no-comorbidity groups. The intervention phase comprises 10 sessions of anodal or sham tDCS applied over the left prefrontal cortex within 2 consecutive weeks. To engage the targeted brain regions, participants will perform a social cognition training during the stimulation. TDCS-induced effects on ASD symptoms and involved neural circuits will be investigated through psychological, neurophysiological, imaging, and behavioral data at pre- and post-measurements. Tolerability will be evaluated using a standardized questionnaire. Follow-up assessments 1 and 6 months after the intervention will examine long-lasting effects. Discussion: The results of this study will provide insights into the changeability of social impairments in ASD by investigating social and emotional abilities on different modalities following repeated sessions of anodal tDCS with an intra-simulation training. Furthermore, this trial will elucidate the tolerability and the potential of tDCS as a new treatment approach for ASD in adolescents. Clinical Trial Registration: The study is ongoing and has been registered in the German Registry of Clinical Trials (DRKS00017505) on 02/07/2019.

Genetic and morphological differentiation of Porphyra and Pyropia species (Bangiales, Rhodophyta) coexisting in a rocky intertidal in Central Chile.

A recent molecular taxonomic study along the Chilean coast (18° S-53° S) described 18 candidate species of bladed Bangiales of which only two were formally described. Few studies focused on local genetic and morphological diversity of bladed Bangiales and attempted to determine their intertidal distribution in contrasting habitats, and none were performed in Chile. To delimit intertidal distributions of genetic species, 66 samples of bladed Bangiales were collected at Maitencillo (32° S) in four zones: a rocky platform, a rocky wall, and two boulders zones surrounded by sandy and rocky bottoms, respectively. These samples were identified based on sequences of the mitochondrial COI and chloroplast rbcL markers. We also collected 87 specimens for morphological characterization of the most common species, rapidly assessing their putative species identity using newly developed species-diagnostic (PCR-RFLP) markers. Eight microscopic and two macroscopic morphological traits were measured. We described and named three of four species that predominate in Maitencillo (including Pyropia orbicularis): Pyropia variabilis Zapata, Meynard, Ramírez, Contreras-Porcia, sp. nov., Porphyra luchea Meynard, Ramírez, Contreras-Porcia sp. nov., and Porphyra longissima Meynard, Ramírez, Contreras-Porcia, sp. nov. With the exception of Po. longissima restricted to boulders surrounded by sandy bottom, and a morphotype of Py. variabilis restricted to rocky walls, the other species/morphotypes have overlapping intertidal distributions. Except for Po. longissima, which is clearly differentiated morphologically (longest and thinnest blades), we conclude that morphology is not sufficient to differentiate bladed Bangiales. Our findings underscore the importance of refining our knowledge of intrinsic and environmental determinants on the distribution of bladed Bangiales.

Perturbation of theta-gamma coupling at the temporal lobe hinders verbal declarative memory.

BACKGROUND: Phase-amplitude cross-frequency coupling (PAC) is characterized by the modulation of the power of a fast brain oscillation (e.g., gamma) by the phase of a slow rhythm (e.g., theta). PAC in different sub- and neocortical regions is known to underlie effective neural communication and correlates with successful long-term memory formation. OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS: The present work aims to extend earlier observational data, by probing the functional role of theta-gamma PAC in the left temporal cortex in humans during verbal long-term memory encoding. METHODS: In three double-blinded, placebo-controlled experiments (n = 72), we employed cross-frequency transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) to externally modulate ongoing PAC during a verbal-associative learning task. Three types of cross-frequency tACS protocols were used: bursts of high gamma tACS were coupled to the peak or trough of the theta tACS cycle, and a control condition where gamma tACS was continuously superimposed at theta tACS cycles. RESULTS: Gamma bursts coupled to the trough of theta tACS induced robust behavioral impairment in memory performance (p < .01), whereas gamma burst coupled to the peak or continuously superimposed with theta tACS had no significant behavioral effects. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate direct evidence regarding the importance of theta-gamma coupling in verbal long-term memory formation.

Fumigation of Brazil nuts with allyl isothiocyanate to inhibit the growth of Aspergillus parasiticus and aflatoxin production.

