Water Deficit Timing Differentially Affects Physiological Responses of Grapevines Infected with Lasiodiplodia theobromae.

Diseases and climate change are major factors limiting grape productivity and fruit marketability. Lasiodiplodia theobromae is a fungus of the family Botryosphaeriaceae that causes Botryosphaeria dieback of grapevine worldwide. Abiotic stress may change host vitality and impact susceptibility to the pathogen and/or change the pathogen's life cycle. However, the interaction between both stress drivers is poorly understood for woody plants. We addressed the hypothesis that distinct morpho-physiological and biochemical responses are induced in grapevine (Vitis vinifera)-L. theobromae interactions depending on when water deficits are imposed. Grapevines were submitted to water deficit either before or after fungus inoculation. Water deficit led to the reduction of the net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate, and increased the abscisic acid concentration regardless of fungal inoculation. L. theobromae inoculation before water deficit reduced plant survival by 50% and resulted in the accumulation of jasmonic acid and reductions in malondialdehyde levels. Conversely, grapevines inoculated after water deficit showed an increase in proline and malondialdehyde content and all plants survived. Overall, grapevines responded differently to the primary stress encountered, with consequences in their physiological responses. This study reinforces the importance of exploring the complex water deficit timing × disease interaction and the underlying physiological responses involved in grapevine performance.

Temporal physiological response of pine to Fusarium circinatum infection is dependent on host susceptibility level: the role of ABA catabolism.

Pine pitch canker (PPC), caused by Fusarium circinatum Nirenberg and O'Donnell, represents an important threat to conifer forests worldwide, being associated with significant economic losses. Although essential to develop disease mitigation strategies, little research focused on host susceptibility/resistance mechanisms has been conducted. We aimed to explore the response of a highly susceptible (Pinus radiata D. Don) and a relatively resistant (Pinus pinea L.) species to F. circinatum infection at different stages of infection. Morpho-physiological, hormonal and oxidative stress-related changes were assessed for each pine species and sampling point. Most of the changes found occurred in symptomatic P. radiata, for which an increased susceptibility to photoinhibition was detected together with decreased superoxide dismutase activity. Abscisic acid catabolism was activated by F. circinatum inoculation in both pine species, leading to the accumulation of the inactive dihydrophaseic acid in P. radiata and of the less-active phaseic acid in P. pinea. Hormone confocal analysis revealed that this strategy may be of particular importance at 6 d.p.i. in P. pinea, which together with photosynthesis maintenance to fuel defense mechanism, could in part explain the species resistance to PPC. These results are of great interest for the development of hormone-based breeding strategies or for the use of hormone application as inducers of resistance to F. circinatum infection.

Convivência, violência e direitos em debate: conversando com educadores / Coexistence, violence and rights in debate: talking to educators

Este livro é fruto de uma cooperação institucional entre um laboratório de pesquisa social e um núcleo de apoio às unidades escolares municipais, quando iniciativas do setor público e privado se congregaram para um trabalho conjunto e com autonomia, mediante apoio alcançando junto a entidades financiadoras de pesquisa como a Faperj e a Funadesp. O livro socializa atividades de extensão universitária em que a pesquisa foi colocada à serviço da formação reflexiva de educadores sobre sua prática informacional. Ele debate sobre os desafios de lidar com a convivência, a violência e os direitos na escola contemporânea e confronta ideias de profissionais de diferentes graus de inserção na educação - da gestão territorial ao chão da escola - iluminando os temas com autores clássicos, em busca de promover uma cultura de paz.

Increasing crop yield and resilience with trehalose 6-phosphate: targeting a feast-famine mechanism in cereals for better source-sink optimization.

