Productive and nutritional traits of forage species in various regions worldwide depend on different management strategies. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of harvest frequency (56, 77 and 98 days) and season of the year (rainy and dry) on the nutritional value and fractionation of carbohydrates and proteins of Stylosanthes genotypes (S. seabrana, S. scabra, S. mucronata and Stylosanthes spp. cv. Campo Grande). The experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design with a split-plot arrangement and four repetitions. Contents of neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), in vitro digestible dry matter (IVDDM), condensed tannins and total phenolic compounds were influenced by the interaction of harvest frequency and season of the year. The 98-day harvest frequency resulted in lower IVDDM (579 g/kg) due to the high NDF and ADF concentrations during the rainy season. S. seabrana and S. scabra showed a higher proportion of A + B1 and B2 carbohydrate fractions, while the C fraction in the rainy season was greater in the Campo Grande, resembling S. seabrana. S. scabra displayed 15% of the crude protein in fraction A. The bromatological traits of Stylosanthes spp. did not decline sharply owing to plant age advancement, indicating these genotypes are suitable for forage production systems in tropical or semiarid regions.

In tropical regions, water stress is one of the main causes of the reduction in forage productivity, and irrigation strategies can mitigate the problem, especially for highly productive species. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of irrigation, genotype and plant size on productive responses and water use efficiency (WUE) of elephant grass (Cenchrus purpureus [Schumach.] Morrone), in the rainy and dry season. The experimental design was randomized in blocks, arranged in split plots, the main plots were established based on the use of irrigation and the subplots were the tall-sized genotypes (IRI 381 and Elephant B) and dwarfs (Taiwan A-146 2.37 and Mott). The genotypes were evaluated for two years and harvested every 60 days. Water use efficiency, total forage accumulation per year and harvest, forage accumulation rate and forage density were evaluated. There was a significant difference between the genotypes in terms of total forage accumulated (P < 0.05). The most productive genotype was IRI 381, which showed the greatest total forage accumulation (42 168 kg of DM/ha in two years) in the irrigated plots. During the rainy seasons, IRI 381 stood out in terms of forage accumulated (24 667 kg of DM/ha). Irrigation favoured increases in forage accumulation around 60%, in both years of evaluation. Irrigation and plant size influenced the productivity and WUE of elephant grass harvested in 60-day intervals. Tall genotypes and Taiwan A-146 2.37 (dwarf size) stood out in most of the productive traits analysed, while Mott was highlighted by its forage density.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the radiation use efficiency (RUE) and canopy structure of elephant grass varieties (Cenchrus purpureus Schum.) of contrasting statures, under monocropping or intercropped with butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea L.) in cut-and-carry systems. Two tall varieties (elephant B and IRI-381), and two dwarf ones (Mott and Taiwan A-146 2.37), were evaluated as monocrops or binary intercrops with the legume in a 2-year trial with eight harvests. Greater annual leaf biomass accumulation was observed in the monocrops of the tall variety elephant B (7.76 t/ha per year) and dwarf Mott (8.08 t/ha per year). Greater herbage bulk density (59 kg/ha per cm) and leaf area index (3.83) were recorded in canopies of dwarf Mott than in those composed of IRI-381 (37 kg/ha per cm and 3.48, respectively). In the first year, dwarf varieties Mott and Taiwan A-146 2.37 showed less RUE (0.89 and 0.84 g dry matter (DM)/MJ, respectively) than the elephant B (1.46 g DM/MJ). Higher non-fibre carbohydrate (NFC) contents were found in dwarf Mott under monocrop (180 g/kg) and in the intercrop systems. Tall varieties elephant B and IRI-381 showed greater efficiency in intercepting the radiation to accumulate herbage via stem accumulation. Dwarf Mott variety exhibited short stems and great leaf biomass accumulation that favoured denser canopies with higher content of NFCs in vegetal tissue. Planting butterfly pea into rows of elephant grass varieties can be adopted with no significant losses in RUE caused by light extinction, regardless of the grass stature.

The objective of this study was to describe and explain the effect of adding corn meal (CM) on losses, fermentation characteristics and nutritional value of silages from two elephant grass [Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone] genotypes (Taiwan A-146 2.37 and IRI-381) mixed with butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea L.) legume. The forage was harvested at 75 days of regrowth from elephant grass plots intercropped with butterfly pea legume and ensiled with or without CM at 5% of dry matter (DM) content. Greater gas losses (12 g/kg) and pH (4.2) were observed in the Taiwan A-146 2.37 + butterfly pea silages. The greatest crude protein content was observed in the ‘Taiwan A-146 2.37’ + butterfly pea silage added with CM (116 g/kg). Silages with additive and those containing IRI-381 had a greater acid detergent fibre content (367 and 366 g/kg, respectively). CM increased the silage DM (221 g/kg), remaining water-soluble carbohydrates contents (26 g/kg) and in vitro digestibility of DM. The aerobic stability was maintained until 45 h after opening the silos. All silages presented a good fermentative profile and were not affected by the relatively large proportion of butterfly pea (>34%) in the ensiled mass as indicated by the reduced contents of butyric acid and ammonia nitrogen. CM reduces total losses, increases DM recovery and improves the nutritional value of silages from mixed elephant grass–butterfly pea legume.

