ABSTRACT Aedes aegypti is the main vector of multiple diseases, such as dengue, yellow fever, Zika, and chikungunya. Diseases associated with mosquitoes have been growing in recent years, with more than one-third of the world population at risk. Control techniques have been studied to prevent the spread of the Aedes aegypti, such that new formula and how to use adulticides and larvicides, among others. This paper proposes a novel approach in the field of partial differential equations and optimization. We consider a two-dimensional diffusion-reaction model that describes the interaction between aquatic and adult female stages spreading across a domain with parameters dependent on rainfall and temperature. We also formulate a mono-objective and multiobjective optimization problem to minimize the Aedes aegypti populations and the control, considering the application of adulticides and larvicides, using actual data from the city of Lavras/Brazil. The operator splitting technique is used to solve the diffusion-reaction system, coupling finite difference and the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method and optimal solutions were searched by using the Real-Biased Genetic Algorithm and Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm -II. Numerical results show significant reduction of the Aedes aegypti population. diseases dengue fever Zika chikungunya years onethird one third risk larvicides others twodimensional two dimensional diffusionreaction diffusion reaction temperature monoobjective mono objective control LavrasBrazil Lavras Brazil Lavras/Brazil system fourthorder fourth order RungeKutta Runge Kutta RealBiased Real Biased Nondominated Non dominated II. II -II

Abstract This work reports an experimental investigation on the thermodynamic and kinetic view-point of the nitrided layer growth behavior, carried out separately at ferrite and austenite phase grains, for the UNS S32750 super duplex stainless steel (SDSS). For this purpose, and motivated by the DSSs distinct behavior showing formation of two- or single-phase nitrided layers, which apparently depend on the steel substrate chemical composition, two series of treatment were studied here, one varying the nitriding temperature on the 300-450 °C range for 4 h time, and other one varying the time on the 2-8 h range at 350 °C. Microstructural characterization of studied layers by means of SEM and EDS analysis, XRD and microhardness measurements showed precipitation-free nitrogen-expanded austenite layer formation on both steel phases for all samples treated up to 400 °C. The nitriding kinetics study showed that the layer thickness on both steel phases is proportional to the square root of the treatment time and follows an Arrhenius law for the studied treatment temperatures. The nitrogen diffusion activation energy, separately determined from the layer growth on each steel phase, was 115±3.2 and 120±5.4 kJmol-1, for austenite and ferrite grains, respectively.

ABSTRACT A multiobjective impulsive control scheme is proposed to answer how optimal vaccination campaigns should be implemented, regarding two conflicting targets: making the total number of infecteds small and the vaccination campaign as handy as possible. In this paper, a stochastic SIR model is used to better depict the characteristics of a disease in practical terms, where little influences may lead to sudden and unpredictable changes in the behavior of transmissions. This model is extended to analyze the effects of impulsive vaccinations in two phases: the transient regime control, taking into account the necessity to reduce the number of infected individuals to an acceptable level in a finite time, and the permanent regime control, that will act with fixed vaccinations to avoid another outbreak. A parallel version of NSGA-II is used as the multiobjective optimization machinery, considering both the probability of eradication and the vaccination campaign costs. The final result using the proposed framework shows nondominated policies that can guide public managers to decide which is the best procedure to be taken depending on the present situation.

RESUMO Devido aos progressos recentes na manipulação genética, os mosquitos transgênicos podem ser uma alternativa viável para reduzir algumas doenças. Condições de viabilidade são obtidas pela simulação e análise de modelos matemáticos que descrevem o comportamento de populações de mosquitos selvagens e transgênicos convivendo em uma mesma área geográfica. Neste trabalho, apresentamos um modelo de reação-difusão com um termo de reação não linear, uma função que descreve a interação entre mosquitos selvagens e transgênicos, levando em consideração sua zigosidade. O termo difusivo representa uma dispersão espacial uniforme caracterizada por um parâmetro de difusão fixo. O sistema de equações diferenciais parciais obtidas é resolvido numericamente combinando um método implícito de Runge-Kutta e um método de elementos finitos, através da técnica de divisão sequencial de operadores. Vários cenários são analisados, simulando a liberação espacial de mosquitos transgênicos, e levam ao entendimento de uma relação intrínseca entre as variedades transgênica e selvagem para diferentes condições iniciais.

ABSTRACT Due to recent advances in genetic manipulation, transgenic mosquitoes can be a viable alternative to reduce some diseases. Viability conditions are obtained by the simulation and analysis of mathematical models that describe the behavior of wild and transgenic mosquitoes population living in the same geographic area. In this work, we present a reaction-diffusion model with a nonlinear reaction term, a function that describes the interaction between wild and transgenic mosquitoes taking into account their zygosity. The diffusive term represents a uniform spatial spread characterized by a fixed diffusion parameter. The system of partial differential equations obtained is solved numerically by combining a implicit Runge-Kutta method and finite elements method, through the sequential operator splitting technique. Several scenarios are analyzed, simulating the spatial release of transgenic mosquitoes, and lead to an understanding of an intrinsic relationship between the transgenic and wild varieties for different initial conditions.