BACKGROUND: Brazil produces approximately 40 000 tons of Brazil nuts annually, which is commonly contaminated with fungi and mycotoxins. Gaseous allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) was used to inhibit the growth of Aspergillus parasiticus and its production of aflatoxins (AFs) in Brazil nuts. RESULTS: Nuts were inoculated with 104 spores g-1 of A. parasiticus and placed in airtight glass jars with controlled relative humidity (RH = 95 or 85%). Samples were treated with 0, 0.5, 1.0 or 2.5 µL L-1 of gaseous AITC and analyzed after 30 days to determine the fungal population and AFs content. Samples were also submitted to sensory evaluation. AITC at 2.5 µL L-1 could completely inhibit the fungal growth and AFs production in both the RH tested. AITC at 0.5 and 1 µL L-1 did not affect the microbial growth at RH = 95%, but 1 µL L-1 reduced the production of AFs by ∼50%. All AITC treatments reduced the fungal population and AFs to undetectable levels at RH = 85%. None of the concentrations altered sensory characteristics of Brazil nuts. CONCLUSION: Gaseous AITC could be used as an alternative to inhibit the growth of A. parasiticus during storage and transport of Brazil nuts. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Caracterización de trauma por accidente en motocicleta, pacientes del Hospital de Lempira. Primer semestre 2016 / Characterization of trauma by accident in motorcycles, Patients from Hospital of Lempira at first

Cada año muchos hondureños mueren a causa de accidentes por motocicleta. En el 2015 fallecieron 259 personas a nivel nacio- nal. Objetivo: Describir las características clínicas-traumatológicas y región anatómica con mayores lesiones provocadas por trauma debido a accidente en motocicleta, pacientes adultos del Hospital Juan Manuel Gálvez en el primer semestre de 2016. Pacientes y métodos: Estudio descriptivo, de corte transversal, se aplicó instrumento de recolección de datos (cuestionario) a pacientes hospitalizados por trauma por motocicleta de enero a junio de 2016; la población/muestra de 59 pacientes. Resul- tados: 50 (84.7%) casos fueron hombres y 9 (15.3%) mujeres, con edad promedio de 29.6 años. 16 (27%) pacientes afirmó haber con- sumido alcohol previo al accidente. Se manejó quirúrgicamente 21 (35%) pacientes, las cirugías ortopédicas representaron 87%. El promedio de hospitalización de los pacien- tes quirúrgicos fue mayor de 4 días. La mor- talidad fueron 2 casos (3.4%), provocado por trauma cráneo encefálico (TEC). Los tipos de traumas fueron: osteomuscular (37.3%), TEC (34%), politraumatismo (13.5%), contu- siones (6.8%), traumas faciales (3.4%) y traumas torácicos (5%). Conclusiones: Los hombres en edad reproductivas representa- ron el mayor número de casos. La región anatómica más lesionada fue osteomuscu- lar, sin embargo la mortalidad fue mínima. Las lesiones osteomusculares ameritaron manejo quirúrgicos en su mayoría. Siendo un problema de importancia socioeconómica y de salud local..(AU)

Anodal tDCS Over the Left DLPFC Did Not Affect the Encoding and Retrieval of Verbal Declarative Information.

Several studies imply that anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) can modulate the formation of verbal episodic memories. The aim of this study was to test if tDCS through a multi-electrode Laplacian montage over the left DLPFC could differentially modulate declarative memory performance depending on the application phase. Two groups of healthy participants (n = 2 × 15) received 1 mA anodal or sham stimulation for 20 min during the encoding or during the recall phase on a delayed cued-recall, using a randomized, double-blinded, repeated-measures experimental design. Memory performance was assessed at two time points: 10 min and 24 h after learning. We found no significant difference between anodal and sham stimulation with regard to the memory scores between conditions (stimulation during encoding or recall) or between time points, suggesting that anodal tDCS over the left DLPFC with these stimulation parameters had no effect on the encoding and the consolidation of associative verbal content.

Spatial Working Memory in Humans Depends on Theta and High Gamma Synchronization in the Prefrontal Cortex.

Previous, albeit correlative, findings have shown that the neural mechanisms underlying working memory critically require cross-structural and cross-frequency coupling mechanisms between theta and gamma neural oscillations. However, the direct causality between cross-frequency coupling and working memory performance remains to be demonstrated. Here we externally modulated the interaction of theta and gamma rhythms in the prefrontal cortex using novel cross-frequency protocols of transcranial alternating current stimulation to affect spatial working memory performance in humans. Enhancement of working memory performance and increase of global neocortical connectivity were observed when bursts of high gamma oscillations (80-100 Hz) coincided with the peaks of the theta waves, whereas superimposition on the trough of the theta wave and low gamma frequency protocols were ineffective. Thus, our results demonstrate the sensitivity of working memory performance and global neocortical connectivity to the phase and rhythm of the externally driven theta-gamma cross-frequency synchronization.

