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ABSTRACT Viticulture is one of the most produced fruit crops in the world; therefore, challenges of cropping systems are very relevant. Altered environments pose an obstacle; in addition, climate change influences plant-pathogen relationships and their risks. This work described the interaction of Neophysopella tropicalis (Ono) × ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ grapevine at 25 and 30 °C, from an epidemiological and anatomical perspective. Rust severity showed no differences in plants kept at 25 and 30 °C; however, a significantly higher number of rust pustules was observed at 30 °C. The accumulation of phenolic compounds in healthy leaves at 25 °C was denser and more homogeneous than in the other treatments. The phenol pattern alteration observed in healthy leaves at 30 °C is possibly related to the larger number of lesions observed at this temperature.

Abstract Raspberries (Rubus spp) are temperate climate fruits with profitable high returns and have the potential for diversification of fruit growing in mid to low-latitude regions. However, there are still no cultivars adapted to climatic conditions and high pressure of diseases that occurs in tropical areas. In this context, our objective was to evaluate the genetic diversity from a 116 raspberry genotypes panel obtained from interspecific crosses in a testcross scheme with four cultivars already introduced in Brazil. The panel was genotyped via genotyping-by-sequencing. 28,373 and 27,281 SNPs were obtained, using the species R. occidentalis and R. idaeus genomes as references, respectively. A third marker dataset was constructed consisting of 41,292 non-coincident markers. Overall, there were no differences in the results when using the different marker sets for the subsequent analyses. The mean heterozygosity was 0.54. The average effective population size was 174, indicating great genetic variability. The other analyses revealed that the half-sibling families were structured in three groups. It is concluded that the studied panel has great potential for breeding and further genetic studies. Moreover, only one of the three marker matrices is sufficient for diversity studies.

Downy mildew, caused by Plasmopara viticola, is the main disease affecting vineyards in subtropical Brazil. Here, we collected 94 P. viticola isolates from four organic and conventional vineyards in the two main grape-growing states of Brazil to evaluate the sensitivity to the quinone outside inhibitor (QoI) azoxystrobin by pheno- and genotyping assays. The impact of location, production system and sensitivity to QoI fungicides on the population genetics and structure of P. viticola was determined using 10 microsatellite markers. Cytochrome b sequencing revealed that 28 and 100% of the isolates from vineyards under organic and conventional management carried the G143A mutation, respectively. The G143A mutation was associated with high levels of azoxystrobin resistance. Three out of the 94 isolates analyzed carried the M125I alteration, not previously described in P. viticola, which was associated with a five-fold reduction in azoxystrobin sensitivity compared to wild-type isolates. Haplotype network analysis based on cytochrome b gene sequences suggested that the Brazilian populations are more closely related to the European than the North American population. A total of six haplotypes were identified, with two of them carrying the G143A mutation. Microsatellite analysis revealed high allelic and genotypic variation among the four populations. Population differentiation analyses indicated that state of origin directly influences the population biology of P. viticola, while production system and QoI sensitivity have little effect. Great genetic diversity, sexual reproduction and high levels of admixture were observed in Rio Grande do Sul State. In contrast, populations in São Paulo State were dominated by a few clonal genotypes, and no admixed genotype was detected between the two genetic pools identified in the state. This study raises the hypothesis that winter weather conditions influence the overwinter survival strategy with profound effects in the population biology of P. viticola.

