Nutritive Quality of Tropical Grasses Sown under a Pine Plantation

A trial was conducted in Brazil to evaluate the nutritive quality of 6 tropical grasses: tanzania (Panicum maximum cv. Tanzania), green-panic (P. maximum var. Trichoglume), aruana (P. maximum cv. Aruana), brizanta (Brachiaria brizantha), humidicola (B. humidicola) and tifton-85 (Cynodon dactylon cv. Tifton 85), planted under two different densities of pines (Pinus elliottis): 200 and 400 stems/ha, as well as in full sunlight. The results showed a significant increase in protein content and a significant decrease in NDF and cellulose contents as tree density increased. Comparing the values obtained under shading conditions with those obtained in the open, it was observed an increase in the contents of CP (+2,47), ADF (+0,73), lignin (+1,38), ash (+0,87) and in the digestibility (+2,16), and a decrease in the contents of NDF (-3,46), hemicellulose (-4,19) and cellulose (-1,20) in percentage units. Tanzania presented the best nutritive quality under shade: 13 % CP, 32 % cellulose, 5 % lignin and a digestibility of 54%. This grass was also the best under full sunlight, showing that it was the less sensitive to shading. It was concluded that, although less productive, the nutritive quality of tropical grasses was enhanced by shading

Production and Mineral Composition of Tropical Grasses Sown under a Pine Plantation

A trial was conducted in Brazil to evaluate the performance of 6 tropical grasses: tanzania (Panicum maximum cv. Tanzania), green-panic (P. maximum var. Trichoglume), aruana (P. maximum cv. Aruana), brizanta (Brachiaria brizantha), humidicola (B. humidicola) and tifton-85 (Cynodon dactylon cv. Tifton 85), planted under two different densities of pines (Pinus elliottis): 200 and 400 stems/ha, as well as in the full sunlight. The results showed that the dry matter yield decreased as shading increased. The grasses tanzania and brizanta were the most tolerant to shading. Although N concentration increased with shading, the total N yield was still lower than that obtained with grasses in full sunlight, probably due to higher soil acidity and to lower nutrient content under the pines. The concentrations of P, K, Mg and S were higher and those of Ca lower under shading conditions. All elements were at adequate level, except for Tifton-85 that presented a low N content and a high content of S, probably due to the fact that this grass is more demanding in soil N. It is concluded that other factor besides light influenced DM and N yields; but even so, it was possible to obtain a satisfactory biomass production under shading conditions

Modulating MIOX2 expression in Nicotiana tabacum and impacts on genes involved in cell wall biosynthesis

Cell walls are essential structures for plant development and growth. Apart from its biological functions, the polysaccharides that make cell walls (cellulose, hemicellulose and pectins) are the principal natural fibrous materials, considered the most important renewable resource on earth, used as raw material for many industrial processes among them, for pulp and paper production, charcoal, and biofuels. For all these reasons, the study of molecular composition and biosynthesis of plant cell walls has been a matter of great interest for researchers over the past few years. In this context, a full-length cDNA fragment of Miox2 gene was cloned from Arabidopsis seedlings, using RT-PCR, with an open reading frame of 954 pb and a corresponding protein subunit molecular mass of 37 kDa. The deduced amino acid sequence of the cDNA showed a high degree of homology with myo-Inosytol oxygenases from other organisms. This cDNA was used for genetic transformation of model plants (tobacco), which expressed either antisense or sense RNA. Transgenic homozygous tobacco model plants with either repression or constitutively expressed Miox2 were obtained with the number of copies varying from 1 to 7. Neither, the repression of the endogenous tobacco Miox genes or the constitutive expression of Miox2 gene, caused major impact on plant development, leaf morphology or flowering time. There was however, statistically significant (P<0.05) changes in the arabinan and D-galacturonate contents. These results clearly indicate that the modulation of the myo-Inositol pathway caused no major impact on cell wall polysaccharide biosynthesis.As paredes celulares vegetais são estruturas essenciais para o crescimento e desenvolvimento das plantas. Além de suas diversas funções biológicas, os componentes polissacarídicos constituintes das paredes celulares (celulose, hemiceluloses e pectinas) são de vital importância como fonte natural de fibras, sendo consideradas as fontes principais de recursos renováveis do planeta, utilizados como matéria prima para diversos processos industriais, dentre eles, a produção de papel e celulose, carvão vegetal e biocombustíveis. Todos esses fatores têm despertado grande interesse no estudo da composição e biossíntese das paredes celulares. Neste contexto, um fragmento de cDNA do gene Miox2 foi clonado de plântulas de Arabidopsis, via RT-PCR, com uma região aberta de leitura de 954 pb e sua proteína com massa molecular de 37kDa. A sequência deduzida de aminoácidos do cDNA apresentou alto grau de identidade com mio-Inositol oxigenases de outros organismos. Este cDNA foi usado para transformação genética de plantas modelo (tabaco) que produziram RNA antisense ou sense. Plantas de tabaco homozigotas para o transgene com repressão ou expressão constitutiva do gene Miox2 foram obtidas com um número de cópias do transgene, variando de 1 a 7. A repressão do gene Miox de tabaco endógeno assim como a expressão constitutiva do gene Miox2 de Arabidopsis não causaram alterações no desenvolvimento, morfologia foliar ou tempo de florescimento das plantas. Entretanto, alterações estatisticamente significativas (P<0.05) ocorreram no conteúdo de arabinana e de D-galacturonato. Estes resultados indicam que a modulação do metabolismo do mio-Inositol não causou grandes impactos na biossíntese dos polissacarídeos da parede celular.Fil: Defávari Nascimento, D.. Universidade do Sao Paulo. Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz; BrasilFil: Conti, Gabriela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Labate, Mônica T. V.. Universidade do Sao Paulo. Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz; BrasilFil: Gutmanis, Gunta. Universidade do Sao Paulo. Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz; BrasilFil: Bertolo, Ana L. F.. Universidade do Sao Paulo. Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz; BrasilFil: de Andrade, Alexander. Universidade do Sao Paulo. Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz; BrasilFil: Bragatto, Juliano. Universidade do Sao Paulo. Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz; BrasilFil: Pagotto, Luís Otávio. Universidade do Sao Paulo. Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz; BrasilFil: Damin, Plínio. Universidade do Sao Paulo. Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz; BrasilFil: Moon, David H.. Universidade do Sao Paulo. Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz; BrasilFil: Labate, Carlos A.. Universidade do Sao Paulo. Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz; Brasi