Resumo A produção de compostos via esterificação enzimática possui grande interesse científico e tecnológico devido às inúmeras inconveniências relacionadas com a catálise ácida, principalmente por estes sitemas não se adequarem ao atual termo “tecnologias limpas”. Além disso, produtos naturais como o óleo de cravo, apresentam compostos com excelentes potenciais biológicos. Compostos bioativos são quase sempre tóxicos em altas doses. A avaliação da letalidade em um organismo animal menos complexo pode ser usada para um monitoramento simples e rápido, servindo também para a identificação de compostos com potencial atividade inseticida contra larvas de insetos vetores de doenças. Neste sentido, foi determinada a toxicidade frente a Artemia salina do óleo essencial de cravo e do seu derivado acetato de eugenila obtido por esterificação enzimática com lipase Novozym 435. A conversão da reação de síntese de acetato de eugenila foi de 95,6%. Os resultados referentes à avaliação da toxicidade frente ao microcrustáceo Artemia salina demonstraram que tanto o óleo (LC50= 0,5993 µg.mL–1) quanto o éster (LC50= 0,1178 µg.mL–1) apresentam elevado potencial toxicológico, sendo que o éster apresenta aproximadamente 5 vezes mais toxicidade em relação ao óleo. Estes resultados demonstram o potencial emprego do óleo de cravo e de acetato de eugenila em formulações de inseticidas.

Abstract The production of compounds via enzymatic esterification has great scientific and technological interest due to the several inconveniences related to acid catalysis, mainly by these systems do not fit to the concept of “green chemistry”. Besides, natural products as clove oil present compounds with excellent biological potential. Bioactives compounds are often toxic at high doses. The evaluation of lethality in a less complex animal organism can be used to a monitoring simple and rapid, helping the identification of compounds with potential insecticide activity against larvae of insect vector of diseases. In this sense, the toxicity against Artemia salina of clove essential oil and its derivative eugenyl acetate obtained by enzymatic esterification using Novozym 435 as biocatalyst was evaluated. The conversion of eugenyl acetate synthesis was 95.6%. The results about the evaluation of toxicity against the microcrustacean Artemia salina demonstrated that both oil (LC50= 0.5993 µg.mL–1) and ester (LC50= 0.1178 µg.mL–1) presented high toxic potential, being the eugenyl acetate almost 5 times more toxic than clove essential oil. The results reported here shows the potential of employing clove oil and eugenyl acetate in insecticide formulations.

We evaluated a multiplex-PCR to differentiate Mycobacterium bovis from M. tuberculosis Complex (MTC) by one step amplification based on simultaneous detection of pncA 169C > G change in M. bovis and the IS6110 present in MTC species. Our findings showed the proposed multiplex-PCR is a very useful tool for complementation in differentiating M. bovis from other cultured MTC species.

Esse trabalho avaliou os efeitos in vitro de Steinernema glaseri sobre a biologia de ninfas ingurgitadas de Amblyomma cajennense. Os carrapatos foram expostos a juvenis infectantes (JI) de S. glaseri sob diferentes concentrações. Cada tratamento foi composto de 10 unidades experimentais (EU = repetições) em placas de Petri mantidas sob 27 ± 1º C e UR > 80 ± 10% por 72 horas. Em seguida, as ninfas foram transferidas para placas de Petri isentas de nematoides para observação dos seguintes parâmetros: período de pré-ecdise (PPE), período de ecdise (PE), período de muda (PM), porcentagem de ecdise (%Ec) e porcentagem de mortalidade (%Mt). Os grupos tratados com 5.000 e 10.000 JI/UE mostraram alterações significativas no PPE quando comparados com o controle, enquanto para o PE somente o tratamento com 10.000 JI/UE produziu mudanças significativas quando comparado com o controle. Não houve diferença significativa do PM em relação ao grupo controle em nenhum dos tratamentos e, para a %Ec, somente o grupo tratado com 10.000 JI/UE diferiu significativamente do controle. A maior eficiência foi obtida com a concentração de 10.000 JI/EU na qual a mortalidade foi de 13%. Isso demonstra que o nematoide utilizado não foi capaz de causar alta mortalidade em ninfas ingurgitadas de A. cajennese e concorda com outros relatos indicando que carrapatos imaturos não são altamente susceptíveis a nematoides entomopatogênicos.