Downy mildew caused by Plasmopara viticola is one of the most destructive diseases of Vitis vinifera worldwide. Grapevine breeding programs have introgressed P. viticola-resistant traits into cultivated V. vinifera genotypes and launched interspecific hybrids with resistance against downy mildew. In general, pathogen infection affects primary metabolism, reduces plant growth and development and modifies the secondary metabolism toward defense responses, which are costly in terms of carbon production and utilization. The objective of this work was to evaluate the photosynthesis impairment by inducible defenses at the leaf level in V. vinifera cultivars resistant to P. viticola. Photosynthetic limitations imposed by P. viticola in susceptible and resistant grapevine cultivars were evaluated. Histochemical localization of hydrogen peroxide and superoxide and the activity of ascorbate peroxidase were assessed. Measurements of leaf gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence and the response of leaf CO2 assimilation to increasing air CO2 concentrations were taken, and photosynthetic limitations determined in cultivars Solaris (resistant) and Riesling (susceptible). The net photosynthetic rates were reduced (−25%) in inoculated Solaris plants even before the appearance of cell death-like hypersensitive reactions (“HR”). One day after “HR” visualization, the net photosynthetic rate of Solaris was reduced by 57% compared with healthy plants. A similar pattern was noticed in resistant Cabernet Blanc and Phoenix plants. While the susceptible cultivars did not show any variation in leaf gas exchange before the appearance of visual symptoms, drastic reductions in net photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance were found in diseased plants 12 days after inoculation. Decreases in the maximum Rubisco carboxylation rate and photochemical impairment were noticed in Riesling after inoculation with P. viticola, which were not found in Solaris. Damage to the photochemical reactions of photosynthesis was likely associated with the oxidative burst found in resistant cultivars within the first 24 h after inoculation. Both chlorophyll degradation and stomatal closure were also noticed in the incompatible interaction. Taken together, our data clearly revealed that the defense response against P. viticola causes a photosynthetic cost to grapevines, which is not reversible even 12 days after the pathogen infection.

Citrus postbloom fruit drop, caused by Colletotrichum spp., is an important disease in the Americas. The pathogen infects citrus flowers, produces orange-brown lesions on petals, and may cause the abscission of young fruit. In diseased flowers, the calyxes remain attached to the peduncle after the young fruit drop. No anatomical and microanalysis studies have been conducted to determine whether calyx tissues can be infected by Colletotrichum spp. and why calyxes remain attached to the peduncle. Based on light microscopy, we demonstrate that the ovary abscission zone exhibits a separation region composed of layers of thickened lignified walled cells, indicating that abscission involves the disruption of cell walls. The first layers of the protective zone (PZ) are composed of densely packed cells with suberized walls produced by the wound meristem. Beneath the PZ, there is a compact mass of small cells that accumulate starch grains. X-ray fluorescence microanalysis (µ-XRF) confirmed the increased accumulation of calcium in the receptacle of the persistent calyxes compared to non-inoculated citrus flowers. Moreover, the peduncle pith and the receptacle exhibit hypertrophied cells with thick walls that may be related to calyx retention. Fungal structures are not observed inside the persistent calyx tissues.

Asian grapevine rust (Phakopsora euvitis) is a serious disease, which causes severe leaf necrosis and early plant defoliation. These symptoms are unusual for a strict biotrophic pathogen. This work was performed to quantify the effects of P. euvitis on photosynthesis, carbohydrates, and biomass accumulation of grapevine. The reduction in photosynthetic efficiency of the green leaf tissue surrounding the lesions was quantified using the virtual lesion concept (β parameter). Gas exchange and responses of CO2 assimilation to increasing intercellular CO2 concentration were analyzed. Histopathological analyses and quantification of starch were also performed on diseased leaves. Biomass and carbohydrate accumulation were quantified in different organs of diseased and healthy plants. Rust reduced the photosynthetic rate, and β was estimated at 5.78, indicating a large virtual lesion. Mesophyll conductance, maximum rubisco carboxylation rate, and regeneration of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate dependent on electron transport rate were reduced, causing diffusive and biochemical limitations to photosynthesis. Hypertrophy, chloroplast degeneration of mesophyll cells, and starch accumulation in cells close to lesions were observed. Root carbohydrate concentration was reduced, even at low rust severity. Asian grapevine rust dramatically reduced photosynthesis and altered the dynamics of production and accumulation of carbohydrates, unlike strict biotrophic pathogens. The reduction in carbohydrate reserves in roots would support polyetic damage on grapevine, caused by a polycyclic disease.

Brown rot, caused by Monilinia spp. , is one of the most important peach (Prunuspersica (L.) Batsch) diseases and the main cause of postharvest losses. Currently, alternative methods for postharvest disease control, such as the use of volatiles, are under investigation. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of hexanal on the in vitro development of Monilinia fructicola and M. laxa and on monocyclic components of brown rot on peaches. To evaluate the effect on pathogen development in vitro, a single dose of 215 µL of liquid hexanal was placed on glass jars in closed plastic containers (4.3 L) at the moment of fungi transfer, 24 or 48 h after transferring to Petri dishes. After hexanal application, the Petri dishes were kept inside the containers that were closed for 24 h at 20 ºC. Mycelial growth was measured seven days after hexanal removal. For in vivo assays, inoculated fruits were kept in closed plastic containers, and hexanal was applied at the moment of fruit inoculation or 24 hours thereafter. The monocyclic components infection frequency, expressed as brown rot incidence, lesion diameter and lesion sporulation, were assessed daily for seven days. Overall, hexanal was more effective in inhibiting mycelial growth when applied at the moment of pathogen transfer. Hexanal did not prevent pathogen infection, but reduced lesion diameter and completely inhibited spore production on the fruit for both treatments. Hexanal provides a promising alternative for chemical control and can be used in postharvest handling systems.