Avaliação agronômica sob pastejo de Andropogon gayanus cv. Planaltina consorciado com Desmodium ovalifolium.

O presente trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar os efeitos das taxas de lotação (1,0; 1,5; 2,0 e 2,5 UA/ha (UA = 450 kg de peso vivo), em uma pastagem consorciada de Andropogon gayanus e Desmodium ovalifolium CIAT-350, cultivada em Porto Velho, Rondônia. Cada tratamento teve um número fixo de animais (três/piquete), variando-se o tamanho da área em função da carga animal. Foram utilizados garrotes Holando-Zebu, com peso médio inicial de 120 a 150 kg. A gramínea e a leguminosa foram plantadas em linhas alternadas espaçadas de 0,5 m. A densidade de semeadura foi de 10 e 2 kg/ha, respectivamente para A. gayanus cv. Planaltina e D. ovalifolium CIAT-350. A adubação de estabelecimento constou da aplicação de 50 kg de P2O5/ha, sob a forma de superfosfato triplo. O sistema de pastejo foi rotativo com 7 dias de ocupação por 21 dias de descanso. O aumento da carga animal reduziu significativamente a disponibilidade total de forragem, ocorrendo o inverso quanto aos teores de PB. A percentagem de leguminosa na pastagem foi diretamente proporcional à carga animal. Considerando-se a disponibilidade e qualidade da forragem e a composição botânica da pastagem, recomenda-se a utilização de 1,5 e 1,0 UA/ha, respectivamente para os períodos chuvoso e seco

Factors influencing identification of and response to intimate partner violence: a survey of physicians and nurses

BACKGROUND: Intimate partner violence against women (IPV) has been identified as a serious public health problem. Although the health care system is an important site for identification and intervention, there have been challenges in determining how health care professionals can best address this issue in practice. We surveyed nurses and physicians in 2004 regarding their attitudes and behaviours with respect to IPV, including whether they routinely inquire about IPV, as well as potentially relevant barriers, facilitators, experiential, and practice-related factors. METHODS: A modified Dillman Tailored Design approach was used to survey 1000 nurses and 1000 physicians by mail in Ontario, Canada. Respondents were randomly selected from professional directories and represented practice areas pre-identified from the literature as those most likely to care for women at the point of initial IPV disclosure: family practice, obstetrics and gynecology, emergency care, maternal/newborn care, and public health. The survey instrument had a case-based scenario followed by 43 questions asking about behaviours and resources specific to woman abuse. RESULTS: In total, 931 questionnaires were returned; 597 by nurses (59.7% response rate) and 328 by physicians (32.8% response rate). Overall, 32% of nurses and 42% of physicians reported routinely initiating the topic of IPV in practice. Principal components analysis identified eight constructs related to whether routine inquiry was conducted: preparedness, self-confidence, professional supports, abuse inquiry, practitioner consequences of asking, comfort following disclosure, practitioner lack of control, and practice pressures. Each construct was analyzed according to a number of related issues, including clinician training and experience with woman abuse, area of practice, and type of health care provider. Preparedness emerged as a key construct related to whether respondents routinely initiated the topic of IPV. CONCLUSION: The present study provides new insight into the factors that facilitate and impede clinicians' decisions to address the issue of IPV with their female patients. Inadequate preparation, both educational and experiential, emerged as a key barrier to routine inquiry, as did the importance of the "real world" pressures associated with the daily context of primary care practice

