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Bioinsecticides with lower concentrations of endospores/crystals and without loss of efficiency are economically advantageous for pest biocontrol. In addition to Cry proteins, other Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins in culture supernatants (SN) have biocontrol potential (e.g., Vip3A, Cry1I, Sip1), whereas others are unwanted (β-exotoxins), as they display widespread toxicity across taxa. A strain simultaneously providing distinct toxin activities in crystals and SN would be desirable for bioinsecticides development; however, strains secreting β-exotoxins should be discarded, independently of other useful entomotoxins. Entomotoxicity of crystals and SN from a Brazilian Bt tolworthi strain (Btt01) was tested against Spodoptera frugiperda to assess the potential for biocontrol-product development based on more than one type of toxin/activity. Tests showed that 107 endospores mL−1 caused >80% of larvae mortality, suggesting Btt01 may be used in similar concentrations as those of other Bt-based biopesticides. When it was applied to cornfields, a significant 60% reduction of larvae infestation was observed. However, bioassays with Btt01 SN revealed a thermostable toxic activity. Physicochemical characterization strongly suggests the presence of unwanted β-exotoxins, with isolate-specific temporal variation in its secretion. Knowledge of the temporal pattern of secretion/activity in culture for all forms of toxins produced by a single strain is required to both detect useful activities and avoid the potential lack of identification of undesirable toxins. These findings are discussed in the contexts of commercial Bt product development, advantages of multiple-activity strains, and care and handling recommended for large-scale fermentation systems.

Effect of conilon beans on the sensory profile and consumer acceptance of coffee beverages O presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar as características sensoriais e a aceitabilidade de bebidas de café preparadas a partir de diferentes blends de grãos cafés arábica e conilon. Foram avaliadas bebidas contendo as proporções de zero (100% arábica), 10, 20, 40, 60, 80 e 100% de conilon. O perfil sensorial das bebidas foi descrito por uma equipe composta de oito avaliadores selecionados e treinados através do método de Análise Descritiva Quantitativa (ADQ). A aceitabilidade foi avaliada por 112 consumidores de café utilizando-se a escala hedônica de nove pontos. Os dados do teste de aceitabilidade foram submetidos à Análise de Cluster e Mapa de Preferência. Os resultados mostraram que houve uma satisfatória aceitação dos consumidores para as bebidas na proporção de até 40% de grãos conilon. O estudo mostrou, no entanto, que as bebidas com até 20% de grãos conilon mantiveram características sensoriais tradicionalmente mais positivas na bebida, como atributos mais intensos de aroma chocolate, aroma e sabor característico de café, aroma e gosto doce.

O cultivo de tomate do grupo cereja vem adquirindo grande importância econômica, sobretudo para os produtores familiares que se utilizam do cultivo orgânico para agregar valor ao seu produto. A introdução de novos genótipos nesse mercado deve ser respaldada por estudos de caracterização e avaliação do germoplasma, os quais, posteriormente, poderão fornecer dados que serão utilizados diretamente pelos produtores ou serão recomendados para programas de melhoramento. O objetivo deste trabalho foi testar 40 genótipos de tomateiro do grupo cereja, de procedências variadas, sendo 36 acessos da coleção de germoplasma do Departamento de Fitotecnia da UFRRJ e quatro cultivares: 'Joanna', 'Perinha Água Branca (PAB)', 'Samambaia' e o híbrido Super Sweet. As plantas foram cultivadas em condições de campo, sob manejo orgânico, no delineamento de blocos ao acaso com quatro repetições e cinco plantas por parcela no período de junho a dezembro de 2004. As variáveis estudadas foram: produção total de frutos, produção de frutos comerciais e não-comerciais, diâmetro longitudinal e equatorial dos frutos, espessura da polpa, massa mínima, média e máxima de frutos por planta. Os dados foram analisados considerando a distância de Mahalanobis e o agrupamento dos acessos foi realizado com base em UPGMA e pela análise de variáveis canônicas. Para a verificação do ajuste entre a matriz de similaridade e o dendrograma obtido, foi calculado o coeficiente de correlação cofenética (CCC). A importância relativa das características foi determinada pelo método de Singh. Os acessos foram separados em dois grupos, um deles contendo apenas o acesso ENAS 1021, enquanto o outro grupo, com 39 acessos, foi subdividido, gerando a formação de sete subgrupos. O coeficiente de correlação cofenética foi de 0,9, demonstrando que houve um ajuste muito bom entre a matriz de distância e o dendrograma. As três primeiras variáveis canônicas explicaram 78,58% da variação observada, com a formação de sete grupos. A variável mais importante foi a produção de frutos não-comerciais, que explicou 22,71% da variação total. A cultivar 'Perinha Água Branca' foi a que produziu menor porcentagem de frutos não-comerciais (2,0%), enquanto o híbrido Super Sweet produziu 8% de frutos não-comerciais.Cherry tomato is becoming an important crop alternative mainly for small farmers that use family hand labor and use organic management to differentiate their product. The introduction of new genotypes in this market should be supported by germplasm characterization and evaluation. This germplasm could be recommended for farmers or introduced in breeding programs. The aim of this research was to test 40 cherry tomatoes accessions from different sources, being 36 accessions from germplasm collection of Department de Fitotecnia of UFRRJ and four cultivars, namely 'Joanna', 'Perinha Água Branca', 'Samambaia' and Super Sweet. The plants were grown in field conditions, under organic management, in a randomized block design with four replications and five plants per plot, from June to December 2004. The following variables were studied: fruit total yield; commercial and non-commercial fruit yield; longitudinal and equatorial fruit diameter; pulp thickness; minimum, medium and maximum fruit mass variation per plant. The data were analyzed considering Mahalanobis distance and the cluster analysis was performed using UPGMA (Unweighted Pair-Group Method Using an Arithmetic Average) and canonic variables. The adjustment between the similarity matrix and dendrograma was performed using the cophenetic correlation. The characters relative importance was determined by Singh´s method. The accessions were clustered in two groups, one of them with only one accession (ENAS 1021) and the second group, with 39 accessions, was subdivided generating seven subgroups. The cophenetic correlation was 0.9 meaning a very good adjustment between the distance matrix and the dendrogram. The first three canonic variables explained 78.58% of observed variation, forming seven groups. 'Perinha Agua Branca' was the one that produced lower proportion of non-commercial fruit yield (11.11%) while Super Sweet produced 48.05% of damaged fruit.