Os psicólogos na atenção às psicoses nos CAPS / Psychologists in the care of psychosis at CAPS / Psicólogos en atención a las psicosis en CAPS

Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo explorar as práticas dos psicólogos na atenção às psicoses nos CAPS do estado de Santa Catarina. A metodologia empregada foi qualitativa, sendo o estudo descritivo e transversal. A coleta de dados foi realizada com entrevista semiestruturada, interpretada através de análise de conteúdo. Participaram dez psicólogos dos CAPS I, II e III de quatro regiões diferentes do estado. Os resultados mostraram formação insuficiente para atuação nos serviços. O trabalho em equipe foi considerado satisfatório, sendo fonte de prazer para os profissionais. Os dados também mostraram evolução das práticas desenvolvidas pelos psicólogos para patamares mais aproximados da proposta de atenção psicossocial contida nos preceitos da reforma psiquiátrica brasileira. Os CAPS foram avaliados como de boa qualidade. Alguns problemas apontados foram: a má política de gestão do trabalho, a escassez de recursos e a pouca articulação externa de alguns CAPS(AU)

This research aimed to explore the practices of psychologists in the care of psychoses at CAPS of Santa Catarina state. The methodology used was qualitative, descriptive and transversal. Data collection was made of semi-structured interviews, analyzed through content analysis. A total of 10 psychologists of CAPS I, II and III in four different regions of the state participated. The results showed insufficient training to work with services. Teamwork was satisfactory, with good partnerships and being a source of pleasure to the professionals. The data also showed the evolution of practices developed by psychologists to more approximate of the psychosocial care contained in the proposal of the Brazilian psychiatric reform. The Caps were assessed as being in good quality. Some problems cited were: poor political management of labor, scarcity of resources and low external articulation of some CAPS(AU)

Esta investigación tuvo como objetivo explorar las prácticas de los psicólogos con las psicosis en los CAPS del estado de Santa Catarina. La metodología utilizada fue cualitativa, descriptiva y transversal. La recolección de datos se realizó con entrevistas semiestructuradas, interpretada a través de análisis de contenido. Participaron 10 psicólogos de CAPS I, II y III de cuatro regiones del estado. Los resultados mostraron una formación insuficiente para trabajar en los servicios. El trabajo en equipo fue satisfactorio, siendo fuente de placer para los profesionales. Los datos también mostraron la evolución de las prácticas desarrolladas por los psicólogos a niveles más aproximados de la propuesta de atención psicosocial contenidas en los preceptos de la reforma psiquiátrica brasileña. Los CAPS fueron evaluados como de buena calidad. Algunos de los problemas citados: la mala gestión de la mano de obra, la escasez de recursos y la baja articulación externa de algunos CAPS(AU)

Os psicólogos na atenção às psicoses nos CAPS / Psychologists in the care of psychosis at CAPS / Psicólogos en atención a las psicosis en CAPS

Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo explorar as práticas dos psicólogos na atenção às psicoses nos CAPS do estado de Santa Catarina. A metodologia empregada foi qualitativa, sendo o estudo descritivo e transversal. A coleta de dados foi realizada com entrevista semiestruturada, interpretada através de análise de conteúdo. Participaram dez psicólogos dos CAPS I, II e III de quatro regiões diferentes do estado. Os resultados mostraram formação insuficiente para atuação nos serviços. O trabalho em equipe foi considerado satisfatório, sendo fonte de prazer para os profissionais. Os dados também mostraram evolução das práticas desenvolvidas pelos psicólogos para patamares mais aproximados da proposta de atenção psicossocial contida nos preceitos da reforma psiquiátrica brasileira. Os CAPS foram avaliados como de boa qualidade. Alguns problemas apontados foram: a má política de gestão do trabalho, a escassez de recursos e a pouca articulação externa de alguns CAPS

This research aimed to explore the practices of psychologists in the care of psychoses at CAPS of Santa Catarina state. The methodology used was qualitative, descriptive and transversal. Data collection was made of semi-structured interviews, analyzed through content analysis. A total of 10 psychologists of CAPS I, II and III in four different regions of the state participated. The results showed insufficient training to work with services. Teamwork was satisfactory, with good partnerships and being a source of pleasure to the professionals. The data also showed the evolution of practices developed by psychologists to more approximate of the psychosocial care contained in the proposal of the Brazilian psychiatric reform. The Caps were assessed as being in good quality. Some problems cited were: poor political management of labor, scarcity of resources and low external articulation of some CAPS

Esta investigación tuvo como objetivo explorar las prácticas de los psicólogos con las psicosis en los CAPS del estado de Santa Catarina. La metodología utilizada fue cualitativa, descriptiva y transversal. La recolección de datos se realizó con entrevistas semiestructuradas, interpretada a través de análisis de contenido. Participaron 10 psicólogos de CAPS I, II y III de cuatro regiones del estado. Los resultados mostraron una formación insuficiente para trabajar en los servicios. El trabajo en equipo fue satisfactorio, siendo fuente de placer para los profesionales. Los datos también mostraron la evolución de las prácticas desarrolladas por los psicólogos a niveles más aproximados de la propuesta de atención psicosocial contenidas en los preceptos de la reforma psiquiátrica brasileña. Los CAPS fueron evaluados como de buena calidad. Algunos de los problemas citados: la mala gestión de la mano de obra, la escasez de recursos y la baja articulación externa de algunos CAPS