Influéncia da aplicacao de cálcio e alagamento do solo sobre características anatómicas das folhas de milho (Zea mays L.) ¨Saracura¨ BRS-4154

A cultivar de milho “Saracura” BRS-4154 apresenta-se tolerante às condições de hipoxia decorrentes do encharcamento do solo. Alterações fisiológicas e anatômicas estão envolvidas no processo de adaptação de plantas a ambientes com baixa pressão de oxigênio. Ao mesmo tempo, o cálcio, além de ser um elemento estrutural que participa dos constituintes da parede celular, mostrou-se eficiente no aumento da tolerância de plantas do milho “Saracura” submetidas a estresse gasoso. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar as alterações morfo-anatômicas das folhas da cultivar de milho “Saracura” sob influência da aplicação de cloreto de cálcio e alagamento do solo em plantas em estádio de floração. O experimento foi conduzido em casa de vegetação, cujos tratamentos consistiram na aplicação ou não de cálcio ao solo com irrigação normal ou alagamento. Cortes transversais e paradérmicos foram preparados de acordo com as técnicas usuais de microtécnica vegetal. Foram observadas alterações significativas para o tamanho dos estômatos, ângulo de curvatura de lâmina foliar, diâmetro polar de células buliformes e espessura de nervura mediana, feixe vascular, metaxilema, mesofilo, epiderme das superfícies adaxial e abaxial.Cacao-Theobroma caca

Efeito do cálcio sobre as características anátomicas de raízes de milho (Zea mays L.) ¨Saracura¨ BRS-4154 submetido ao alagamento em casa de vegetacao

Saracura” BRS-4154 maize is an alternative for the areas subject to temporary flooding. Researches have been demonstrating that CaCl2 presence in flooded germination atmosphere increases “Saracura” maize tolerance to that condition. This work was conducted in greenhouse at Embrapa Milho e Sorgo, located in Sete Lagoas – MG, with the objective of obtaining better knowledge of anatomical alterations in “Saracura” BRS-4154 maize under the effect of calcium and flooding. Plants were submitted to treatments with and without addition of 300 kg ha-1 calcium chloride, incorporated in the whole soil. Each treatment was evaluated under regular irrigation conditions and under flooding imposed from stage V6 until flowering; the control treatment had normal irrigation and no calcium application. Assay evaluations were accomplished during flowering. Five to eight cm detached roots fragments were submitted to classic micro techniques to make and analyze tissues. Anatomical differences were observed among treatments - flooded and with normal irrigation - in relation to epidermis thickness, thicker in normal conditions. The aerenchyma presence only occurred in plants in flooded conditions, proving that those are not constituent of this species. The aerenchyma proportion decreased with calcium application, showing the participation of this ion in cell wall structure, avoiding disordered collapse and increasing the survival of the plant in flooded conditions. Calcium application influenced cellular epidermis arrangement and promoted a smaller exoderm thickness in normal irrigation conditions

Influence of daily beer or ethanol consumption on physical fitness in response to a high-intensity interval training program. The BEER-HIIT study

The authors would like to thank all the participants that took part of the study for their time and effort. We are grateful to Ms. Ana Yara PostigoFuentes for her assistance with the English language. This study is part of Cristina Molina-Hidalgo’s Doctoral Thesis conducted in the Official Doctoral Programme in Psychology of the University of Granada, Spain.Background: High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is an effective approach to improve physical fitness, but consuming beer, which is a regular practice in many physically active individuals, may interfere with these effects. The purposes of this study were to investigate the effects of a 10-week (2 days/week) HIIT program on cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength and power parameters, and also to assess the possible influence on them of a moderate consumption of beer (at least from Monday to Friday) or its alcohol equivalent. Methods: Young (24 ± 6 years old) healthy adults (n = 73, 35 females) were allocated to five groups. Four groups participated in the HIIT intervention program while the fifth group was a control Non-Training group (n = 15). Participants in the training groups chose whether they preferred receiving alcohol or alcohol-free beverages. Those choosing alcohol were randomized to either beer or ethanol intake: (i) T-Beer group (alcohol beer, 5.4%; n = 13) or (ii) T-Ethanol (sparkling water with vodka, 5.4%; n = 14). Those choosing alcohol-free intake were randomized to (iii) T-Water group (sparkling water, 0.0%; n = 16), or (iv) T-0.0Beer group (alcohol-free beer, 0.0%; n = 15). Men ingested 330 ml of the beverage at lunch and 330 ml at dinner; women ingested 330 ml at dinner. Before and after the intervention, maximal oxygen uptake in absolute and relative terms (VO2max.), maximal heart rate, total test duration, hand grip strength and four types of vertical jumps were measured. Results: HIIT induced significant improvements in absolute and relative values of VO2max, and total test duration (all p < 0.05) in all the training groups; also, clinical improvements were found in hand grip strength. These positive effects were not influenced by the regular intake of beer or alcohol. No changes in the vertical jumps occurred in any of the groups. Conclusions: A moderate beer or alcohol intake does not mitigate the positive effect of a 10-week HIIT on physical fitness in young healthy adults. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03660579. Registered 20 September 2018. Retrospectively registered.Centro de Informacion Cerveza y Salud (CICS), Madrid, SpainSpanish Government FPU14/04172 FPU15/0396