Este trabalho teve como objetivo analisar as questões de múltipla escolha do vestibular 2009-I da Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA) por meio da TRI e utilizando a inferência bayesiana, a fim de identificar quais propriedades dos itens o classificam como melhor ou pior, com vistas a orientar novas provas. Verificou-se que os itens mais difíceis tendem a ser mais discriminativos e informativos para selecionar os candidatos mais hábeis. As provas de Inglês, Biologia, Física, Matemática e Química foram as mais difíceis e apresentaram maior poder de discriminação. Em geral o vestibular não apresentou itens com alta chance de acerto casual. Alguns itens tiveram suas estimativas analisadas em maior detalhe e revelam aspectos de planejamento que podem melhorar a qualidade desse tipo de prova.

RESUMO: Este estudo objetivou avaliar a biometria corporal e o perfil hematológico de Trachemys scripta elegans (N=28) e de Trachemys dorbignyi (N=22) criadas em cativeiro na região do submédio do Vale do São Francisco, semiárido nordestino brasileiro, visando estabelecer valores sanguíneos básicos de saúde e gerar dados úteis na fisiologia comparativa de Testudines. Após 120 dias de adaptação e jejum de 24 horas, 2,5 mL de sangue foram coletados do seio occipital dorsal e depositados em tubo com heparina sódica para a avaliação, na sequência, dos níveis hematologicos. A contagem total de eritrócitos (CTE) e global de leucócitos (CGL) foi realizada em câmara de Neubauer; a dosagem de hemoglobina (HGB) pelo método da método da cianometahemoglobina e o hematócrito (HCT) através da técnica do microhematócrito. A partir da CTE estabeleceram-se matematicamente os índices hematimétricos. A biometria corporal também foi avaliada: a) massa corporal (MC, g); b) dimensões máximas da carapaça [comprimento (CMC, cm) e largura (LMC, cm)];c) dimensões máximas do plastrão [comprimento (CMP, cm) e largura (LMP, cm)]; d) comprimento total da cauda (CTC, cm); e) comprimento linear da base da cauda ao orifício cloacal (CprC, cm); f) comprimento linear do orifício cloacal a extremidade da cauda(CpoC, cm). T. scripta elegans apresentaram valores maiores (P < 0,05) para a biometria corporal, enquanto que o CTC e CprC foram maiores (P0,05) entre as espécies. Os resultados demostram que a maior parte da variação observada entre T. scripta elegans e T. dorbignyi é explicada pelas variáveis biométricas e que algumas correlações hematológicas caracterizam diferenças interespecíficas. Conclui-se que os resultados lançam luz sobre valores de referência para estas espécies mantidas em cativeiro na região do semiárido e servem como um modelo para a fisiologia comparativa intra e interespécies.

