ABSTRACT Over the past few years, there has been a steady increase in the use of aircraft vehicles, in particular unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). UAV navigation is generally controlled by a human pilot. But the challenge for the scientific community is to carry out autonomous navigation. Some solutions have been proposed for the UAV autonomous navigation. Studies indicate as a solution to use data fusion and/or image processing navigation. Kalman Filter (KF) can be employed as a data fuser, but the KF has disadvantages. An alternative to the KF is based on artificial intelligence. Here, the KF is replaced by a self-configured neural network. This work investigates a way to select data for training the neural fuser, based on cross-validation techniques. The results are compared to the data fusion done by a KF.

Abstract The following sludge reduction alternatives were tested in wastewater biological reactors: oxic-settling-anaerobic (OSA-process); ultrasonic disintegration (UD); chlorination (CH); 3,3',4',5-tetrachlorosalicylanilide (TCS); and folic acid (FA). Compared to the control system, UD reduced 55% of the sludge production, and greater substrate and nutrient removal efficiency was achieved. CH worsened the sludge settleability and increased the SVI values; the system achieved 25% of sludge reduction. OSA showed 50% and 60% of sludge reduction after 16 and 10 hours under anaerobic conditions, respectively. The observed sludge yield during TCS addition was decreased by 40%, and the sludge settleability worsened. FA presented the highest sludge reduction (75%), and the system improved the nutrient removal efficiency by 30% compared to the control system and maintained the sludge properties. Acute toxicity conducted with Daphnia magna classified the effluent from the sludge reduction systems as non-toxic for discharge into water sources.

O controle das plantas daninhas, em geral, é realizado pelo uso de herbicidas, porém essa prática é limitada na cultura do girassol, por haver apenas dois produtos registrados para essa cultura (alachlor e trifluralin). Entretanto, o uso de novas tecnologias pode facilitar o controle das plantas daninhas com herbicidas que possuem amplo espectro de controle. Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a eficácia e seletividade de herbicidas do grupo das imidazolinonas aplicados em pós-emergência de plantas daninhas monocotiledôneas na cultura do girassol Clearfield (CL). Para isso, foram instalados dois experimentos em campo. Os tratamentos e as respectivas doses em g ha-1 foram: trifluralin (1.800) aplicado em pré-emergência, fluazifop-p-butil (187) e imazapic+imazapyr nas doses de [36,75+12,25], [52,5+17,5], [12,25+36,75] e [17,5+52,5], aplicados em pós-emergência, além de duas testemunhas sem aplicação de herbicida, sendo uma sem capina e outra com capina. Foram realizadas avaliações de controle para Eleusine indica, Brachiaria plantaginea, Lolium multiflorum, Digitaria insularis, Cenchrus echinatus e Digitaria horizontalis, fitointoxicação do girassol Clearfield, estande e produtividade em kg ha-1. De acordo com os resultados, verificou-se que o uso do sistema CLmostrou-se uma ótima opção para áreas com infestação de plantas daninhas monocotiledôneas, pois possibilita a aplicação de herbicidas inibidores da enzima acetolactato sintase (ALS), obtendo excelente controle das plantas daninhas, além de não provocar injúrias visuais, mantendo o estande inicial, sem alterar a produtividade da cultura.

Weed control is generally accomplished by the use of herbicides. However, this practice is limited in sunflower cultivation,since only two products are registered for the culture (alachlor and trifluralin).The use of new technologies can facilitate weed control with herbicides with broad spectrum control. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and selectivity of herbicides of the imidazolinone group applied in post-emergence on monocotyledon weeds in Clearfield sunflower cultivation. Thus, two experiments were installed in the field. The treatments and their doses in gha-1 were: trifluralin (1800) applied at pre-emergence, fluazifop-p-butyl (187) and imazapic+imazapyr doses [36.75+12.25], [52.5+17.5], [12.25+36.75] and [17.5+52.5] applied at post-emergence, plus two controls without herbicide, one without weeding and the other with weeds. Control was evaluated for Eleusine indica, Brachiaria plantaginea, Lolium multiflorum, Digitaria insularis, Digitaria horizontalis and Cenchrus echinatus, Clearfield Sunflower phytotoxicity, stand and yield in kgha-1. The results obtained showed that the use of the Clearfield system proved to be a great option for areas with monocotyledon weed infestation, since it allows the application of acetolactate synthase (ALS) - inhibiting herbicides achieving excellent weed control, without causing visual injury, and maintaining the original stand, without affecting crop yield.