Food security is a pressing global issue. New approaches are required to break through a yield ceiling that has developed in recent years for the major crops. As important as increasing yield potential is the protection of yield from abiotic stresses in an increasingly variable and unpredictable climate. Current strategies to improve yield include conventional breeding, marker-assisted breeding, quantitative trait loci (QTLs), mutagenesis, creation of hybrids, genetic modification (GM), emerging genome-editing technologies, and chemical approaches. A regulatory mechanism amenable to three of these approaches has great promise for large yield improvements. Trehalose 6-phosphate (T6P) synthesized in the low-flux trehalose biosynthetic pathway signals the availability of sucrose in plant cells as part of a whole-plant sucrose homeostatic mechanism. Modifying T6P content by GM, marker-assisted selection, and novel chemistry has improved yield in three major cereals under a range of water availabilities from severe drought through to flooding. Yield improvements have been achieved by altering carbon allocation and how carbon is used. Targeting T6P both temporally and spatially offers great promise for large yield improvements in productive (up to 20%) and marginal environments (up to 120%). This opinion paper highlights this important breakthrough in fundamental science for crop improvement.

Depicting how Eucalyptus globulus survives drought: involvement of redox and DNA methylation events.

Eucalyptus globulus Labill. is widely cultivated and used by industry but its productivity is currently restricted by drought events, so research focussing on supporting programs to breed adapted germplasm is needed. In the present work we monitored severity of acute drought stress (7 and 11 days after water withholding) and relief (2h and 3 days after rewatering) by quantifying several biochemical markers of oxidative stress and DNA methylation patterns in leaves. Water withholding imposed a mild oxidative stress as estimated by redox shifts in the major antioxidant pools and increased lipid peroxidation. At the DNA level, global 5-methylcytosine distribution increased over the dehydration period especially in vascular tissue as estimated by immunolocalisation. Using methylation-sensitive RAPD analysis, which discriminates methylation changes occurring in specific DNA sequences, we found a high number of specific demethylation events also taking place. Immunolocalisation indicated a rapid reduction in global DNA methylation 2h after rehydration; however, a large number of de novo methylation events were still detected by methylation-sensitive RAPD. These events were associated with decreased lipid peroxidation and high cellular GSH pools relative to unstressed plants. Our results indicate the parallel induction of redox and complex DNA methylation changes occurring during stress imposition and relief.

Reversible catecholamine-induced cardiomyopathy due to pheochromocytoma: case report.

Pheochromocytoma is a tumor originating from chromaffin tissue. It commonly presents with symptoms and signs of catecholamine excess, such as hypertension, tachycardia, headache and sweating. Cardiovascular manifestations include catecholamine-induced cardiomyopathy, which may present as severe left ventricular dysfunction and congestive heart failure. We report a case of pheochromocytoma which was diagnosed following investigation of dilated cardiomyopathy. We highlight the dramatic symptomatic improvement and reversal of cardiomyopathy, with recovery of left ventricular function after treatment.

Dirigentes de instituições que assistem dependentes químicos no Vale do Paraíba / Managers of institutions that care for drug addicts in the Paraíba Valley

O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever e discutir a experiência dos dirigentes de instituições que dão assistência a dependentes de drogas no Vale do Paraíba, São Paulo, Brasil. Trata-se de pesquisa qualitativa e exploratória com dez dirigentes de instituições de assistência em dependência química. Foram realizadas entrevistas semidirigidas e o material transcrito foi submetido à análise de conteúdo. Encontrou-se que há falta de profissionais especializados e de equipes interdisciplinares da área de saúde, bem como de planejamento e funcionamento das instituições. Observou-se a presença de atividades de cunho religioso pautadas pelo discurso de ajuda ao próximo e a valorização de tarefas direcionadas ao trabalho, a disciplina e a espiritualidade. Conclui-se que é importante os dirigentes de instituições que prestam atendimento a dependentes de drogas desenvolverem ou mesmo adquirirem formação para trabalhar no complexo campo da reabilitação dessa população clínica, habitualmente estigmatizada e excluída.(AU)

