Metabolomic exhibits different profiles and potential biomarkers of Vitis spp. co-cultivated with Fusarium oxysporum for short, medium, and long times.

Differential rootstock tolerance to Fusarium spp. supports viticulture worldwide. However, how plants stand against the fungus still needs to be explored. We hypothesize it involves a differential metabolite modulation. Thus, we performed a gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of Paulsen P1103 and BDMG573 rootstocks, co-cultured with Fusarium oxysporum (FUS) for short, medium, and long time (0, 4, and 8 days after treatment [DAT]). In shoots, principal component analysis (PCA) showed a complete overlap between BDMG573 non-co-cultivated and FUS at 0 DAT, and P1103 treatments showed a slight overlap at both 4 and 8 DAT. In roots, PCA exhibited overlapping between BDMG573 treatments at 0 DAT, while P1103 treatments showed overlapping at 0 and 4 DAT. Further, there is a complete overlapping between BDMG573 and P1103 FUS profiles at 8 DAT. In shoots, 1,3-dihydroxyacetone at 0 and 4 DAT and maltose at 4 and 8 DAT were biomarkers for BDMG573. For P1103, glyceric acid, proline, and sorbitol stood out at 0, 4, and 8 DAT, respectively. In BDMG573 roots, the biomarkers were ß-alanine at 0 DAT, cellobiose and sorbitol at both 4 and 8 DAT. While in P1103 roots, they were galactose at 0 and 4 DAT and 1,3-dihydroxyacetone at 8 DAT. Overall, there is an increase in amino acids, glycolysis, and tricarboxylic acid components in tolerant Paulsen P1103 shoots. Thus, it provides a new perspective on the primary metabolism of grapevine rootstocks to F. oxysporum that may contribute to strategies for genotype tolerance and early disease identification.

A catalyst selection method for hydrogen production through Water-Gas Shift Reaction using artificial neural networks.

Hydrogen (H2) is considered a clean valuable energy source and its worldwide demand has increased in recent years. The Water-Gas Shift (WGS) Reaction is one of the major routes for hydrogen production and uses different catalysts depending on the operating process conditions. A catalyst is usually composed of an active phase and a support for its dispersion. There are currently an increasing number of researches on catalytic field focusing on transition metals nanoparticles supported on different compounds. In order to predict optimal catalyst compositions for the WGS reaction, Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) were used to build a model from the literature catalytic data. A three-layer feedforward neural network was employed with active phase composition and support type as some of the input variables, and Carbon Monoxide (CO) conversion as output variable. The insertion of properties such as surface area, calcination temperature and time allowed predicting the reaction performance based on intrinsic catalyst variables not commonly used in phenomenological kinetic models. Also, unlike previous studies, a detailed sensitivity analysis was carried out to observe useful trends. An important outcome of this work is the proposition of ceria-supported catalysts for the WGS reaction that present larger surface areas, with Ru, Ni or Cu as active phases conducted at moderate temperatures (≈300 °C) and with reasonable space velocities (2000-6000 h-1). In addition, it was possible to predict the most relevant variables for the process: the temperature and the surface area. Thus, the results show the power of ANNs for predicting better catalysts and conditions for this important process in the environmental field.

Influence of repeated bouts of eccentric exercise on high-intensity aerobic performance.

[Purpose] It is believed that eccentric high-intensity exercise can decrease performance in subsequent exercise. However, with repetition, the deleterious effects can be minimized. Thus, this study evaluated the influence of repeated bouts of eccentric exercise on subsequent high-intensity aerobic performance. [Subjects and Methods] Seven healthy and sedentary male volunteers were recruited. a) Visit 1: determination of maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) and speed associated with maximum oxygen uptake (vVO2max) in incremental treadmill testing; b) Visit 2: run to exhaustion at vVO2max (Tlim control); c) Visit 3: 10 sets of 10 depth jumps, followed by a run to exhaustion at vVO2max (Tlim 1); d) Visit 4: after 6 weeks without any physical training, the volunteers carried out the same procedures as on the third visit (Tlim 2). Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with the post-hoc Tukey test. [Results] Significant differences were found between Tlim control and Tlim 1 (283.4 ± 47.7 s vs. 125.2 ± 64.1 s, respectively), these were not different from Tlim 2. [Conclusion] Eccentric exercise showed deleterious effects on subsequent high-intensity aerobic performance. These effects were minimized after the exercise protocol was repeated 6 weeks after the first event.

