Efeitos de fontes e doses de nitrogênio em mudas de aceroleira (Malpighia glabra, L.).

Foram estudados os efeitos de doses e fontes de adubos nitrogenados na produção de matéria seca e composição mineral de mudas de aceroleira, num experimento conduzido em vasos de plastico em casa de vegetação. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial 3 x 4, com quatro repetições. Os tratamentos constituíram de três doses de nitrogênio (0; 75 e 150 mg.kg-1) e quatro fontes de nitrogênio (sulfato de amônio, ureia, salitre do Chile e nitrato de cálcio). Determinaram-se as produções de matéria seca e os teores de N, P, K, Ca, Mg e S nas folhas, caules e raízes das plantas. os resultados mostraram que, apesar de os adubos nitrogenados amoniacais reagirem diferentemente no solo, tendo reduzido o pH e aumentado o teor de Al3+, as fontes de nitrogênio nitricas reagiram inversamente. As maiores produções de matéria seca foram obtidas através das doses de 75 e 150 mg.kg-1 de sulfato de amônio, seguido pela fonte de nitrato de cálcio, revelando uma forte influencia dos íons secundários desses fertilizantes, contribuindo com as maiores concentrações de S e Ca nas plantas. De uma maneira geral, todas as fontes e doses de N promoveram aumento das concentrações desse nutriente na planta

Rastall Cosmology and the \Lambda CDM Model

Rastall's theory is based on the non-conservation of the energy-momentum tensor. We show that, in this theory, if we introduce a two-fluid model, one component representing vacuum energy whereas the other pressureless matter (e.g. baryons plus cold dark matter), the cosmological scenario is the same as for the \Lambda CDM model, both at background and linear perturbative levels, except for one aspect: now dark energy may cluster. We speculate that this can lead to a possibility of distinguishing the models at the non-linear perturbative level.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure. Accepted for publication in Physical Review

Guanidinoacetic Acid as a Precursor of Creatine for Cattle

Creatine serves as an energy-storing molecule in muscle, and in mammals it can be synthesized in the liver from guanidinoacetic acid (GAA). With this study, we evaluated whether GAA supplementation would lead to creatine production in cattle similarly to other species. Because the synthesis of creatine from GAA requires the use of a methyl group, we also evaluated the effect of supplementing methionine, as a methyl group donor, on the synthesis of creatine.Supplemental GAA did increase plasma concentrations of creatine. Also, blood concentrations of arginine, a precursor to GAA, were increased by GAA supplementation, suggesting that arginine use for GAA synthesis was spared by GAA provision. Plasma homocysteine, a marker that is inversely related to methyl group status, was not affected by GAA supplementation when heifers received 12 g/d methionine; however, it was increased by 30 or 40 grams per day of GAA supplementation when methionine was not supplemented. Results suggest that post-ruminal GAA supplementation increases creatine supply to cattle and spares arginine utilization. Moreover, GAA supplementation induced a methyl group deficiency that was resolved with methionine supplementation