A CULTURA DO PINHÃO-MANSO (JATROPHA CURCAS L.): USO PARA FINS COMBUSTÍVEIS E DESCRIÇÃO AGRONÔMICA

The incentive to the use of renewable energies, especially biofuels,replacing the fossil originated ones, became an alternative in application toglobal warming. Thus, among these distinguishes the biodiesel, mainly fromthe Jatropha curcas L. The objective of this assay is to present studies aboutthe use of this specie for fuel making, besides agronomical studies madeuntil this moment in view of discuss and confront them. To remark, theinformation about the cultivation is, in general, deficient and conflictive, on the productive, economical, social, political, environmental and energeticlevels. However, their sustainability is still not verified, and the researchabout the subject is eminent, not only in Brazil but also in other countries.O estímulo ao uso das energias renováveis com destaque para osbiocombustíveis, em substituição aos de origem fóssil, tornou-se uma dasalternativas frente à questão do aquecimento global. Para tanto, dentre estasse destaca o biodiesel, principalmente o de pinhão-manso (Jatropha curcasL.). O objetivo deste ensaio foi de apresentar os estudos referentes ao usodesta espécie para fins combustíveis, bem como estudos agronômicos realizadosaté o momento, de modo a discuti-los e confrontá-los. Observa-seque, de modo geral, as informações técnicas acerca da cultura são escassase por vezes conflitantes, tanto em seus aspectos produtivos e econômicoscomo sociais, ambientais, políticos e energéticos. No entanto, suasustentabilidade ainda não foi comprovada, sendo que seus estudos, sobtodos os aspectos são eminentes, tanto no Brasil como em outros países

Custos energéticos do agroecossistema pinhão-manso e milho: comparativo entre o sistema de condução sequeiro e o irrigado

The knowledge production and energy expenditure in agriculture is crucial due to strategic importance which occupies as a producer of energy inputs to other economic sectors, such as biodiesel produced from oilseed crops, so this study was attempt to determine the energy cost of partial deployment and conduct of corn intercropping agroecosystem with physic nut, under the steering and without irrigation, in an experiment conducted in accordance with the productive system of family farming in the west of Paraná State. Such a study is justified due to the scarcity of energy data of the culture of physic nut under brazilian conditions, as well as in intercropping system under technological conditions of the family farm west of Paraná, and especially environmental issues involved in this study as the rational use of energy sources nonrenewable. The experiment was conducted in accordance with the techniques employed by family farmers in western Parana, from February 2008 to May 2008 for corn and from February 2008 to November 2009 for the cultivation of physic nut in the Experimental Center of Agricultural Engineering (NEEA), belonging to the State University of Western Paraná (UNIOESTE), campus of Cascavel/PR, in the area of tillage. The final product was assessed only corn. The technical coefficients, the workload, performance, identification of the tractor, implements and equipment, their specifications and their consumption of fuel, lubricants and greases, as well as quantification of manpower used were derived from primary data and secondary. The methodology consisted of determining the "Efficiency Cultural Partial" and "Energy Efficiency Partial". Regarding the energy balance in part, cultural and energy efficiency partial there were no major differences between the systems studied. We conclude that the conditions of the experiment the conduction system assessed in terms of energy both systems have the same performance.O conhecimento da produção e o dispêndio de energia pela agricultura é fundamental devido à importância estratégica que ocupa como produtora de insumos energéticos para outros setores econômicos, como é o caso do biodiesel produzido a partir de culturas oleaginosas; desta forma, o presente estudo teve como objetivo determinar os custos energéticos parciais da implantação e condução do agroecossistema milho em consórcio com pinhão-manso, sob os sistemas de condução sequeiros e irrigados, em experimento conduzido de acordo com o sistema produtivo da agricultura familiar da região oeste do Paraná. Tal estudo se justifica devido à escassez de dados energéticos da cultura do pinhão-manso em condições brasileiras, bem como em sistema consorciado sob condições tecnológicas da agricultura familiar do oeste paranaense e, sobretudo, das questões ambientais envolvidas neste estudo como o uso racional de fontes energéticas não renováveis. O experimento foi conduzido de acordo com as técnicas empregadas por agricultores familiares da região oeste paranaense, no período de fevereiro de 2008 a maio de 2008 para a cultura do milho e de fevereiro de 2008 a novembro de 2009, para a cultura do pinhão-manso, no Núcleo Experimental de Engenharia Agrícola (NEEA), pertencente à Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná (UNIOESTE), campus de Cascavel/PR, em área de plantio direto. O produto final avaliado foi apenas o milho. Os coeficientes técnicos, a jornada de trabalho, o rendimento, a identificação do trator, implementos e equipamentos, suas especificações e respectivos consumos de combustível, lubrificantes e graxas, além da quantificação da mão-de-obra utilizada foram determinados a partir de dados primários e secundários. A metodologia adotada constituiu-se de determinação da “Eficiência Cultural Parcial” e “Eficiência Energética Parcial”. Com relação ao balanço energético parcial, eficiência cultural e energética parciais não houve grandes diferenças entre os sistemas estudados. Conclui-se que para as condições do experimento e para os sistemas de condução avaliados, do ponto de vista energético ambos os sistemas têm o mesmo desempenho.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Quantitative Detection of Epstein-Barr Virus DNA in Cerebrospinal Fluid and Blood Samples of Patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

