Risks associated with a double-cropping production system – a case study in southern Brazil

This study assessed the risk exposure of the production system of a typical farm in southern Brazil. Five possible production systems were analyzed, combining three crops (soybeans, corn seasons and wheat) in different crop-year combinations, for example: “Summer soybeans followed by corn” and “Autumn corn followed by winter wheat”. Five different production systems were created based on the intensity of land use for each of the crops. Primary data were collected from a typical farm in the producing region over eight seasons (2006/07 to 2013/14). The Monte Carlo simulation technique was used to evaluate negative Net Operating Revenue (NOR) risk. The results showed that the production system with soybean and first season corn had a higher NOR and lower risk when compared with the other four production systems, which intensified the land use in the second season. When the production system had a higher rate of corn and/or wheat, the NOR and the risk to the production system increased for the first or second crop. Both corn and wheat in the second crop increased the risk to the production system on the typical farm in Cascavel, in the state of Parana (PR)

CARACTERIZAÇÃO E ANÁLISE DE SUSTENTABILIDADE DAS PROPRIEDADES TÍPICAS NO OESTE DE SÃO PAULO

A dinâmica do agronegócio é caracterizada por momentos de alta e de baixa. O ciclo de preço e a variação da produtividade das atividades presentes na propriedade determinam a rentabilidade e a sustentabilidade do negócio. Assim, o presente trabalho tem o objetivo de caracterizar a propriedade típica dos produtores da região de Assis (SP) e analisar sua sustentabilidade e fluxo de caixa. O estudo de caso descreveu as características de quatro propriedades típicas da região, revelando similaridade na adoção tecnológica e no módulo rural. Quanto ao sistema de produção, as propriedades apresentaram diferentes estratégias para garantir a rentabilidade e a sustentabilidade do negócio. A análise do fluxo de caixa e a análise da sustentabilidade da propriedade são utilizadas como ferramentas básicas para possíveis tomadas de decisões por parte dos produtores agrícolas. Em geral, a diversificação da propriedade viabiliza uma redução da sazonalidade do fluxo de caixa do negócio. -------------------------------------------------The agribusiness dynamics is characterized by time of high and low. The cycle of price and variation in the yield of activities in the property determine the profitability and sustainability of the business. Thus, the present study aims to characterize the typical property of the producers of the region de Assis (SP) and analyze the sustainability and cash flow of rural property. The case study described the characteristic properties of four typical of the region, showing similarity in adopting technology in rural module. Regarding the production system, the properties had different strategies to ensure the profitability and sustainability of the business. The analysis of cash flow and analysis of the sustainability of the property are used as basic tools for possible decision making on the part of farmers. In general, the diversification of the property is viable when it reduces the seasonality in cash flow of the business.propriedade típica, sustentabilidade do negócio, fluxo de caixa da propriedade, typical farm, sustainable business and farm cash-flow, Agricultural Finance, Farm Management,

Acute kidney injury complicating bee stings – a review

Bee stings can cause severe reactions and have caused many victims in the last years. Allergic reactions can be triggered by a single sting and the greater the number of stings, the worse the prognosis. The poisoning effects can be systemic and can eventually cause death. The poison components are melitin, apamin, peptide 401, phospholipase A2, hyaluronidase, histamine, dopamine, and norepinephrine, with melitin being the main lethal component. Acute kidney injury (AKI) can be observed in patients suffering from bee stings and this is due to multiple factors, such as intravascular hemolysis, rhabdomyolysis, hypotension and direct toxicity of the venom components to the renal tubules. Arterial hypotension plays an important role in this type of AKI, leading to ischemic renal lesion. The most commonly identified biopsy finding in these cases is acute tubular necrosis, which can occur due to both, ischemic injury and the nephrotoxicity of venom components. Hemolysis and rhabdomyolysis reported in many cases in the literature, were demonstrated by elevated serum levels of indirect bilirubin and creatine kinase. The severity of AKI seems to be associated with the number of stings, since creatinine levels were higher, in most cases, when there were more than 1,000 stings. The aim of this study is to present an updated review of AKI associated with bee stings, including the currently advised clinical approach

