Avaliação do desempenho de um modelo de estimativa de saldo de radiação em algumas culturas.

Avaliou-se o desempenho do método de estimativa do saldo de radiação proposto por ALLEN, 1998, em experimentos de culturas de girassol, amendoim, café, limão e grama, através de regressões lineares com base nos indicadores estatísticos coeficiente de correlação r?, índice de Willmott ?d? e índice de desempenho ?c?. Segundo os critérios de avaliação do índice ?c?, o método proposto por ALLEN, 1998 representa de forma satisfatória os dados de saldo de radiação, sendo obtidos os desempenhos equivalentes a 0,79 (muito bom) para as culturas de girassol e grama e de 0,96; 0,86 e 0,88 (ótimo) para as culturas de amendoim, café e limão, respectivamente.CBA 2009

Balanço de energia em amendoim irrigado.

O presente estudo utilizou o método do balanço de energia através da razão de Bowen para estimar os fluxos de calor latente (LE) e sensível (H) a partir de medidas do saldo de radiação (Rn), fluxo do calor do solo (G) e gradientes psicométricos (com termopares) em dois cultivares amendoim (Arachis hypogaea L.) irrigado. Os resultados indicam que a partição de Rn em fluxos de LE, H e G varia durante o ciclo, principalmente em função do desenvolvimento vegetativo da cultura. O método da razão de Bowen propiciou medidas de consumo hídrico coerentes com a cultura do amendoim (valores médios de 6 mm.dia-1 para ambos os cultivares).CBA 2009

Liquid metals as a divertor plasma facing material explored using the Pilot-PSI and Magnum-PSI linear devices

Abstract For DEMO and beyond liquid metal plasma facing components are considered due to their resilience to erosion through flowed replacement, potential for cooling beyond conduction and inherent immunity to many of the issues of neutron loading compared to solid materials. The development curve of liquid metals is behind that of e.g. tungsten however and tokamak-based research is currently somewhat limited in scope. Therefore investigation in linear plasma devices can provide faster progress under controlled and well-diagnosed conditions in assessing many of the issues surrounding the use of liquid metals. The linear plasma devices Magnum-PSI and Pilot-PSI are capable of producing DEMO relevant plasma fluxes which well replicate expected divertor conditions, and the exploration of physics issues for tin (Sn) and lithium (Li) such as vapour-shielding, erosion under high particle flux loading and overall power handing are reviewed here. A deeper understanding of erosion and deposition through this work indicates that stannane formation may play an important role in enhancing Sn erosion, while on the other hand the strong hydrogen isotope affinity reduces the evaporation rate and sputtering yields for Li. In combination with the strong re-deposition rates which have been observed under this type of high density plasma this implies an increase in the operational temperature range, implying a power handling range of 20-25 MW m -2 for Sn and up to 12.5 MW m -2 for Li could be achieved. Vapour shielding may be expected to act as a self-protection mechanism in reducing the heat load to the substrate for off-normal events in the case of Sn, but may potentially be a continual mode of operation for Li.</p

Restablecimiento de un canino tras mordedura de serpiente “yarará” (Bothrops sp.) en Corrientes, Argentina

Se describen los síntomas y lesiones registradas en un perro mordido por una serpiente del genero Bothrops (“yarará”), en una zona rural cercana a la ciudad de Corrientes, Argentina. El veneno de esta víbora posee proteasas y fosfolipasas que inducen daño local (hemorragia, edema, necrosis), así como hemorragia sistémica por acción de hemorraginas y metaloproteinasas (lesión de paredes capilares), agravada por la incoagulabilidad generada por enzimas semejantes a la trombina, que consumen el fibrinógeno sanguíneo. El canino reveló hemorragia a través de dos orificios contiguos en una mejilla, la cual estaba dolorida, caliente y edematosa. No se registraron signos de hemorragia sistémica. Se administró suero antiofídico bivalente anti-Bothrops y dexametasona, acompañados de fluidoterapia para proteger a los riñones. El tiempo de coagulación activado se mantuvoprolongado hasta las 6 h, normalizándose a las 8 h de iniciado el tratamiento. Se postula que la precocidad de la intervención y el buen estado físico del animal fueron cruciales para su completa recuperación

Modeling dose-response relationships of the effects of fesoterodine in patients with overactive bladder

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Fesoterodine is an antimuscarinic for the treatment of overactive bladder, a syndrome of urgency, with or without urgency urinary incontinence (UUI), usually with increased daytime frequency and nocturia. Our objective was to develop predictive models to describe the dose response of fesoterodine.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data from subjects enrolled in double-blind, placebo-controlled phase II and III trials were used for developing longitudinal dose-response models.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The models predicted that clinically significant and near-maximum treatment effects would be seen within 3 to 4 weeks after treatment initiation. For a typical patient with 11 micturitions per 24 hours at baseline, predicted change was -1.2, -1.7, and -2.2 micturitions for placebo and fesoterodine 4 mg and 8 mg, respectively. For a typical patient with 2 UUI episodes per 24 hours at baseline, predicted change was -1.05, -1.26, and -1.43 UUI episodes for placebo and fesoterodine 4 mg and 8 mg, respectively. Increase in mean voided volume was estimated at 9.7 mL for placebo, with an additional 14.2 mL and 28.4 mL for fesoterodine 4 mg and 8 mg, respectively.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>A consistent dose response for fesoterodine was demonstrated for bladder diary endpoints in subjects with overactive bladder, a result that supports the greater efficacy seen with fesoterodine 8 mg in post hoc analyses of clinical trial data. The dose-response models can be used to predict outcomes for doses not studied or for patient subgroups underrepresented in clinical trials.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>The phase III trials used in this analysis have been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00220363 and NCT00138723).</p

Stretching of the retinal pigment epithelium contributes to zebrafish optic cup morphogenesis.

The vertebrate eye-primordium consists of a pseudostratified neuroepithelium, the optic vesicle (OV), in which cells acquire neural retina or retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) fates. As these fates arise, the OV assumes a cup-shape, influenced by mechanical forces generated within the neural retina. Whether the RPE passively adapts to retinal changes or actively contributes to OV morphogenesis remains unexplored. We generated a zebrafish Tg(E1-bhlhe40:GFP) line to track RPE morphogenesis and interrogate its participation in OV folding. We show that, in virtual absence of proliferation, RPE cells stretch and flatten, thereby matching the retinal curvature and promoting OV folding. Localized interference with the RPE cytoskeleton disrupts tissue stretching and OV folding. Thus, extreme RPE flattening and accelerated differentiation are efficient solutions adopted by fast-developing species to enable timely optic cup formation. This mechanism differs in amniotes, in which proliferation drives RPE expansion with a much-reduced need of cell flattening