Inverse correlation between testosterone and ventricle ejection fraction, hemodynamics and exercise capacity in heart failure patients with erectile dysfunction

BACKGROUND: Neurohormonal activation and abnormalities in growth hormone and testosterone concentrations have been reported in heart failure (HF). Erectile dysfunction(ED) is common in these patients and contributes to a low quality of life. No data are known regarding the correlation between testosterone and hemodynamics, exercise capacity and cardiac function in HF patients with ED, a marker of endothelial dysfunction. The aim of this study was to correlate testosterone levels with cardiac function, hemodynamic and exercise capacity in HF patients with ED. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifteen HF patients underwent a six-minute treadmill cardiopulmonary walking test (6'CWT) and, ten minutes later, a maximum cardiopulmonary exercise test. Also, testosterone and other hormones were determined at rest. RESULTS: Among hemodynamic variables only diastolic blood pressure on 6'CWT was correlated with testosterone levels(r =- 0.66, p = 0.007). The variables on exercise tests, VE/VCO2 slope and oxygen consumption did not show any correlation, except the distance at 6'CWT (r = 0.50, p = 0,047). Right and left ventricle ejection fraction showed inverse correlation with testosterone (r =- 0.55, p = 0.03 and r =- 0.69, p = 0.004 respectively). CONCLUSION: Testosterone levels correlated directly with distance at six-minute cardiopulmonary walk test and inversely with diastolic blood pressure, right and left ventricle ejection fraction in heart failure patients with erectile dysfunction. Further elucidation of mechanisms as regards testosterone action in these patients is warranted

Tillering of ‘Marandu’ \u3ci\u3eBrachiaria\u3c/i\u3e Under Different Nitrogen Rates in The Brazilian Savannah

The tiller is the basic unit of grass growth and tiller density determines the horizontal ground cover, leaves production and pastures perennially. The objective in this study was to quantify the number of aerial and basal tillers and basal:aerial tillers ratio in Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu, established in Brazilian savannah, submitted to nitrogen doses (0, 50, 100 and 150 kg N/ha). The experiment was carried out in the Forage and Pasture Sector of Jataí Federal University (UFJ) and after soil correction and fertilization, plots were established with Marandu palisade grass in a randomized block design, with four replications and four N doses. Tiller count was performed after the uniformity cut and at the end of each cycle, when the average height of the forage canopy reached average 30 cm. Tillers were identified with colored wires (one color/generation), in a total of six generations (cycles). The highest ratio of basal:aerial tiller was 1.36 and occurred at dose of 100 kg N/ha as an answer to the highest tiller survival and lowest tiller mortality. Highest percentage of basal tiller and the lowest percentage of aerial tiller occurs at dose of 100 kg N/ha. Nitrogen fertilization is an important strategy to obtain more production of high quality mass, highest ground cover by highest survival rate, less mortality and a better proportion between basal and aerial tillers in Marandu palisade grass, favoring their perennity when is used 100 kg N/ha

Tillering of ‘Marandu’ Brachiaria Under Different Nitrogen Rates in the Brazilian Savannah

The tiller is the basic unit of grass growth and tiller density determines the horizontal ground cover, leaves production and pastures perennially. The objective in this study was to quantify the number of aerial and basal tillers and basal:aerial tillers ratio in Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu, established in Brazilian savannah, submitted to nitrogen doses (0, 50, 100 and 150 kg N/ha). The experiment was carried out in the Forage and Pasture Sector of Jataí Federal University (UFJ) and after soil correction and fertilization, plots were established with Marandu palisade grass in a randomized block design, with four replications and four N doses. Tiller count was performed after the uniformity cut and at the end of each cycle, when the average height of the forage canopy reached average 30 cm. Tillers were identified with colored wires (one color/generation), in a total of six generations (cycles). The highest ratio of basal:aerial tiller was 1.36 and occurred at dose of 100 kg N/ha as an answer to the highest tiller survival and lowest tiller mortality. Highest percentage of basal tiller and the lowest percentage of aerial tiller occurs at dose of 100 kg N/ha. Nitrogen fertilization is an important strategy to obtain more production of high quality mass, highest ground cover by highest survival rate, less mortality and a better proportion between basal and aerial tillers in Marandu palisade grass, favoring their perennity when is used 100 kg N/ha