Citrus Variegated Chlorosis (CVC) caused by Xylella fastidiosa is one of the most important diseases for Brazilian citriculture. The CVC is a vascular disease with a long incubation period and symptoms similar to other disorders, and this factors difficult the CVC quantification in the field. Two methods of CVC assessment were compared in this study. The first method was based on a descriptive rating scale with four ratings, commonly used for the disease quantification. The second one was based on the incidence of symptomatic branches. The quantification of CVC through these two methods was carried out in a 10-year-old 'Natal' sweet orange orchard. The descriptive scale considered the symptoms of the entire plant. The disease incidence was evaluated in 36 branches in each plant. The assessments were conducted by three raters in 144 plants in July 2006 and July 2007 as well as in March and November 2008. The descriptive scale did not allow an accurate assessment and resulted in a moderate strength of agreement among the raters. On the other hand, the incidence quantification of CVC through the symptomatic branches showed high repeatability among the raters. We suggest the use of incidence of symptomatic branches as variable for CVC quantification.

A queima das flores e a podridão parda, causadas por Monilinia fructicola, são as doenças mais importantes na cultura do pessegueiro. Este estudo teve como objetivo verificar a incidência de queima das flores e podridão parda latente em frutos verdes e na colheita sob condições naturais de infecção, em relação à posição dos ramos em pomar com cultivares de pessegueiro sob sistema de cultivo orgânico. As avaliações foram realizadas com as cultivares 'Aurora', 'Flordaking', 'Marli' e 'Della Nona' em 2006, e 'Aurora' e 'Marli' em 2007 e 2008 e conduzidas em sistema orgânico em Rio do Sul, Santa Catarina (SC). Foram monitorados semanalmente os conídios do patógeno em armadilhas tipo "cata-vento". A incidência média da doença na floração foi de 0,8 ('Della Nona') a 19,1% ('Marli'). A incidência na colheita foi de 15,4('Della Nona') a 65,7% ('Flordaking'). Correlações positivas e significativas foram verificadas entre número de conídios e fases fenológicas variando de 0,67 ('Flordaking) a 0,99 ('Aurora'). A posição do ramo no pomar, na linha ou na entrelinha não influenciou a incidência da doença nas flores e nos frutos. A maior concentração de conídios foi observada na fase de maturação dos frutos.The blossom blight and brown rot caused by Monilinia fructicola are the most important diseases of peach tree. This study aimed to verify the incidence of the blossom blight on flowers and latent brown rot in green fruits, and at harvest under natural infection, in relation to the position of branches in the orchard with peach cultivars under organic system. The evaluations were carried out with the cultivars 'Aurora', 'Flordaking', 'Marli' and 'Della Nona' in 2006, 'Aurora' and 'Marli' in 2007 and 2008 and conducted in an organic syste m in Rio do Sul, SC. Conidia were monitored weekly by "winddriven" traps. At flowering the average incidence was 0.8 ('Della Nona') to 19.1% ('Marli'). The incidence at harvest was 15.4 ('Della Nona') to 65.7% ('Flordaking'). It was observed positive and significant correlations between conidia numbers and phenological phases varying from 0.67 ('Flordaking') to 0.99 ('Aurora'). The position of the branch in the orchard, within-row, across-row, did not influence the incidence of disease in the flowers and fruits. The highest conidia concentration was observed during the ripening.