ABSTRACT: Although Trachemys scripta elegans is an exotic species popular as a pet in Brazil, studies on reproductive biology and capacity are non-existent in the Brazilian Cerrado. This study analyzed ovarian and oviduct characteristics and the egg production capacity of T. scripta elegans grown in this biome. The findings will associate with the size of the specimens and the sexual maturity, aiming at comparisons with native and exotic populations, as well as interspecific and contributing to the understanding of its impact on the invaded ecosystems and the establishment of eradication programs. Thus, 39 females had evaluated the body biometry and the morphology and morphometry of the ovaries and oviducts. G2 (N=20): with Class I (>5-10mm) follicles, with Class I and Class II (>10-fold) follicles, 25mm) and G3 (N=9) with Class I, Class II and Class III (>25mm) follicles. Analysis of variance, Scott-Knott’s test, and Pearson’s correlation analysis showed that there was no significant difference between the groups in body biometry; in the mean gonadosomatic index and gonadal morphometry, only the width of the oviducts in the right antimer and the mass and width in the left antimer were higher in G3, the only one that presented eggs. There was positive and harmonic development between body mass, carapace, and plastron, and gonadal growth occurred concomitantly with body growth, indicating a higher reproductive potential and a positive relationship between the size of the litter and the female litter. The gonadosomatic index proved to be an excellent reproductive indicator, and the ovarian evaluation was a better indicator of sexual maturity than the maximum carapace length. Ovaries were irregular structures, without delimitation between the cortical and medullary regions and filled with vitelogenic follicles of different diameters, atresic follicles, and corpora lutea, which reflected the ovarian complexity of the species and the presence of follicular hierarchy. In the scarce stroma, two germinative beds were observed per ovary and the presence of gaps very close to the follicles and associated with the blood vessels. Analysis of gonadal tissue revealed three types of oocytes according to cytoplasmic characteristics: homogeneous, vesicular or vesicular in the cortex with apparent granules. Oviducts were functional and separated, joining only in the final portion to form the cloaca and subdivided into infundibulum, tuba, isthmus, uterus, and vagina. The structure of the uterine tube was composed of serosa, muscular and mucous, which was full of glands. The presence of eggs in the oviducts indicated that the specimens can reproduce in the Brazilian Cerrado. This study provides necessary and relevant information on the reproductive biology and capacity of T. scripta elegans in the Brazilian Cerrado and can contribute to the understanding of its impact on the invaded ecosystems and the establishment of eradication programs. The extraction of females with capacity can reduce the annual reproductive yield of the species and decrease its effect on local biodiversity.

IntroductionEarly sexual debut is an area of concern in Nigeria with implications for reproductive health.MethodsThis study addresses this by proposing a more effective survival model—one that incorporates both independent and identically distributed (IID) and Besag intrinsically conditional auto-regressive (ICAR) random effect priors, using a generalised additive model that accounts for both individual and spatial influences on age at first sex. We analyse data from the 2018 Nigerian NDHS survey and compare our model with existing models: a model without the cluster frailty effect, a model that ignores the Besag ICAR and includes the IID, and a model that ignores the IID and includes only the Besag ICAR.ResultsOur approach, which combines independent and spatial random effects, outperforms others based on statistical criteria (Deviation Information Criterion and the Widely Applicable Information Criterion).DiscussionAs shown in this study, the proposed model effectively captures the complexity of age at first sex. In addition, visualisations reveal significant geographic and social clusters with high rates of early sexual debut in Nigeria. These findings highlight the importance of considering multi-level clustering to better understand and promote healthy sexual behaviour among young Nigerians through targeted interventions.

Background This study investigated malaria epidemiology in Edo-North, Nigeria; a region within the equatorial rainforest belt that has lacked prior research on malaria prevalence. This research sought to investigate the prevalence of malaria and identify potential risk factors in Edo-North, Nigeria. Additionally, the study aimed to analyze trends in malaria cases to inform the development of effective malaria control measures. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted in six local government areas of Edo-North, Nigeria, between June and August 2023. Using systematic sampling, study zones, local governments, towns, villages, and households were selected. Data on sociodemographics and environmental risk factors were collected from 605 participants through questionnaires and blood samples. Blood smears were microscopically examined, binary and multivariate logistic regression was used for data analysis. Malaria disease rate trends were also analyzed from health records. Statistical analyses were performed using R software, with p-values less than 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results The overall malaria prevalence in the study area was 15.54%, with males more likely to be infected than females. Prevalence varied across localities, with Akoko-Edo having the highest rate. Children had the highest prevalence. Rural residents were more likely to have malaria than urban residents. Binary logistic regression identified several risk factors, including age, location, local government area, education, occupation, marital status, housing type, household size, water source, sanitation, surrounding environment, window net use, ceiling type, water storage, and parasite density. The multivariate logistic regression analysis identified several significant risk factors for malaria in the study population. Children, residents of Owan-East, individuals using pit latrines, and those not sleeping under LLINs were at significantly increased risk. Environmental factors such as proximity to bushes, streams/rivers, and storing water in open containers were also associated with higher malaria prevalence. History of malaria treatment at pharmacies and use of Chloroquine/Quinine medication were linked to recurrent infections. The study found a high average parasite density (5,146 parasites/μL) and low consistent LLIN use despite widespread ownership. Trend analysis from malaria records revealed a decline in malaria prevalence from 2020 to 2023. Conclusions The study identified several demographic, environmental and behavioural factors associated with malaria risk in Edo North. Males, children, urban dwellers, those living in mud houses and those in large households, proximity to natural features such as bushes, rivers and streams and low LLIN were more likely to contract malaria. These findings highlight the importance of implementing targeted interventions to address these risk factors and reduce the burden of malaria.