Abstract Background The presence of weeds in Roundup Ready® (RR) soybean and corn crops compromises yield. Management practices recommended by the consultants and adopted by producers directly interfere in the occurrence of these species. Objective To survey management practices used in RR soybean and corn fields in the Rio Grande do Sul. Methods Data were gathered via the application of questionnaires during the 2018/19 growing season to consultants working with RR soybean and corn cropping in Rio Grande do Sul state. There were 112 responses, covering about 72 municipalities in the state. Results Technical consultants highlighted Conyza spp. and Lolium multiflorum as the most common weed species and classified resistance to herbicides and advanced stages of weeds at the time of herbicide application as the primary causes of low weed control efficacy. They observed an increase in resistance evolution and a two to three-fold increase in the use of herbicides in glyphosate-tolerant crops. Using a mixture of herbicides was the main recommendation for the management of weeds that escape control, while in areas with proven resistance, crop rotation was the main recommendation. Conclusions Crop rotation and herbicide mixtures are the most recommended management practices, with herbicide resistance and advanced stage of development listed as the main reasons for the difficulties of weed control.

Background: Histoplasmosis is a mycosis with a high prevalence in HIV/AIDS patients. Clinical presentation includes a wide spectrum of manifestations and diagnosis usually takes up to several weeks in patients who do not present cutaneous lesions. Aim: To determine the clinical and microbiological characteristics as well as some biochemical parameters in patients with AIDS-associated histoplasmosis without tegumentary lesions, in order to develop a guideline which enables an early empiric treatment in cases of difficult diagnosis. Methods: Medical records of 86 patients with histoplasmosis were reviewed; 31 patients with diagnosis of AIDS-associated histoplasmosis without cutaneous lesions were analyzed. Results: Fever was the most frequent symptom (96.7%), lung involvement was observed in 22 patients (70.9%), the most commonly radiological pattern was miliary pattern [(12/22), 54.5%]. Nineteen patients presented with splenomegaly. Blood culture sensitivity was 93.3% (28/30) and serology was positive only in 23.5% of the cases. Eight patients died (25.8%). Patients in which CD4+ T cell lymphocytes count was < 50 cells/μl, albumin levels < 2.5 g/dl and who presented with pancytopenia had an unfavorable outcome. Conclusions: In HIV seropositive patients with fever associated to splenomegaly and bilateral miliar pattern in chest radiography, the empiric treatment with amphotericin B must be considered if signs and symptoms of unfavorable outcome are present and due to the time that it takes to arrive at an accurate diagnosis. In order to confirm the diagnosis, all microbiological samples should be collected prior to initiating therapy.

Resumen Antecedentes: La histoplasmosis es una micosis de gran relevancia en pacientes con SIDA. El cuadro clínico puede ser muy variado y, en enfermos que no desarrollan lesiones cutáneas, el diagnóstico suele demorar varias semanas. Objetivo: Establecer pautas que permitan emplear un tratamiento empírico y precoz en pacientes con histoplasmosis asociada al SIDA sin manifestaciones tegumentarias y determinar las características clínicas, microbiológicas y algunos parámetros bioquímicos en los casos de difícil diagnóstico. Métodos: Se analizaron las historias clínicas de 86 pacientes con histoplasmosis. Fueron seleccionados 31 enfermos con histoplasmosis asociada con SIDA sin lesiones cutáneas. Resultados: La fiebre fue el síntoma más frecuente (96,7%), el compromiso pulmonar se comprobó en 22 enfermos (70,9%). El patrón radiológico más frecuentemente hallado en las radiografías de tórax fue el miliar o micronodulillar bilateral [(12/22), 54,5%]. Diecinueve enfermos presentaron esplenomegalia. Los hemocultivos demostraron una sensibilidad de 93,3% (28/30) y la serología fue positiva en 23,5% de los casos. Fallecieron ocho pacientes (25,8%). Los pacientes con recuentos de linfocitos T CD4+ menores a 50 céls/μl, albúmina menor a 2,5 g/dl y pancitopenia evidenciaron un pronóstico desfavorable. Conclusiones: En los pacientes con infección por VIH, fiebre asociada a esplenomegalia y lesiones micronodulillares bilaterales en la radiografía de tórax debe considerarse el tratamiento empírico con anfotericina B cuando existan signos o síntomas de mal pronóstico, debido al tiempo de demora hasta el diagnóstico definitivo. Previo a iniciar el tratamiento deben tomarse todas las muestras para los estudios microbiológicos que permitan confirmar luego la presunción diagnóstica.

Inorganic elements present in pharmaceutical products were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (ICP-MS), employing microwave acid digestion as a sample preparation method. The most abundant isotopes, 75As+, 65Cu+, 52Cr+, 58Ni+, 208Pb+, and 51V+, were determined in acyclovir ointment and its constituents. Elemental impurities in the pharmaceutical samples were determined using an inductively coupled plasma-universal cell technology-mass spectrometer (ICP-UCT-MS) operated in kinetic energy discrimination (KED) and standard mode. The accuracy of the method was assessed by means of addition and recovery experiments. Except for Cr, spiked recoveries of the elements added to the samples before microwave acid digestion (MW-AD) step were between 95.1 and 126%, and after MW-AD step ranged from 85.6 to 132%. Limits of detection (LOD) obtained by proposed method is in agreement to those required by the U.S. Pharmacopeia Convention (USP), showing that the ICP-MS technique is well suited for quantification of these elements. The LOD's (ng L-1) for 51V+, 52Cr+, 58Ni+, 65Cu+, 75As+ and 208Pb+ in 1% v v-1 HNO3 medium were: 2.2, 81.3, 91.9, 6.9, 0.2 and 3.1, respectively. The concentration of the analytes in these samples presented a wide range, varying from 2.3 ± 0.8 µg kg-1 for As to 3446 ± 47 µg kg-1 for Cr.

Neste estudo a celulose obtida da palha de feijão foi utilizada para produzir um material hidrofóbico (acetato de celulose) para ser avaliado como absorvente de óleo. Nas reações de acetilação foram utilizados anidrido acético e dois catalisadores, a piridina (PY) e N-bromossuccinimida (NBS). Os materiais produzidos foram caracterizados por espectroscopia na região do infravermelho médio, microscopia eletrônica de varredura, difratometria de raios-X e análise elementar. O NBS mostrou-se mais eficiente que a PY e, seu uso resultou em materiais com maiores quantidades de grupos acetatos, mais hidrofóbicos e com maiores capacidades de absorção de óleo de soja.

In this work, cellulose from beans straw was used to produce a more hydrophobic material (cellulose acetate) for use as oil absorbent. Acetic anhydride was used in the reactions with two catalysts, pyridine (PY) and N-bromosuccinimide (NBS). The materials produced were characterized by infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and elemental analysis. NBS proved more efficient than PY, with the resulting materials containing higher number of acetate groups, being more hydrophobic and with higher capacity to absorb soybean oil.