A alta perecibilidade da goiaba é o principal problema enfrentado pelos produtores na comercialização da fruta in natura, tanto no mercado nacional, como no internacional. O 1-metilciclopropeno (1-MCP) é um regulador vegetal conhecido como bloqueador da ação do etileno, empregado para retardar o amadurecimento de frutos e estender sua vida útil. Assim, o presente trabalho teve por objetivo determinar os efeitos da aplicação do regulador vegetal 1-MCP sobre a qualidade pós-colheita de goiabas 'Kumagai'. As goiabas foram colhidas quando a cor da casca começou a mudar de verde-escura para verde-clara, tendo como base os índices de firmeza (N) e cor da casca (ºh) de 85N e 117ºh, respectivamente, em lotes uniformes, sem defeitos. Os frutos foram expostos ao 1-MCP durante 3 horas, em câmara hermética, nas concentrações de 0; 100; 300 e 900 nL.L-1 e armazenadas a 22±2 ºC e 80-85 %UR durante 12 dias. O regulador vegetal retardou a perda da cor verde da casca e da firmeza da polpa, bem como o incremento dos teores de ácido ascórbico e de sólidos solúveis, entretanto não alterou a perda de massa, a acidez titulável e a incidência de podridões. A atividade respiratória e a produção de etileno também foram influenciadas pelo 1-MCP, tendo atingido os menores valores ao empregar a maior concentração deste regulador vegetal. A aplicação de 1-MCP, nas concentrações de 300 a 900 nL.L-1, durante 3 horas, retarda o amadurecimento de goiabas 'Kumagai', prolongando sua vida pós-colheita.The short guava shelf life is the main problem that affects commercialization of fruits, either in national or international markets. The 1-MCP is known as an ethylene blocker. This work was carried out to determine the effects of 1-MCP over attributes of quality of 'Kumagai' guavas. The guavas were harvested with the skin color changing from dark-green to light-green stage, presenting: firmness (N) 85 and skin color (h°) 117, without injuries. Fruits were exposed to 0, 100, 300, 900 nL.L-1 of 1-MCP for 3 hours. Later the fruits were kept in room temperature of 22±2 °C and 80-90 % RH for 12 days. The treatments delayed the skin color and firmness changes, and also delayed the increase of ascorbic acid and sugar; the weight loss, titratable acidity and incidence of rots were not affected. The respiratory rate and ethylene production were suppressed reaching the lowest values with the highest concentration of the product. The application of 1-MCP from 300 to 900 nL.L-1, during 3 hours, extended the shelf life of guavas 'Kumagai'.

Neste estudo foram desenvolvidos modelos para estimativas de preços implícitos de alguns atributos de qualidade em pêssegos comercializados no estado de São Paulo, em dois elos da cadeia: atacado e varejo. Os dados referentes aos preços de venda de pêssegos e às características de qualidade dos frutos (como cor, tamanho, tipos de variedade e tipos de danos) foram obtidos a partir de cortes seccionais no tempo. O Modelo de Preços Hedônicos foi proposto para valoração das características ao longo desse sistema de pós-colheita (2 elos). Os resultados obtidos permitiram identificar potenciais ganhos em cada elo da cadeia a partir do aprimoramento de atributos de qualidade dessa fruta.Econometric models were developed to estimate the implicit prices for selected quality attributes of fresh peaches commercialized in the state of Sao Paulo. Such estimation is conducted in two stages of the distribution chain, namely, wholesale and retail sales. Data on the price and quality attributes (such as color, size, varieties and types of damages) of fresh peaches were obtained from cross-sectional data in different time periods. The estimation of Hedonic Prices is proposed as a method to evaluate post-harvest price variations from wholesale to retail sales. The results obtained allowed us to identify the gains accrued in each stage, deriving from the improvement in the product quality attributes.