O impacto de um programa social brasileiro sobre a saúde bucal de crianças / The impact of a Brazilian social program on children?s oral health

Objetivo: este estudo avaliou o impacto do Programa Bolsa Família na prevalência de cárie dentária de crianças de 4 a 8 anos de idade que receberam esse benefício desde seu nascimento. Métodos: cento e sessenta e três crianças foram examinadas seguindo os critérios da Organização Mundial da Saúde para dentes cariados, perdidos e obturados. Resultados: verificou-se que a prevalência de cárie dentária das crianças incluídas no programa foi de 78,5% e que o índice de dentes cariados, extraídos e obturados (ceo-d) na dentição decídua médio foi de 4,77, com predominância do componente cariado, o qual representa 81,8% desse índice. O índice CPO-D (dentes cariados, perdidos e obturados na dentição permanente) encontrado foi de 0,56, indicando um acometimento precoce de dentes permanentes recém-erupcionados. Conclusão: embora esse programa de transferência de renda possa promover alívio imediato da condição de extrema pobreza, as crianças nascidas e criadas obtendo esse benefício continuaram apresentando uma média de ceo-d quase o dobro da média regional verificada no último levantamento epidemiológico de saúde bucal realizado em 2010.

Roots and leaves display contrasting oxidative response during salt stress and recovery in cowpea.

In this study, we compare some antioxidative responses of leaves and roots associated to growth reduction in cowpea plants (Vigna unguiculata) during short-term salt stress and recovery. The salt treatment was imposed (200 mM NaCl) for six consecutive days and the salt withdrawal after 3 d. The salt treatment caused an almost complete cessation in the relative growth rate of both leaves and roots. Although NaCl withdrawal has induced an intense reduction in the Na(+) content from the leaves and roots, the growth recovery was slight, after 3 d. The leaf lipid peroxidation was increased in salt-stressed plants and slightly reduced in recovered plants after 3 d. Surprisingly, in the salt-stressed roots it decreased markedly after 3 d treatment and in the pre-stressed/recovered roots it was restored to levels near to the control. In leaves, catalase (CAT) activity showed a rapid and prominent decrease after 1 d of NaCl treatment and salt withdrawal had no effect on its recovery. In contrast, the root CAT activity was not changed by effects of both NaCl and salt withdrawal, over time interval. Leaf superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity did not change in all treatments, whereas in roots it significantly decreased after 3 d of salt treatment and recovered after NaCl withdrawal. Contrasting to the other enzymes, the guaiacol-peroxidase activity increased in leaves and roots, reaching almost 200% of control values and it significantly decreased in both organs from the pre-stressed/recovered plants. In conclusion, cowpea roots and leaves present distinct mechanisms of response to lipid peroxidation and CAT and SOD activities during salt stress and recovery. However, these responses and/or the oxidative damages caused by reactive oxygen species were not related with the growth reduction.

Superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase activities do not confer protection against oxidative damage in salt-stressed cowpea leaves.

• The aim of this study was to determine whether guaiacol peroxidase (POX), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities are effective in the protection and recovery of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) leaves exposed to a salt-induced oxidative stress. The salt treatment (200 mm NaCl) was imposed during six consecutive days and the salt withdrawal after 3 d (recovery treatment). Control plants received no NaCl treatment. • The salt treatment caused almost complete cessation of leaf relative growth rate in parallel with the transpiration rate. The restriction in leaf growth was associated with a progressive increase in membrane damage, lipid peroxidation and proline content. Salt withdrawal induced a significant recovery in both leaf growth rate and transpiration. Surprisingly, these prestressed/recovered plants showed only a slight recovery in leaf lipid peroxidation and membrane damage. • Leaf CAT activity experienced a twofold decrease only after 1 d NaCl treatment, and salt withdrawal had no effect on its recovery. SOD activity did not change compared with control plants. By contrast, POX activity significantly increased after 1 d NaCl treatment and showed a significant recovery to levels near to those of control. • In conclusion, it appears that the ability of cowpea plants to survive under high levels of salinity is not caused by an operating antioxidant system involving SOD, POX and CAT activities in mature leaves.