Quality of life of patients with strabismus

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of strabismus on quality of life. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 101 individuals aged 7-67 years with strabismus. They were interviewed and made to answer a questionnaire with 20 questions intended to assess the individual's interaction with their social and working environment, sensory perception, and limitations in their daily lives. There were five types of possible responses for each question: never, rarely or very few times, sometimes, frequently, and always. The questionnaire was based on the AS-20 and contained 11 questions assessing psychosocial aspects and 9 questions assessing functional aspects. Among those who were interviewed, 24.8% had undergone surgical correction of strabismus. Results: We observed a significant impact of strabismus on the quality of life of the interviewed individuals. Feelings of sadness and inferiority because of strabismus were reported by 74.2% and 58.4% respondents, respectively. In terms of functionality, 12.1% reported difficulty in reading, 14% said they had difficulty in depth perception (stereopsis), and 17.8% frequently or always associated pain or burning sensation in the eyes to strabismus. A significant difference was detected in the quality of life scores for the psychosocial aspect among patients who had and had not undergone surgery (Wilcoxon test, 158; p<0.001). Individuals who had undergone surgery had a better quality of life from the psychosocial perspective. Conclusions: In this evaluation, we found a significant negative interference of strabismus on quality of life from both the functional and psychosocial perspectives. This demonstrated the importance of treatment for strabismus, regardless of age, because it can interfere with the functional well-being of the individual

Levantamento florístico de plantas medicinais de um fragmento de campos de altitude da mata atlântica

A mata atlântica apresenta uma grande biodiversidade de espécies vegetais, algumas ameaçadas. Com usos diversos, muitas sofrem com a pressão humana e pela ausência de manejo de áreas relevantes no bioma. O objetivo do presente estudo foi realizar o levantamento florístico de um campo de altitude sobre corpos de bauxita, identificando espécies com potencial medicinal, no município de Poços de Caldas, Minas Gerais. Fez-se uma revisão de literatura dessas espécies, inferindo sobre sua respectiva importância no uso popular, seus componentes químicos e sua atividade biológica. Identificaram-se 42 espécies com potencial medicinal, distribuídas em 19 famílias, com destaque para Asteraceae (22 espécies). Do total de 42 espécies com potencial medicinal, 39 foram relatadas na literatura quanto ao seu uso popular, 37 têm seus componentes químicos estudados e 27 apresentaram registros de pesquisas com aspectos relacionados à atividade biológica. Percebeu-se a questão de diferença de gênero e de diferença etária em relação ao conhecimento sobre plantas medicinais. Verificou-se que as pesquisas sobre plantas medicinais são fragmentadas e realizadas em menor escala. A elaboração de planos de manejo sustentáveis de produtos não madeireiros com potencial medicinal é uma estratégia para conservar a sociobiodiversidade da mata atlântica

A comparative study of the effects of type A botulinum toxin and crotoxin on satellite cells of extraocular muscles in rabbits