Brazilian exports of fresh citrus represent less than 1% of the overall Brazilian production. Phytosanitary barriers and poor appearance stand out among the several reasons contributing to such low exporting/production ratio. The purpose of this work was to characterize postharvest injuries in 'Valencia' sweet oranges and 'Murcott' tangors produced for foreign markets after different processing stages in a packinghouse, as well as to identify critical points and impact extent on packing lines. Sampling was performed both after pre-washing and degreening the fruits, and also at the arrival on the packing table and in the pallet. They were stored for 21 days at 25ºC and 85% RH. The incidence of injuries was visually assessed every three days. An instrumented sphere with acceleration register was used to evaluate the extent of impacts (G, m/s²) at the 19 transference points of the citrus processing line. There was low rot incidence (under 3.5%) at the different stages of fruit processing, with slight increase after degreening in 'Valencia' orange and a decrease after fungicides treatment in 'Murcott' tangor. The main pathogens found in the oranges were Lasiodiplodia theobromae and Penicillium digitatum, which were surpassed by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides in the tangors. Impacts in the processing line were caused mainly by drops on hard surfaces, with 94.7% of them varying from 30 to 95 G. The greatest impacts were observed when fruits were transferred from the processing line to bins destined to degreening. Mechanical injuries related to oleocellosis increased until the arrival of fruits at the packing table.A exportação de frutos cítricos frescos representa menos que 1% da produção brasileira. Dentre os fatores atribuídos a esta baixa relação entre exportação e produção destacam-se as barreiras sanitárias e o aspecto visual de qualidade inferior. Este trabalho objetivou caracterizar os danos pós-colheita de frutos de laranja 'Valencia' e tangor 'Murcott', destinados à exportação, após diferentes etapas do beneficiamento em packinghouse e identificar os pontos críticos e a magnitude de impacto em linhas de beneficiamento. Os frutos foram coletados na chegada ao packinghouse, tanto após a pré-lavagem como após o desverdecimento, na banca de embalagem e no palete; e armazenados individualmente durante 21 dias a 25ºC e 85% de UR. A incidência de injúrias foi avaliada visualmente a cada três dias. Para a avaliação da magnitude de impactos (G, m/s²) nos 19 pontos de transferência da linha de beneficiamento de citros empregou-se uma esfera instrumentada com registrador de aceleração. Observou-se uma baixa incidência de podridões nas diferentes etapas do beneficiamento dos frutos, com valores abaixo de 3,5% e levemente superior após o desverdecimento em laranja 'Valencia' e também redução de podridões após a aplicação de fungicidas em tangor 'Murcott'. Os principais patógenos encontrados em laranja foram Lasiodiplodia theobromae e Penicillium digitatum, sendo superados em tangor por Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. Na avaliação dos impactos na linha de beneficiamento, 94,7% dos impactos variaram entre a faixa de 30-95 G, causados principalmente por quedas em superfícies rígidas. Os maiores impactos foram observados quando os frutos foram transferidos da linha de beneficiamento para bins, destinados ao desverdecimento. Os danos mecânicos de oleocelose foram crescentes até a banca de embalagem.

A incidência de danos pós-colheita em goiabas foi quantificada no período de abril de 2005 a agosto de 2006 em quatro permissionários do Entreposto Terminal de São Paulo da Companhia de Entrepostos e Armazéns Gerais de São Paulo (CEAGESP). As amostragens foram feitas de forma estratificada, utilizando calibre, procedência, cor da polpa e ensacamento do fruto como critérios de estratificação. Injúrias mecânicas e doenças pós-colheita foram quantificadas por meio de análise visual de todos os frutos de 323 caixas de goiaba. Foram avaliados 5.081 frutos, dos quais 51,1 % foram provenientes de pomares onde a prática do ensacamento dos frutos era utilizada. Injúrias mecânicas pós-colheita foram observadas em 63 % dos frutos, mas apenas 5,5 % dos frutos mostraram sintomas de doenças. A incidência de doenças pós-colheita foi correlacionada à incidência de injúrias mecânicas apenas nos frutos ensacados (R=0,20, p< 0,05). Essas variáveis não foram correlacionadas nos frutos não- ensacados (R=0,09). Pinta-preta (Guignardia psidii) foi observada em 3,5 % dos frutos e antracnose (Colletotrichum spp.), em 1,1 % deles. Podridões pós-colheita ocasionadas pelos fungos dos gêneros Fusicoccum, Rhizopus e Pestalotia ocorreram em menos de 1% dos frutos. A incidência de doenças provocadas por patógenos quiescentes foi significativamente maior em frutos ensacados (7,7 % dos frutos) que em frutos não-ensacados (2,1 % dos frutos). O oposto foi observado para patógenos que penetram o fruto exclusivamente por ferimentos, cujas médias foram de 0,3 % e 0,8 % de incidência de frutos sintomáticos, respectivamente para frutos ensacados e não-ensacados. Não houve diferença estatística significativa na incidência de doenças quiescentes nos frutos ensacados das variedades de polpa branca (7,8 %) e nas variedades de polpa vermelha (7,3 %).The incidence of post harvest damages in guavas was quantified from April 2005 to August 2006 in four wholesalers from the terminal wholesale market of São Paulo (CEAGESP). The sampling was stratified by fruit size, fruit origin, flesh color and bagging the fruit. All fruit from 323 guava boxes were visually assessed. Post harvest mechanical injuries and diseases were quantified. Five thousand and eighty one fruit were assessed, 51.1% of which came from orchards where fruit received paper bags some time before harvesting. Post harvest mechanical injuries were observed in 63% of fruit but only 5.5% of fruit showed symptoms of post harvest diseases. These diseases incidence was correlated to the incidence of post harvest mechanical injuries only in bagged fruit (R=0.20, p< 0.05). These variables were not correlated in fruit not bagged (R=0.09). Black spot (Guignardia psidii) was observed in 3.5 % of fruit and anthracnose (Colletotrichum spp.), in 1.1 % of them. Post harvest rots caused by fungi from genera Fusicoccum, Rhizopus, and Pestalotia occurred in less than 1 % of fruit. The incidence of post harvest diseases caused by quiescent pathogens was significantly greater in bagged fruit (7.7 % of fruit) than in non-bagged fruit (2.1 % of fruit). The opposite was observed for wound-pathogens, with averages of 0.3 % and 0.8 % of symptomatic guavas for bagged and non-bagged fruit, respectively. There was no significant difference in the incidence of quiescent diseases in bagged fruit from varieties with white flesh (7.8 %) or red flesh (7.3 %).