A ocorrência de plantas daninhas dicotiledóneas tem limitado o aumento da área de cultivo de girassol no Brasil, devido ao seu impacto sobre a produtividade. Isso se deve à escassez de produtos registrados para a cultura com amplo espectro de ação. Em razão disso, desenvolveram-se dois experimentos com o objetivo de avaliar a eficácia e seletividade de herbicidas do grupo das imidazolinonas aplicados em pós-emergência de plantas daninhas dicotiledôneas na cultura do girassol Clearfield®. Os experimentos foram instalados no campo, em Iguatemi, distrito de Maringá-PR. Os tratamentos constituíram-se de duas testemunhas sem aplicação de herbicida, sendo uma sem capina e outra capinada, sulfentrazone (200,00 g ha-1) aplicado em pré-emergência e imazapic+imazapyr aplicados em pós-emergência nas doses de [36,75+12,25], [52,5+17,5], [12,25+36,75] e [17,5+52,5] g ha-1. Foram feitas avaliações de controle para Euphorbia heterophylla, Conyza bonariensis, Raphanus raphanistrum, Bidens pilosa, Ipomoea grandifolia e Portulaca oleracea. Também foram realizadas avaliações de intoxicação do girassol Clearfield®, estande e produtividade em kg ha-1. De acordo com os resultados, verificou-se que o uso do sistema Clearfield® mostrou-se uma ótima opção para áreas com infestação de plantas daninhas dicotiledôneas, pois possibilita a aplicação de herbicidas inibidores da enzima acetolactato sintase (ALS); os controles obtidos variaram de medianos a excelentes, além de ele não provocar injúrias à cultura e manter o estande inicial e a produtividade.

The occurrence of dicotyledonous weeds has limited the increase of the area of sunflower cultivation in Brazil, due to their impact on crop yield. This is a result of a shortage of products registered for the crop with broad-spectrum control. Thus, two experiments were installed to evaluate the efficacy and selectivity of the imidazolinone herbicides applied on post-emergence dicotyledonous weeds in Clearfield? sunflower crop. The experiments were conducted under field conditions at the district of Iguatemi, Maringá-PR, Brazil. Treatments consisted of two controls without herbicide application, one with weeds and the other weed-free, with sulfentrazone (200,00 g ha-1) applied preemergence and imazapic + imazapyr applied post emergence, at doses of [36.75 +12.25] [52.5 +17.5], [12.25 +36.75] [17.5 +52.5] g ha-1. The control of Euphorbia heterophylla, Conyza bonariensis, Raphanus raphanistrum, Bidens pilosa, Ipomoea grandifolia and Portulaca oleracea was evaluated. Evaluation of toxicity of the Clearfield sunflower® was also carried out, besides crop stand and yield in kg ha-1. Based on the results, it was concluded that the use of the Clearfield® system proved to be a very good option for areas with dicotyledonous weeds, allowing the application of ALS-inhibiting herbicides. In addition, the weed controls obtained ranged from fair to excellent, causing no injuries to the crop and maintaining the initial plant stand and yield.

Bartonella henselae was detected in defibrinated sheep blood employed in supplementing a selective bacteria culture medium by nested PCR. We recommended that highly sensitive technical tests be run to ensure a sterile culture medium for Bartonella spp. isolation, since infected blood samples used in preparation could lead to false-positive results.

A integridade dos ecossistemas aquáticos está sendo desafiada no mundo inteiro por espécies invasoras, as quais tem sido uma das causas freqüentes de perda de biodiversidade. Um invasor pode causar extinções de espécies nativas vulneráveis através de predação, herbivoría, competição e alteração de habitat. Daphnia lumholtzi G. O. Sars, 1885, cladócero nativo da Austrália, sudeste da Ásia e norte da África, recentemente tem sido registrado na região neotropoical. Os registros de D. lumholtzi na planície de inundação do Alto Rio Paraná foram restritos a lagoa das Pombas (22º 47' 55.92" S e 53º 21' 32.58" O) e Ressaco do Pau Véio (22º 44' 50.76" S e 53º 15' 11.16" O), em 2003 e 2008, respectivamente. Esta espécie pode ser diferenciada das demais espécies de Daphnia encontradas no Brasil pelos conspícuos fórnices pontiagudos, tamanho dos espinhos caudal e elmo, e margem ventral com espinhos fortes. As elevadas temperaturas na região tropical, o aumento da transparência da água e a redução das concentrações de nutrientes nos ambientes da planície de inundação do alto rio Paraná, devido aos represamentos a montante, podem estar favorecendo o desenvolvimento de populações de D. lumholtzi. O desenvolvimento de populações de D. lumholtzi em ambientes naturais da planície de inundação do alto rio Paraná pode representar o estabelecimento desta espécie na região neotropical.