Is there value in using physician billing claims along with other administrative health care data to document the burden of adolescent injury? An exploratory investigation with comparison to self-reports in Ontario, Canada

BACKGROUND: Administrative health care databases may be particularly useful for injury surveillance, given that they are population-based, readily available, and relatively complete. Surveillance based on administrative data, though, is often restricted to injuries that result in hospitalization. Adding physician billing data to administrative data-based surveillance efforts may improve comprehensiveness, but the feasibility of such an approach has rarely been examined. It is also not clear how injury surveillance information obtained using administrative health care databases compares with that obtained using self-report surveys. This study explored the value of using physician billing data along with hospitalization data for the surveillance of adolescent injuries in Ontario, Canada. We aimed i) to document the burden of adolescent injury using administrative health care data, focusing on the relative contribution of physician billing information; and ii) to explore data quality issues by directly comparing adolescent injuries identified in administrative and self-report data. METHODS: The sample included adolescents aged 12 to 19 years who participated in the 1996–1997 cross-sectional Ontario Health Survey, and whose survey responses were linked to administrative health care datasets (N = 2067). Descriptive analysis was used to document the burden of injuries as a proportion of all physician care by gender and location of care, and to examine the distribution of both administratively-defined and self-reported activity-limiting injuries according to demographic characteristics. Administratively-defined and self-reported injuries were also directly compared at the individual level. RESULTS: Approximately 10% of physician care for the sample was identified as injury-related. While 18.8% of adolescents had self-reported injury in the previous year, 25.0% had documented administratively-defined injury. The distribution of injuries according to demographic characteristics was similar across data sources, but congruence was low at the individual level. Possible reasons for discrepancies between the data sources included recall errors in the survey data and errors in the physician billing data algorithm. CONCLUSION: If further validated, physician billing data could be used along with hospital inpatient data to make an important and unique contribution to adolescent injury surveillance. The limitations inherent in different datasets highlight the need to continue rely on multiple information sources for complete injury surveillance information

Cloning and endogenous expression of a Eucalyptus grandis UDP-glucose dehydrogenase cDNA

UDP-glucose dehydrogenase (UGDH) catalyzes the oxidation of UDP-glucose (UDP-Glc) to UDP-glucuronate (UDP-GlcA), a key sugar nucleotide involved in the biosynthesis of plant cell wall polysaccharides. A full-length cDNA fragment coding for UGDH was cloned from the cambial region of 6-month-old E. grandis saplings by RT-PCR. The 1443-bp-ORF encodes a protein of 480 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 53 kDa. The recombinant protein expressed in Escherichia coli catalyzed the conversion of UDP-Glc to UDP-GlcA, confirming that the cloned cDNA encodes UGDH. The deduced amino acid sequence of the cDNA showed a high degree of identity with UGDH from several plant species. The Southern blot assay indicated that more than one copy of UGDH is present in Eucalyptus. These results were also confirmed by the proteomic analysis of the cambial region of 3- and 22-year-old E. grandis trees by 2-DE and LC-MS/MS, showing that at least two isoforms are present. The cloned gene is mainly expressed in roots, stem and bark of 6-month-old saplings, with a lower expression in leaves. High expression levels were also observed in the cambial region of 3- and 22-year-old trees. The results described in this paper provide a further view of the hemicellulose biosynthesis during wood formation in E. grandis

Are clinicians being prepared to care for abused women? A survey of health professional education in Ontario, Canada

Background: The current project undertook a province-wide survey and environmental scan of educational opportunities available to future health care providers on the topic of intimate partner violence (IPV) against women. Methods: A team of experts identified university and college programs in Ontario, Canada as potential providers of IPV education to students in health care professions at the undergraduate and post-graduate levels. A telephone survey with contacts representing these programs was conducted between October 2005 and March 2006. The survey asked whether IPV-specific education was provided to learners, and if so, how and by whom. Results: In total, 222 eligible programs in dentistry, medicine, nursing and other allied health professions were surveyed, and 95% (212/222) of programs responded. Of these, 57% reported offering some form of IPV-specific education, with undergraduate nursing (83%) and allied health (82%) programs having the highest rates. Fewer than half of undergraduate medical (43%) and dentistry (46%) programs offered IPV content. Postgraduate programs ranged from no IPV content provision (dentistry) to 41% offering content (nursing). Conclusion: Significant variability exists across program areas regarding the methods for IPV education, its delivery and evaluation. The results of this project highlight that expectations for an active and consistent response by health care professionals to women experiencing the effects of violence may not match the realities of professional preparation