A produção citrícola brasileira é uma das mais importantes para a fruticultura do País, comercializando principalmente para o mercado externo. O impacto mecânico é um fator importante a ser minimizado, visando a reduzir as perdas pós-colheita, diminuindo conseqüentemente os prejuízos decorrentes do manejo inadequado. Neste trabalho, foram avaliados os pontos críticos e o nível de impacto em que os frutos são submetidos em equipamentos nacionais e importados, utilizados para beneficiamento e classificação de citros. Utilizou-se da esfera instrumentada (70 mm) (Techmark, Inc., Lansing, EUA), com registrador de aceleração, para a avaliação da magnitude de impactos (G, m/s²) nos pontos de transferência das linhas de classificação de laranjas e lima-ácida Tahiti. A esfera instrumentada foi colocada, juntamente com os frutos, na etapa de recebimento das linhas que funcionavam em seu volume padrão diário, e seguiu o fluxo dos frutos até a etapa de classificação. Os resultados demonstraram que os maiores impactos foram causados por quedas em pontos de transferência com superfícies rígidas, sendo os maiores valores encontrados na etapa de recebimento e na entrada dos frutos em "containers" utilizados para o armazenamento. Observou-se, também, que a magnitude de impacto foi significativamente reduzida quando se utilizaram superfícies recobertas com acolchoados nos diversos pontos de transferência.The Brazilian citrus chain is one of the leaders on the export process. Mechanical injury is one important factor that should be minimized on this chain, in order to reduce and decrease postharvest losses due to no appropriate handling. On this work, critical points of impact were evaluated in imported and national equipments used for sorting citrus. The instrumented sphere, 70mm, (Techmark Inc., Lansing, EUA) was used for this evaluation, mesuring the magnitude of impact (G, m/s²) on transfer points in sorting lines of oranges and lemon. The instrumented sphere was placed together with the fruits in the receiving stage working in its regular daily capacity, following the normal flow until the stage of classification. The results showed that the critical points of impact were at the receiving step and also on the transfer point into the containers for storage. The magnitude of impact was significantly reduced when cushioned surfaces were used on different transfer points.

In 1958 Francis Moore described the orthotopic liver transplantation technique in dogs. In 1963, Starzl et al. performed the first liver transplantation. In the first five liver transplantations no patient survived more than 23 days. In 1967, stimulated by Calne who used antilymphocytic serum, Starzl began a successful series of liver transplantation. Until 1977, 200 liver transplantations were performed in the world. In that period, technical problems were overcome. Roy Calne, in 1979, used the first time cyclosporine in two patients who had undergone liver transplantation. In 1989, Starzl et al. reported a series of 1,179 consecutives patients who underwent liver transplantation and reported a survival rate between one and five years of 73% and 64%, respectively. Finally, in 1990, Starzl et al. reported successful use of tacrolimus in patents undergoing liver transplantation and who had rejection despite receiving conventional immunosuppressive treatment. Liver Transplantation Program was initiated at Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein in 1990 and so far over 1,400 transplants have been done. In 2013, 102 deceased donors liver transplantations were performed. The main indications for transplantation were hepatocellular carcinoma (38%), hepatitis C virus (33.3%) and alcohol liver cirrhosis (19.6%). Of these, 36% of patients who underwent transplantation showed biological MELD score > 30. Patient and graft survival in the first year was, 82.4% and 74.8%, respectively. A major challenge in liver transplantation field is the insufficient number of donors compared with the growing demand of transplant candidates. Thus, we emphasize that appropriated donor/receptor selection, allocation and organ preservation topics should contribute to improve the number and outcomes in liver transplantation.