This work evaluated the in vitro effects of Steinernema glaseri on the biology of engorged Amblyomma cajennense nymphs. The ticks were exposed to infective juveniles (IJs) of S. glaseri at different concentrations. Each treatment was composed by 10 experimental units (EU = repetitions) in Petri dishes maintained at 27 ± 1º C and relative humidity (RH) > 80 ± 10% for 72 hours. Then the nymphs were transferred to Petri dishes free of nematodes for observation of the following parameters: pre-ecdysis period (PEP), ecdysis period (EP), molting period (MP), ecdysis percentage (%Ec) and mortality percentage (%Mt). The groups treated with 5,000 and 10,000 IJs/EU showed significant alterations in the PEP when compared to the control, while for the EP only the treatment with 10,000 IJs/EU produced any significant changes compared to the control. The MP did not differ significantly from the control in any of the treated groups. For the %Ec only the group treated with 10,000 IJs/EU differed significantly from the control. The greatest efficiency was obtained at the concentration of 10,000 IJs/EU, in which the mortality percentage was 13%. This demonstrates that the nematode utilized was not able to cause high mortality in engorged A. cajennense nymphs and agrees with other reports indicating that immature ticks are not highly susceptible to entomopathogenic nematodes.

Corpos-de-prova de zircônia parcialmente estabilizada com ítria foram moldados por prensagem uniaxial, sinterizados e nitretados em plasma de micro-ondas à pressão atmosférica. A camada de ZrN sobre zircônia formou-se a uma taxa de 4 µm.min-1, podendo atingir uma espessura de 500 µm. As amostras foram caracterizadas por meio de medidas de dureza e resistência ao desgaste. A superfície nitretada apresentou dureza superior e resistência ao desgaste similar ao substrato de zircônia.

Samples of yttria partially-stabilized zirconia were molded by uniaxial pressing, sintered and nitrided in an atmospheric pressure microwave plasma. This procedure leads to the formation of a ZrN layer whose growth rate and thickness reached 4 µm.min-1 and 500 µm, respectively. The samples were characterized by means of hardness and wear resistance tests. The nitrided surface exhibits superior hardness and wear resistance similar to that of the zirconia substrate.

The aim of this study was to estimate the correlation between scrotal girth and spermatic concentration in German Sheepherd dogs. Thirteen German Sheepherd dogs were used and 44 semen samples were obtained by digital manipulation. The ejaculate was separated in its three fractions. The sperm rich fraction was kept for evaluation and determination of spermatic concentration by spectrofotometry. The parameters were expressed as mean and standard deviation. Spearman correlation test was used to estimate the correlation between spermatic concentration and scrotal girth. The mean spermatic concentration was 568.45±314.91x10(6) sptz/ml and the mean scrotal girth was17.6±1.6 cm and the correlation was r = 0.10. It can be conclude that scrotal girth can not be an appropriate measurement as indicative of spermatic concentration in German Sheepherd dogs.

Numa tentativa de estar o mais próximo possível a pacientes infectados e tratados nas áreas endêmicas de esquistosomose (S. mansoni) e também para obter um período mais longo de seguimento, camundongos foram repetidamente infectados com um número baixo de cercarias. Dados de sobrevivência e variáveis histológicas tais como granuloma esquistosomótico, alterações portais, necrose hepatocelular, regeneração hepática, pigmento esquistosomótico, fi-brose periductal e principalmente, alterações dos ductos biliares foram analisados nos animais infectados tratados e não tratados. A terapêutica por oxamniquina nos animais repetidamente infectados prolonga a sobrevivência de maneira significante (Chi-quadrado 9,24, p = 0,0024), portanto confirmando resultados anteriores com um modelo semelhante mas com um período mais curto de seguimento. Ainda, a mortalidade decresce rapidamente depois do tratamento, sugerindo uma abrupta redução na gravidade das lesões hepáticas. O fígado foi ainda estudado sob o ponto de vista morfológico e imunohistoquímico. Fibrose portal, com um quadro que lembra a fibrose humana do tipo Symmers está presente na fase tardia da infecção. As alterações de ductos biliares são muito próximas daquelas descritas na esquistosomose mansônica humana. Antígeno esquistosomótico foi observado em uma célula isolada do revestimento alterado de duetos biliares. A patogênese das alterações ductais e sua possível relação com a infecção parasitária e/ou seus antígenos foi discutida.

In an attempt to be as close as possible to the infected and treated patients of the endemic areas of schistosomiasis (S. mansoni) and in order to achieve a long period of follow-up, mice were repeatedly infected with a low number of cercariae. Survival data and histological variables such as schistosomal granuloma, portal changes, hepatocellular necrosis, hepatocellular regeneration, schistosomotic pigment, periductal fibrosis and chiefly bile ducts changes were analysed in the infected treated and non treated mice. Oxamniquine chemotherapy in repeatedly infected mice prolonged survival significantly when compared to non-treated animals (chi-square 9.24, p = 0.0024), thus confirming previous results with a similar experimental model but with a shorter term follow-up. Furthermore, mortality decreased rapidly after treatment suggesting an abrupt reduction in the severity of hepatic lesions. A morphological and immunohistochemical study of the liver was carried out. Portal fibrosis, with a pattern resembling human Symmers fibrosis was present at a late phase in the infected animals. Bile duct lesions were quite close to those described in human Mansonian schistosomiasis. Schistosomal antigen was observed in one isolated altered bile duct cell. The pathogenesis of the bile duct changes and its relation to the parasite infection and/or their antigens are discussed.