Mass Production and Morphology of Marandu Brachiaria Under Different Nitrogen Rates in the Brazilian Savannah

Nitrogen is the nutrient that most contributes to increase forage productivity and quality. The objective was to evaluate Marandu brachiaria submitted to nitrogen doses in the Brazilian savannah through the total and green mass production, leaf:stem and brachiaria:weed ratio. Plots were established in a randomized block design, with four replications and four N doses 0, 50, 100 and 150 kg N/ha). After the uniformization cut, the data collect cycles occurred when the canopy reached 30 cm average height. Samples were taken until 15 cm from the ground in an area of 0.25 m2. Fractions were separated according botanical (brachiaria and weeds) and morphological (leaf, stem, dead material and inflorescence) components. The highest value of dry matter production and green mass production occurred at 96 and 72 kg N/ha dose (2,669 kg and 1,946 DM/ha). Above and below this value the mass production decreased . The highest relation green mass:dead material ratio was 4.00 at 150 kg N/ha dose. Marandu was able to control the weeds, and the best performance (4.67) was observed at 78 kg N/ha dose. Forage accumulation rate is the mass production/day and the highest accumulation rate occurred at 50 kg N/ha dose. Marandu had higher leaf:stem ratio with nitrogen dose 107 kg N/ha but above 50 kg/N the mass accumulation rate decrease which means that the fertilization cost is not favorable over up this dose, especially above dose 72 kg N/kg when there green mass production decrease

Electroactive Biochar for Large-Scale Environmental Applications of Microbial Electrochemistry

Large-scale environmental applications of microbial electrochemical technologies (MET), such as wastewater treatment, bioremediation, or soil improvement, would be more feasible if bioelectrodes could be fabricated with simpler materials. Biochar with potentially improved electroactive properties (e-biochar) can be an ideal candidate for this scope, being at the same time widely available, biocompatible, and fully recyclable at its end-of-life as a soil amendment. Here we review the application of biochar to MET, to set benchmarks aimed at tuning the electroactive properties of such materials from the point of view of MET. The precursor biomass, thermochemical process conditions, and pre-, in situ-, and/or post-treatments should tailor optimized combinations of electrical conductivity, capacitance, superficial redox-active and electroactive functional groups, porosity distribution, and capacity to host electroactive microbial communities. We also discuss methods to rigorously characterize e-biochar properties and the most relevant multidisciplinary research challenges toward its application in large-scale MET.This work has been financed by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MIUR), within the SIR2014 Grant, project RBSI14JKU3. Dr. R. Berenguer also thanks the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad and FEDER funds (RYC-2017-23618 and CTM2015-71520-C2-1-R) for financial support. Ricardo Louro and Catarina Paquete thank Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) Portugal [PTDC/BBBBQB/4178/2014 and PTDC/BIA-BQM/30176/2017], by Project LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-007660 (Microbiologia Molecular, Estrutural e Celular) funded by FEDER funds through COMPETE2020 - Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI), and by ITQB research unit GREEN-it “Bioresources for sustainability” (UID/Multi/04551/2013). This work has also received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 810856. This investigation has also received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the grant agreement No. 642190 (Project “iMETLAND”; http://www.imetland.eu)

Isospin mixing in Zr 80: from finite to zero temperature

S. Ceruti et al.; 5 págs.; 4 figs.; PACS numbers: 24.30.Cz, 24.60.Dr, 24.80.+y, 25.70.GhThe isospin mixing was deduced in the compound nucleus Zr80 at an excitation energy of E∗=54 MeV from the γ decay of the giant dipole resonance. The reaction Ca40+Ca40 at Ebeam=136 MeV was used to form the compound nucleus in the isospin I=0 channel, while the reaction Cl37+Ca44 at Ebeam=95 MeV was used as the reference reaction. The γ rays were detected with the AGATA demonstrator array coupled with LaBr3:Ce detectors. The temperature dependence of the isospin mixing was obtained and the zero-temperature value deduced. The isospin-symmetry-breaking correction δC used for the Fermi superallowed transitions was extracted and found to be consistent with β-decay data.This work was supported by PRIN No. 2001024324_01302, the Polish National Center for Science Grants No. 2013/08/ M/ST2/00591 and No. 2011/03/B/ST2/01894, and the Spanish Grant No. FPA2011-29854-C04-01. German Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) under Contract No. 05P12PKFNE TP4.Peer Reviewe