ABSTRACT: Severe mosaic symptoms, accompanied by yellow spots, abnormally small leaves, fruit malformation and cracking, reduced plant growth, and high levels of whitefly (Bemisia tabaci MEAM1) infestation were observed in passionflower (Passiflora edulis) orchards in southwestern Bahia, Brazil. The aim of this work was to identify the species of begomovirus infecting the passionflowers, its prevalence in southwestern Bahia, and the spatial and temporal dynamics of the disease. Leaf samples from symptomatic plants collected at 57 orchards located in ten counties were evaluated by PCR for begomovirus infection. Complete nucleotide sequences of DNA-A for two isolates revealed 97 % identity with Passionfruit severe leaf distortion virus (PSLDV). The occurrence of PSLDV in 57 orchards was evaluated based on the presence of characteristic disease symptoms. Approximately 235,000 visually assessed plants exhibited symptoms characteristic of begomovirus infection. Epidemiological studies, conducted in two orchards in Dom Basílio County, showed that disease progress was relatively slow until 121 days after transplanting (DAT), but more rapid in the following 35 days, reaching 100 % infected plants by 156 DAT. The exponential model was fitted to the temporal dynamic of the disease for both areas. An aggregated pattern of diseased plants was predominant for almost all evaluations. It is possible that the primary and secondary spread of the pathogen occurred concurrently during the epidemic progression in both areas, especially late in the season. Containment measures to prevent the virus and the vector from spreading to other passionfruit producing areas in Brazil should be implemented.

ABSTRACT: Postharvest diseases are a major problem in guava crops as the symptoms normally appear during fruit ripening. This study aimed to detect and characterize the temporal dynamics and spatial patterns of the most important guava diseases in orchards with and without removal of crop residues as a sanitation practice. The experiment was conducted in an orchard of ‘Pedro Sato’ guavas, over two consecutive seasons, and data were collected from the flowering to the fruit ripening stage. In immature guavas treated with paraquat and ethrel, Colletotrichum spp. was detected from the 5th day of incubation. Anthracnose was detected in flowers at incidences higher than 50 % and black spot in fruit larger than 5.5 cm in length. The monomolecular and the exponential models provided the best fit to anthracnose and black spot incidence progress curve data, respectively. Both diseases showed a predominantly random spatial pattern in the orchard. The removal of crop residues reduced the rate of disease progress in at least one season, and was effective in reducing the areas under the quiescent disease progress curves (AUDPC) of anthracnose. Anthracnose incidence increased from 57 to 96 % and black spot from 1 to 48 %, respectively, at fruit maturation levels 1 and 3. A negative correlation was found between disease incidence and the color of the fruit skin (°h). Fruit harvested during the later maturation stages showed higher incidence of the diseases. Due to the wide distribution and early infection of quiescent diseases, starting at flowering, preventive management should consider disease monitoring and removal of crop residues.

Intestinal transplantation has shown exceptional growth over the past 10 years. At the end of the 1990’s, intestinal transplantation moved out of the experimental realm to become a routine practice in treating patients with severe complications related to total parenteral nutrition and intestinal failure. In the last years, several centers reported an increasing improvement in survival outcomes (about 80%), during the first 12 months after surgery, but long-term survival is still a challenge. Several advances led to clinical application of transplants. Immunosuppression involved in intestinal and multivisceral transplantation was the biggest gain for this procedure in the past decade due to tacrolimus, and new inducing drugs, mono- and polyclonal anti-lymphocyte antibodies. Despite the advancement of rigid immunosuppression protocols, rejection is still very frequent in the first 12 months, and can result in long-term graft loss. The future of intestinal transplantation and multivisceral transplantation appears promising. The major challenge is early recognition of acute rejection in order to prevent graft loss, opportunistic infections associated to complications, post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease and graft versus host disease; and consequently, improve results in the long run.