The fibrous scaffolds for bone tissue engineering that mimic the extracellular matrix with bioactive and bactericidal properties could provide adequate conditions for regeneration of damaged bone. Electrospun ultrathin fiber covered with nano-hydroxyapatite is a favorable fibrous scaffold design. We developed a fast and reproducible strategy to produce polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)/nano-hydroxyapatite (nHAp) nanofibrous scaffolds with bactericidal and bioactive properties. Fibrous PVDF scaffolds were obtained first by the electrospinning method. Then, their surfaces were modified using oxygen plasma treatment followed by electrodeposition of nHAp. This process formed nanofibrous and superhydrophilic PVDF fibers (133.6 nm, fiber average diameter) covered with homogeneous nHAp (202.6 nm, average particle diameter) crystals. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry demonstrated the presence of calcium phosphate, indicating a Ca/P molar ratio of approximately 1.64. X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy spectra identified β-phase of nHAp. Thermal analysis indicated a slight reduction in stability after nHAp electrodeposition. Bactericidal assays showed that nHAp exhibited 99.8% efficiency against Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria. The PVDF/Plasma and PVDF/nHAp groups had the highest cell viability, total protein, and alkaline phosphatase activity by 7 days after exposure of the scaffolds to MG63 cell culture. Therefore, the developed scaffolds are an exciting alternative for application in bone regeneration.

This study assessed the incidence and risk factors for dengue virus (DENV) infection among children in a prospective birth cohort conducted in the city of Recife, a hyperendemic dengue area in Northeast Brazil. Healthy pregnant women (n = 415) residing in Recife who agreed to have their children followed were enrolled. Children were followed during their first 24 months of age (May/2011–June/2014), before the 2015 Zika virus outbreak. DENV infection was detected by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and/or serology (anti-DENV IgM/IgG). The incidence rates per 1000 person-years (py) and its association with risk factors by age bands (0–12, >12–30 months) were estimated through Poisson regression models. Forty-nine dengue infections were detected; none progressed to severe forms. The incidence rates were 107·6/1000py (95% CI 76·8–150·6) and 93·3/1000py (95% CI 56·1–154·4) in the first and second years of age, respectively. Male children (risk ratios (RR) = 2·33; 95% CI 1·09–4·98) and those born to DENV-naïve mothers (RR = 2·42; 95% CI 1·01–5·80) were at greater risk of infection in the first year of age. In the second year, children born to Caucasian/Asian descent skin colour mothers had a threefold higher risk of infection (RR = 3·34; 95% CI: 1·08–10·33). These data show the high exposure of children to DENV infection in our setting and highlight the role of biological factors in this population's susceptibility to infection.

Leishmaniasis are diseases caused by parasites of the genus Leishmania and transmitted to humans by the bite of infected insects of the subfamily Phlebotominae. Current drug therapy shows high toxicity and severe adverse effects. Recently, two oligopeptidases (OPBs) were identified in Leishmania amazonensis, namely oligopeptidase B (OPB) and oligopeptidase B2 (OPB2). These OPBs could be ideal targets, since both enzymes are expressed in all parasite lifecycle and were not identified in human. This work aimed to identify possible dual inhibitors of OPB and OPB2 from L. amazonensis. The three-dimensional structures of both enzymes were built by comparative modelling and used to perform a virtual screening of ZINC database by DOCK Blaster server. It is the first time that OPB models from L. amazonensis are used to virtual screening approach. Four hundred compounds were identified as possible inhibitors to each enzyme. The top scored compounds were submitted to refinement by AutoDock program. The best results suggest that compounds interact with important residues, as Tyr490, Glu612 and Arg655 (OPB numbers). The identified compounds showed better results than antipain and drugs currently used against leishmaniasis when ADMET in silico were performed. These compounds could be explored in order to find dual inhibitors of OPB and OPB2 from L. amazonensis.

Among the solar proxies, κ1 Cet, stands out as potentially having a mass very close to solar and a young age. We report magnetic field measurements and planetary habitability consequences around this star, a proxy of the young Sun when life arose on Earth. Magnetic strength was determined from spectropolarimetric observations and we reconstruct the large-scale surface magnetic field to derive the magnetic environment, stellar winds, and particle flux permeating the interplanetary medium around κ1 Cet. Our results show a closer magnetosphere and mass-loss rate 50 times larger than the current solar wind mass-loss rate when Life arose on Earth, resulting in a larger interaction via space weather disturbances between the stellar wind and a hypothetical young-Earth analogue, potentially affecting the habitability. Interaction of the wind from the young Sun with the planetary ancient magnetic field may have affected the young Earth and its life conditions.