The integrity of aquatic ecosystems is being challenged worldwide by invading species, which has been one of the frequent causes of biodiversity loss. The invader may cause extinctions of vulnerable native species through predation, grazing, competition and habitat alteration. Daphnia lumholtzi G. O. Sars, 1885, a native cladoceran from Australia, Southwestern Asia and North Africa, has recently been found in the Neotropical region. The D. lumholtzi records from the Upper Paraná River floodplain were restricted to the Pombas floodplain lake (22º 47' 55.92" S and 53º 21' 32.58" W) and Pau Véio Backwater (22º 44' 50.76" S and 53º 15' 11.16" W), in 2003 and 2008, respectively. This species can be distinguished from the other Daphnia species registered in Brazil by the conspicuous pointed fornix, the sizes of the tail spine and helmet, and a carapace ventral margin with strong spines. The high temperatures in the tropical region, as well as the increase in water transparency and the decrease in nutrient concentration observed in the environments of the Upper Paraná River floodplain due to the upstream retention by dams, may favor the development of D. lumholtzi populations. The development of populations of D. lumholtzi in natural environments of the Upper Paraná River floodplain may suggest that this species is establishing in the Neotropical region.

A study was conducted in São Paulo, Brazil, to compare azithromycin with thiamphenicol for the single-dose treatment of chancroid. In all, 54 men with chancroid were tested. The etiology was determined by clinical characterization and direct bacterioscopy with Gram staining. None of the patients had positive serology or dark-field examination indicating active infection with Treponema pallidum. Genital infections due to Neisseria gonorrhoeae and herpes simplex virus were excluded by polymerase chain reaction testing. For 54 patients with chancroid, cure rates with single-dose treatment were 73% with azithromycin and 89% with thiamphenicol. HIV seropositivity was found to be associated with treatment failure (p=0.001). The treatment failed in all HIV positive patients treated with azithromycin (p=0.002) and this drug should be avoided in these co-infected patients. In the view of the authors, thiamphenicol is the most indicated single-dose regimen for chancroid treatment.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a influência da inoculação de seis espécies de fungos micorrízicos arbusculares (FMA) (Glomus clarum, G. etunicatum, G. manihotis, Acaulospora scrobiculata, Scutellospora heterogama e Gigaspora margarita) sobre o desenvolvimento vegetativo de mudas de abacateiro (Persea sp.), nas fases de porta-enxerto, de muda enxertada e de muda no pomar. A influência dos FMA em abacateiros foi variável conforme a espécie do endófito em estudo. As espécies S. heterogama, A. scrobiculata, G. etunicatum e G. clarum colonizaram mais intensamente o sistema radicular dos abacateiros, promovendo melhor desenvolvimento vegetativo das plantas, na fase de porta-enxerto, ao longo do período de produção da muda e após o transplante para pomar.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of six arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) (Glomus clarum, G. etunicatum, G. manihotis, Acaulospora scrobiculata, Scutellospora heterogama and Gigaspora margarita) on the vegetative growth, of grafted avocado plants (Persea sp.), in the rootstocks phase, grafted plant and after transplant to the orchard. The influence of AMF in avocado plants varyed according to the endophytic mycorrhiza species under study. The species S. heterogama, A. scrobiculata, G. etunicatum and G. clarum were more effective in root colonization, promoting better vegetative growth of plants on the rootstock phase, during the plant production period and after the transplanting to the orchard.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar a influência da inoculação de seis espécies de fungos micorrízicos arbusculares (FMA) (Glomus clarum, Scutellospora heterogama, Glomus etunicatum, Acaulospora scrobiculata, Gigaspora margarita e Glomus manihotis) no desenvolvimento vegetativo, nutrição mineral e conteúdo de substâncias de reserva em porta-enxertos de abacateiro (Persea sp.), oriundos de caroços. Os porta-enxertos foram cultivados em casa de vegetação com cobertura de sombrite (70%) e acondicionados em sacos de polietileno preto (5 L), contendo substrato constituído de solo + areia + resíduo decomposto de casca de acácia-negra (Acacia mearnii) (2:2:1, v:v:v). Dois meses após a infecção das plântulas com FMA (30 g/plântula), observou-se que a dependência do abacateiro aos FMA variou com a espécie de fungo em estudo. Scutellospora heterogama, Acaulospora scrobiculata e Glomus etunicatum proporcionaram melhor nutrição, maior conteúdo em substâncias de reserva e maior desenvolvimento vegetativo das plantas. Glomus clarum somente incrementou a altura das plantas. A infecção com Glomus manihotis não alterou o desenvolvimento vegetativo dos porta-enxertos, e Gigaspora margarita foi prejudicial.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the influence of six arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) species (Glomus clarum, Scutellospora heterogama, Glomus etunicatum, Acaulospora scrobiculata, Gigaspora margarita and Glomus manihotis) on vegetative growth, mineral nutrition and carbohydrate contents of avocado (Persea sp.) rootstocks. These were cultivated in 5 L bags of black polyethylene containing substrate mixture of soil + silica sand + decomposed bark residue of acacia (Acacia mearnii) (2:2:1, v:v:v). The rootstocks were kept in a sombrite (70% shading) greenhouse. Two months after AMF inoculation, the results indicated that AMF influence on avocado rootstocks growth is variable depending on AMF species. S. heterogama, A. scrobiculata and G. etunicatum were more effective, resulted in good nutrition and carbohydrate contents of avocado rootstocks, and consequently resulted better vegetative growth of plants. G. clarum only increased stem height of the rootstocks, while G. manihotis did not affect vegetative growth of avocado rootstocks. G. margarita was harmful to avocado rootstocks growth.