ABSTRACT A shift towards declining azoxystrobin sensitivity has been previously documented in a collection of Brazilian Monilinia fructicola isolates, but information on the stability of this trait after in vitro sub-culturing is not available. In this study, one highly-sensitive isolate and two isolates with reduced sensitivity to azoxystrobin, not exhibiting point mutations at codons 129, 137 and 143 in the target gene of cytochrome b were used. Two independent experiments consisted of 10 weekly transfers of each strain in potato dextrose agar (PDA). Conidial production and germination were quantified in the initial culture and, again, after the third, sixth and tenth transfer. Measures of mycelial growth were obtained in colonies growing on PDA amended with azoxystrobin at 1 µg mL−1 and salicylhydroxamic acid at 100 µg mL−1. Data were normalized to mycelial growth rate after each of the 10 transfers. The colony diameter in the less sensitive isolates was stable across the transfers in the PDA amended with the fungicide. The conidial production and mycelial growth rate did not decrease in non-amended media either. Our results suggest that the trait of reduced sensitivity to azoxystrobin is stable under no selection pressure for azoxystrobin.

ABSTRACT: One of the major problems in the commercialization of avocados is the incidence of postharvest diseases, especially anthracnose (Colletotrichum spp.) and stem-end rot (Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Fusicoccum aesculi and Neofusicoccum spp.). As there is a lack of epidemiological information on these pathosystems, the objective of this study was to establish a method to detect quiescent infections and characterize their temporal progression and spatial pattern in a commercial orchard. Detection of quiescent infections was evaluated in flowers and fruits that were immature and in commercial harvest stage, treated with paraquat, ethrel or water. Treatment of flowers and immature fruits with paraquat led to rapid detection of Colletotrichum spp. In two seasons of a ‘Hass’ avocado orchard, the incidence of diseases was evaluated from open flowers to fruit harvest, totaling 11 evaluations at biweekly intervals. When fruits reached the harvest stage, the spatial distribution of diseased fruits in the trees was evaluated by means of dispersion index and modified Taylor’s law. Considering the evaluation of temporal disease progression, anthracnose was the most important disease, presenting a high initial incidence of 60 and 86% diseased flowers in the two seasons, respectively, while fruits showed an average disease incidence of 70 and 87%, respectively. Stem-end rot was observed only in fruits since the beginning of their development and presented low incidence (

ABSTRACT: Brown rot is the most important disease of peaches in Brazil. The objective of this study was to compare the brown rot monocyclic components from Monilinia fructicola and M. laxa isolates from Brazil on peaches, due to the detection of M. laxa in the São Paulo production area. Conidia germination and pathogen sporulation were assessed in vitro under a temperature range of 5-35oC and wetness duration of 6-48h. Incubation and latent periods, disease incidence, disease severity and pathogen reproduction on peach fruit were evaluated under 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30oC and wetness duration of 6, 12 and 24h. Six of seven parameters of a generalised beta function fitted to conidia germination of M. fructicola and M. laxa were similar. Only the shape parameter was higher for M. fructicola indicating that the range of temperatures and wetness periods favourable for germination is wider for M. laxa than for M. fructicola. The optimum temperature for brown rot development caused by M. fructicola was 24.5oC and for. Monilinia laxa was 19.8oC. At 10oC M. laxa lesions produced more conidia than M. fructicola, and the opposite occurred at 30oC. The estimated maximum temperature for lesion development was also higher for M. fructicola than for M. laxa. M. fructicola is favored by warmer weather than M. laxa and the presence and impact of this specie in Brazil must be investigated especially in the South states.

Este artigo tem por objetivo apresentar a trajetória do Núcleo de Estudos Interdisciplinares Afro-Brasileiros da Universidade Estadual de Maringá-PR (NEIAB/UEM) para o impulsionamento de políticas de enfrentamento ao racismo institucional. A partir dos registros das experiências e atividades que o núcleo desenvolve e da análise de documentos da instituição relativos à adoção de ações afirmativas para acesso a cursos de graduação e pós-graduação, discute-se as possibilidades e os limites institucionais para a atuação do NEIAB na UEM. Com isso, foi possível observar um processo ambíguo que evidencia, de um lado, a limitação do avanço e da institucionalização da pauta mediante a estrutura institucional e, de outro, a importância de núcleos como o NEIAB para a efetivação de políticas afirmativas de combate ao racismo nas instituições de ensino.