We derive Teff and [Fe/H] for a sample of 72 nearby M-dwarfs with Hipparcos parallaxes and δ < +30. Spectra, acquired at the Observatório do Pico dos Dias, Brazil, have R = 10,000 and S/N ≳ 100 for nearly all targets in the λλ8380-8880 range. Atmospheric parameters were derived from VJHK colors and a system of spectral line indices calibrated against sample stars with interferometric Teff and [Fe/H] from detailed analysis of FGK binary companions. A PCA method of calibration yields internal errors within 70 K and 0.1 dex for Teff and [Fe/H]. For 18 stars we present the first Teff or [Fe/H] derivation in the literature. We compute the star's luminosities, calculate the position of their habitable zones and estimate that, were all of they to harbour rocky planets inside their HZ, 15–20 of these would be detectable by the E-ELT Planetary Camera and Spectrograph.

Using recent data, this study examines the affirmative action programme of the Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), the first Brazilian university to implement admissions quotas. The article analyses admissions records and finds that both the ratio of applications per place and minimum admission scores are considerably lower among quota students; scores in the admissions test are associated principally with socio-economic factors rather than racial ones; preparatory courses for the university's admissions tests do not appear to be a substitute for the quota system in terms of improving access; few quota applicants would be admitted in the absence of the system; and the applicants who displace others come from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds. The article concludes that it is necessary to improve the quality of basic education in Brazil in order to enable disadvantaged applicants to compete.

Close-in massive planets transfer angular momentum to their host stars and influence their rotation through the torques associated with the tides raised on the star by the planet. For a star hosting a hot Jupiter, the limit of distance below which tidal torques cannot be neglected grows from a ~0.04 to a ~0.07 AU as the mass of the planet grows from 0.5 to 4MJup.

Hosts and parasites interact with each other in a variety of ways, and this diversity of interactions is reflected in the networks they form. To test for differences in interaction patterns of ecto- and endoparasites we analysed subnetworks formed by each kind of parasites and their host fish species in fish–parasite networks for 22 localities. We assessed the proportion of parasite species per host species, the relationship between parasite fauna composition and host taxonomy, connectance, nestedness and modularity of each subnetwork (n = 44). Furthermore, we evaluated the similarity in host species composition among modules in ecto- and endoparasite subnetworks. We found several differences between subnetworks of fish ecto- and endoparasites. The association with a higher number of host species observed among endoparasites resulted in higher connectance and nestedness, and lower values of modularity in their subnetworks than in those of ectoparasites. Taxonomically related host species tended to share ecto- or endoparasites with the same interaction intensity, but the species composition of hosts tended to differ between modules formed by ecto- and endoparasites. Our results suggest that different evolutionary and ecological processes are responsible for organizing the networks formed by ecto- and endoparasites and fish.

κ1 Cet (HD 20630, HIP 15457, d = 9.16 pc, V = 4.84) is a dwarf star approximately 30 light-years away in the equatorial constellation of Cetus. Among the solar proxies studied in the Sun in Time, κ1 Cet stands out as potentially having a mass very close to solar and a young age. On this study, we monitored the magnetic field and the chromospheric activity from the Ca II H & K lines of κ1 Cet. We used the technique of Least-Square-Deconvolution (LSD, Donati et al. 1997) by simultaneously extracting the information contained in all 8,000 photospheric lines of the echelogram (for a linelist matching an atmospheric model of spectral type K1). To reconstruct a reliable magnetic map and characterize the surface differential rotation of κ1 Cet we used 14 exposures spread over 2 months, in order to cover at least two rotational cycles (Prot ~9.2 days). The Least Square deconvolution (LSD) technique was applied to detect the Zeeman signature of the magnetic field in each of our 14 observations and to measure its longitudinal component. In order to reconstruct the magnetic field geometry of κ1 Cet, we applied the Zeeman Doppler Imaging (ZDI) inversion method. ZDI revealed a structure in the radial magnetic field consisting of a polar magnetic spot. On this study, we present the fisrt look results of a high-resolution spectropolarimetric campaign to characterize the activity and the magnetic fields of this young solar proxy.

A large and increasing share of international humanitarian and development aid is raised from nongovernmental sources, allocated by transnational NGOs. We know little about this private foreign aid, not even how it is distributed across recipient countries, much less what explains the allocation. This article presents an original data set, based on detailed financial records from most of the major U.S.-based humanitarian and development NGOs, which allows us for the first time to map and analyze the allocation of U.S. private aid. We find no support for the common claim that aid NGOs systematically prioritize their organizational self-interest when they allocate private aid, and we find only limited support for the hypothesis that expected aid effectiveness drives aid allocation. By contrast, we find strong support for the argument that the deeply rooted humanitarian discourse within and among aid NGOs drives their aid allocation, consistent with a view of aid NGOs as principled actors and constructivist theories of international relations. Recipients' humanitarian need is substantively and statistically the most significant determinant of U.S. private aid allocation (beyond a regional effect in favor of Latin American countries). Materialist concerns do not crowd out ethical norms among these NGOs.