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of botulinum toxin A and crotoxin on satellite cell activation in the muscle fibers of superior rectus muscles of rabbits. METHODS: The superior rectus muscles in the right eyes of 29 male, albino, New Zealand rabbits were inoculated with different doses of botulinum toxin A or crotoxin. The contra-lateral superior rectus muscles in each rabbit were inoculated with the same volume of saline solution only. The animals were sacrificed either 12, 18 or 25 days after the inoculation. The eyes were enucleated and subsequently, each muscle was prepared for immunohistochemical analysis, using satellite cell markers. The positive nuclei, revealed by the markers in each 100 myofibers, were counted. RESULTS: The application of the botulinum toxin A and crotoxina triggered a more significant increase satellite cell activation and proliferation in right superior rectus muscles in rabbits when compared with a saline solution inoculation in the contralateral muscles. Greater cell activation was observed after crotoxin application, although, statistically, the difference in the effects of this activation between the botoxin and crotoxin groups was not significant. There was no statistically significant correlation between the dose and the volume applied and resulting cell activation in the botoxin and crotoxin groups. Post-application survival time contributed to the increase in activated satellite cells in all groups. CONCLUSION: The observed increase in disorganization in the muscle structure, together with more obvious signs of regeneration in the crotoxina group, suggests a correlation with the increase in satellite cell activation.OBJETIVOS: Avaliar o efeito da toxina botulínica do tipo A e da crotoxina na ativação de células satélites das fibras musculares de retos superiores de coelhos. MÉTODOS: Os músculos retos superiores do olho direito de 29 coelhos machos albinos neozelandeses foram inoculados com toxina botulínica do tipo A ou com crotoxina, em diferentes doses. Os músculos retos superiores contralaterais de cada animal foram inoculados com solução salina em volume igual ao das toxinas. Os animais foram sacrificados 12, 18 ou 25 dias após as aplicações. Os olhos foram enucleados e cada músculo foi preparado para análise imunoistoquímica, com marcadores de células satélites. Foi realizada contagem dos núcleos corados pelos marcadores a cada cem miofibras. RESULTADOS: A aplicação de toxina botulínica e de crotoxina provocou um aumento no número de células satélites ativadas e em proliferação nos músculos retos superiores. Uma maior ativação foi observada após a aplicação de crotoxina, embora, estatisticamente, a diferença do efeito de ativação entre os grupos botoxina e crotoxina não tenha sido significativa. Nos grupos botoxina e crotoxina, não houve correlação estatisticamente significativa entre a dose e o volume aplicados e o aumento na ativação das células. O tempo de vida após a aplicação contribuiu para o aumento das células ativadas nos grupos. CONCLUSÃO: A observação de maior desorganização na estrutura muscular e de sinais de regeneração mais evidentes no grupo crotoxina parece estar correlacionada ao aumento de células satélites ativadas

Anti-inflammatory and healing action of oral gel containing borneol monoterpene in chemotherapy-induced mucositis in rats ( Rattus norvegicus )

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of gels containing the monoterpene borneol in induced oral mucositis using an animal model. Gels were prepared with borneol at 1.2% and 2.4% (w/w). Oral mucositis was induced by administration of three doses of 5-fluorouracil (30 mg/kg, i.p.) and injury with acetic acid (50%, v/v) soaked in filter paper applied to right cheek mucosa for 60s. Four subgroups comprising 12 animals each were formed. Six animals from each group were sacrificed at days seven and fourteen after oral mucositis induction. Mucous samples were processed and stained with hematoxylin-eosin and Masson’s Trichrome. The semiquantitative evaluation involved observation of inflammatory parameters. ImageJ® software was used in the quantitative evaluation. For statistical analyses, Two-way ANOVA, followed by Tukey’s post-test (

Energy levels and lysine, calcium and phosphorus adjustments on broiler nutrient digestibility and performance

Abstract Chicken broilers digestibility and performance fed with different ME levels, with and without adjustments of digestible lysine, calcium, and available phosphorus, were evaluated. For digestibility, 210 male Cobb 500 chicken broilers were used and distributed into a 3x2+1 factorial arrangement, with three ME levels (3050; 3125 and 3200 kcal/kg) with and without nutrient adjustment, plus one control treatment (2975 kcal ME/kg), totaling seven treatments including six repetitions with five birds into each repetition. For initial performance, 1120 birds were distributed randomly with eight replications within treatments and 20 birds for each replication. For final performance, 1008 chickens were distributed with eight replications and 18 birds for each replication. The DCDM and DCCP were improved (P0.05) between energy and nutrient adjustment, but the increase in energy levels improved the feed conversion ratio (FCR=1.370). Increasing energy density with nutrient adjustment improves both nutrient utilization and bird performance