<div><p>The presence of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) DNA in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and peripheral blood (PB) samples collected from 55 patients with clinical and radiologically-active relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and 51 subjects with other neurological diseases was determined using standardized commercially available kits for viral nucleic acid extraction and quantitative EBV DNA detection. Both cell-free and cell-associated CSF and PB fractions were analyzed, to distinguish latent from lytic EBV infection. EBV DNA was detected in 5.5% and 18.2% of cell-free and cell-associated CSF fractions of patients with RRMS as compared to 7.8% and 7.8% of controls; plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) positivity rates were 7.3% and 47.3% versus 5.8% and 31.4%, respectively. No significant difference in median EBV viral loads of positive samples was found between RRMS and control patients in all tested samples. Absence of statistically significant differences in EBV positivity rates between RRMS and control patients, despite the use of highly sensitive standardized methods, points to the lack of association between EBV and MS disease activity.</p></div

EBV <i>EBNA-1</i> gene prevalence and viral loads in CSF and blood samples of 55 RRMS and 51 controls (OIND + NIND) patients.

<p>PBMC  =  peripheral blood mononuclear cells; CSF  =  cerebrospinal fluid; V.L.  =  viral load; RRMS relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis; OIND  =  other inflammatory neurological diseases; NIND  =  non-inflammatory neurological diseases or normal findings; OR  =  odd ratio.</p><p>*Median refers to positive samples.</p

Clinical and patient determinants of changing therapy in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (SWITCH study)

clinical factors and frequency of disease-modifying therapy (DMT) changes/interruptions in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients have not been well defined. The aim of this study was to describe reasons of MS treatment modifications in a large cohort of Italian MS patients

Patients with multiple sclerosis choose a collaborative role in making treatment decision: results from the Italian multicenter SWITCH study

Background: Clinicians are increasingly recognizing the importance of shared decision-making in complex treatment choices, highlighting the importance of the patient's rationale and motivation for switching therapies. This study aimed to evaluate the association between different modalities of changing multiple sclerosis (MS) treatments, cognitive profile and attitude and preferences of patients concerning treatment choice. Methods: This multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted at 28 Italian MS centers in the period between June 2016 and June 2017. We screened all MS patients treated with any DMT, with a treatment compliance of at least 80% of therapy administered during the 3 last months who needed to modify MS therapy because of efficacy, safety or other reasons during a follow-up visit. At the time of switching the symbol digit modalities test (SDMT) and the Control Preference Scale (CPS) were evaluated. According to the CPS, patients were classified as "active" (i.e. who prefer making the medical decision themselves), "collaborative" (i.e. who prefer decisions be made jointly with the physician), or "passive" (i.e. who prefer the physician make the decision). Results: Out of 13,657 patients recorded in the log, 409 (3%) changed therapy. Of these, 336 (2.5%) patients, 69.6% were female and with mean age 40.6&nbsp;±&nbsp;10.5 years, were enrolled. According to the CPS score evaluation, a significant high percentage of patients (51.1%) were considered collaborative, 74 patients (22.5%) were passive, and 60 (18.2%) patients were active. Stratifying according to CPS results, we found a higher SDMT score among collaborative patients compared to active and passive ones (45.8&nbsp;±&nbsp;12.3 versus 41.0&nbsp;±&nbsp;13.2 versus 41.7&nbsp;±&nbsp;12.8, p&nbsp;&lt;&nbsp;0.05). Conclusion: In this study, the CPS evaluation showed that more than 50% of patients who needed to change therapy chose a "collaborative" role in making treatment decision. Cognitive profile with SDMT seems to correlate with patients' preference on treatment decision, showing better scores in collaborative patients