We have investigated the relationship between fetal hemoglobin (HbF) levels and metabolic control in subjects with insulin-dependent (N = 79) and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (N = 242). HbF and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels were increased in subjects with type 1 and type 2 diabetes as compared to levels in nondiabetic individuals (P<0.0001), and were significantly higher in type 1 than in type 2 diabetes subjects. Lower levels of HbA1c and HbF were observed in type 2 diabetes subjects treated by diet, intermediate levels in those treated with oral hypoglycemic agents, and higher levels in those treated with insulin. HbF and HbA1c levels were correlated in type 1 diabetes (R2 = 0.57, P<0.0001) and type 2 diabetes (R2 = 0.58, P<0.0001) subjects. Following intense treatment, twelve diabetic patients showed significant improvement both in HbA1c and HbF values. We conclude that increased HbF levels reflect poor metabolic control in subjects with diabetes mellitus.

Glucokinase (GCK) is an enzyme that regulates insulin secretion, keeping glucose levels within a narrow range. Mutations in the glucokinase gene cause a rare form of diabetes called maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY). An early onset (less than 25 years), autosomal dominant inheritance and low insulin secretion stimulated by glucose characterize MODY patients. Specific insulin and proinsulin were measured in serum by immunofluorimetric assays (IFMA) during a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Two kindreds (SA and LZ) were studied and compared to non-diabetic unrelated individuals (control group 1) matched for age and body mass index (BMI). In one kindred, some of these subjects were also obese (BMI >26 kg/m2), and other family members also presented with obesity and/or late-onset NIDDM. The MODY patients were also compared to a group of five of their first-degree relatives with obesity and/or late-onset NIDDM. The proinsulin profile was different in members of the two MODY kindreds. Fasting proinsulin and the proinsulin/insulin ratio were similar in MODY members of kindred LZ and subjects from control group 1, but were significantly lower than in MODY members of kindred SA (P<0.02 and P<0.01, for proinsulin and proinsulin/insulin ratio, respectively). Moreover, MODY members of family SA had higher levels of proinsulin and proinsulin/insulin ratio, although not significantly different, when compared to their first-degree relatives and to subjects from control group 2. In conclusion, we observed variable degrees of proinsulin levels and proinsulin/insulin ratio in MODY members of two different kindreds. The higher values of these parameters found in MODY and non-MODY members of kindred SA is probably related to the obesity and late-onset NIDDM background present in this family.