The aim of this study was to describe and to debate the experiences of some managers of institutions providing care to drug addicts in the Paraiba Valley, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. It deals with qualitative and exploratory research using ten managers from institutions which provide care to drug addicts. Some semi-directed interviews were carried out and their transcripts were submitted for analysis. We found out that there is a lack of specialized professionals and interdisciplinary teams in the area of health as well as a lack of planning and proper operation in these institutions. We also observed the presence of religious activities predicated by homilies about helping thy neighbor and the appreciation of tasks devoted to work, discipline and spirituality. We conclude that it is very important for leaders of institutions working with drug addicts to develop or even acquire the necessary training for the complex work of rehabilitation of this clinical population, which is consistently excluded and stigmatized.(AU)

Dirigentes de instituições que assistem dependentes químicos no Vale do Paraíba / Managers of institutions that care for drug addicts in the Paraíba Valley

O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever e discutir a experiência dos dirigentes de instituições que dão assistência a dependentes de drogas no Vale do Paraíba, São Paulo, Brasil. Trata-se de pesquisa qualitativa e exploratória com dez dirigentes de instituições de assistência em dependência química. Foram realizadas entrevistas semidirigidas e o material transcrito foi submetido à análise de conteúdo. Encontrou-se que há falta de profissionais especializados e de equipes interdisciplinares da área de saúde, bem como de planejamento e funcionamento das instituições. Observou-se a presença de atividades de cunho religioso pautadas pelo discurso de ajuda ao próximo e a valorização de tarefas direcionadas ao trabalho, a disciplina e a espiritualidade. Conclui-se que é importante os dirigentes de instituições que prestam atendimento a dependentes de drogas desenvolverem ou mesmo adquirirem formação para trabalhar no complexo campo da reabilitação dessa população clínica, habitualmente estigmatizada e excluída.

The aim of this study was to describe and to debate the experiences of some managers of institutions providing care to drug addicts in the Paraiba Valley, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. It deals with qualitative and exploratory research using ten managers from institutions which provide care to drug addicts. Some semi-directed interviews were carried out and their transcripts were submitted for analysis. We found out that there is a lack of specialized professionals and interdisciplinary teams in the area of health as well as a lack of planning and proper operation in these institutions. We also observed the presence of religious activities predicated by homilies about helping thy neighbor and the appreciation of tasks devoted to work, discipline and spirituality. We conclude that it is very important for leaders of institutions working with drug addicts to develop or even acquire the necessary training for the complex work of rehabilitation of this clinical population, which is consistently excluded and stigmatized.

Instituições de atendimento a toxicodependentes: experiências no Vale do Paraíba / Instituions of attendance the thoxicodependentes: experiences in the Valley of the Paraiba

Atualmente, verifica-se um aumento de oferta e de procura de substâncias psicoativas, e observa-se um aumento de instituições de assistência a essa demanda. A presente pesquisa aborda as instituições de atendimento a toxicodependentes no Vale do Paraíba, São Paulo, Brasil e tem como objetivo descrever e discutir o método de atendimento adotado pelas instituições, a partir do enfoque dos dirigentes. Utiliza-se a entrevista semi-dirigida, o método usado é análise de conteúdo e são pesquisadas dez instituições. Predomina a presença de exdependentes na equipe e o regime de internação. É marcante a carência de profissionais da área de saúde e de profissionais com formação em dependência química e 60 por cento das instituições são comunidades terapêuticas. Prevalece, como método de atendimento, o trabalho, a disciplina e a espiritualidade. Não há avaliação de resultados e a meta é a abstinência. Há pouco controle sistemático por meio dos órgãos competentes e as instituições não cumprem requisitos indicados para o seu funcionamento. Contudo, mesmo com as dificuldades financeiras, falta de recursos bem como de profissionais qualificados, essas instituições promovem cuidados asilares, alimentação, higiene e adaptação a uma rotina. Dada a complexidade no campo da drogadependência, sugere-se a diversidade de opções de intervenção e de tratamento (AU)