Problemas fitogeográficos de São José do Rio Preto, estado de São Paulo, Brasil

The county of São José do Rio Preto, State of São Paulo, Brazil, whose climatic and pedological characteristics are referred in this paper, has a reduced and fragmentary area of natural forests, which is mostly occupied by somewhat savanized and, in less grade, ruderalized formations. From the second half of 1962 to the end of 1963, the authors have found species belonging to five different phytogeographic elements, as follow: the General Element, the Amazonic Element, the Atlantic Element, the Meridional Element, and the Central Element. Though no secure] statement can one make on the climax-formation of the region, we may admit that it might be the semideciduous and somewhat xeromorphic latifoliated tropical forest. The problem of origin of the "cerrado" remains an open question yet.O Município de São José do Rio Preto, Estado de São Paulo, Brasil, cujas principais características climáticas e pedológicas estão indicadas no trabalho, apresenta área florestal reduzida e fragmentária, sendo, em sua maior parte, ocupada por formações mais, ou menos savanizadas e, em menor grau, ruderalizadas. Foram, até agora, encontradas espécies vegetais pertencentes a cinco elementos fitogeográficos diferentes: o Geral, o Amazônico, o Atlântico, o Meridional e o Central. Embora nada se possa dizer, com segurança, em relação à formação clímax da região, pode-se admitir que seja a floresta latifoliada tropical, semidecídua e mais ou menos xeromorfa. Continua em aberto, para a região, o problema da origem do cerrado

Balanço hídrico de Guarea trichilioides L., na estação seca, em São José do Rio Preto

This paper deals with the water balance of Guarea trichilioides L., a meliaceous tree, native in the tropical America. Transpiration was measured by the method of rapid weighing of detached leaflets. Determinations of transpiration values showed that G. trichilioides did'nt restrict transpiration in the more hot hours of the day. Relative transpiration was higher than that of the trees of the rain tropical forest. Relative cuticular transpiration was low, as in most trees of the rain forest, and lower than that of several plants of the cerrados (brazilian savannae). Hydroactive movement of the stomata was relatively rapid in the initial phasis, becoming however, very slow, before attaining the values of the cuticular transpiration. The saturation deficit was always low, as in the rain tropical forest trees. From the study of the water balance and leaf structure, we can realize that Guapea trichilioides is a tree of the tropical forest unadapted to support conditions of intense drought.Guarea trichilioides L.4, (= Guarea guara (N.J. Jacquin) P. Wilson) é uma meliácea arbórea silvestre, fornecedora de madeira vermelha e conhecida, na região de São José do Rio Preto, pelo nome de "Marinheiro". Foi estudado o balanço hídrico desta planta na estação seca, pelo método das pesagens rápidas de folíolos destacados, verificando-se que, nas condições consideradas, não houve, praticamente, restrição acentuada da transpiração nas horas mais desfavoráveis do dia. A transpiração relativa foi bastante elevada, comparável aquela de outras árvores da mesma formação e bem superior à das árvores da floresta pluvial tropical. A transpiração cuticular foi baixa, comparável à da maioria das árvores da citada floresta pluvial e bem inferior àquela de muitas plantas permanentes do cerrado. O movimento hidroativo dos estômatos foi relativamente rápido na fase inicial, tornando-se, porem, bastante vagaroso antes de atingir o valor da transpiração cuticular. O deficit de saturação foi pequeno, comparável ao das árvores da floresta pluvial. O estudo do balanço hídrico e da estrutura foliar levam a considerar Guarea trichilioides como uma árvore da floresta tropical não adaptada a suportar condições de seca intensa

Insights about the Choice of Pig Manure Processing System in Three Italian Regions: Piemonte, Friuli Venezia Giulia, and Veneto

The adoption of best available technologies (BATs) by the livestock sector has a fundamental role in developing a sustainable agricultural system. Italy is the EU member with the highest percentage of manure treated, but processing facilities are regionally scattered and the adoption of BATs is far from being scaled-up. The adoption is a matter of multicriteria decision-making and full knowledge on how to foster the transition is still lacking. The present research aims to deepen the available knowledge by analysing the perception of 40 pig farm managers about decision criteria behind the adopted manure management system across three different Italian regions. We assessed farms in Piemonte, Friuli Venezia Giulia, and Veneto. All farms have adequate storage facilities, but 82.5% adopt no processing technique. The two most important decision criteria are economic, i.e., the minimization of treatment and spreading costs. The emerging picture allows us to conclude that BAT adoption is still adopted as a mere consequence of legal obligation. Economic constraints prevail as there is a lack of information and uncertainty. Clear perspectives and recognition of virtuous behavior prevent farmers from making decisions based on environmental or social criteria. Therefore, effective policies oriented to fill these gaps are needed to accelerate the transition towards sustainability

Phase II Randomized Study of Vandetanib Plus Gemcitabine or Gemcitabine Plus Placebo as First-Line Treatment of Advanced Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer in Elderly Patients

Introduction:The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of vandetanib plus gemcitabine (V/G) compared with gemcitabine alone in elderly patients with untreated advanced non–small-cell lung cancer.Methods:This was a phase II, randomized, double-blind study. A total of 124 elderly patients (mean age, 75 yr; age range, 70–84 yr; 73% men) received V/G (n = 61) or placebo plus gemcitabine (n = 63). Progression-free survival (PFS) was the primary endpoint. Secondary endpoints were overall survival, objective response rate, duration of response, disease control rate, time to deterioration of performance status, and safety outcomes.Results:PFS was significantly prolonged with V/G (median, 183 days; 95% confidence interval, 116–214) compared with placebo plus gemcitabine (median, 169 days; 95% confidence interval, 95–194; p = 0.047). No statistically significant differences between arms were observed in all secondary endpoints, including overall survival. The addition of vandetanib to gemcitabine was well tolerated. The rate of patients with ≥1 treatment-related adverse event was comparable in the two arms, pyrexia, dyspnea, and neutropenia being the most common adverse events.Conclusions:V/G combination was associated with a statistically significant prolongation of PFS compared with gemcitabine alone in untreated elderly patients with advanced non–small-cell lung cancer, with an acceptable safety profile

Detailed knowledge of regional anatomy and anatomical variations is fundamental to achieve successful surgical procedure. Although primary objective of neurosurgery is to restore physiological vital functions, remove intracranial mass and prevent further

Detailed knowledge of regional anatomy and anatomical variations is fundamental to achieve successful surgical procedure. Although primary objective of neurosurgery is to restore physiological vital functions, remove intracranial mass and prevent further brain damage, while preserving tissue and organ integrity, the neurosurgeon takes the risk of impairing non-vital functions. Occasionally, as with the hypoglossal nerve, the impairment of anatomical structures found on surgical route is due to their still barely known anatomical relations and variations. In order to provide an anatomically and surgically oriented classification to guide neurosurgical procedures and to ensure the preservation of nerve integrity, the aim of the present study is to detail the course of the 12th cranial nerve (CN) and to establish anatomical landmarks for surgeons. A combination of anatomical dissection of the neck and oral floor and skull base far lateral approach of 6 cadaveric human heads (3 male, 3 female, age 62+4) was performed, on both sides, to explore and follow the entire course of the 12th CN, from its emergence in the preolivary sulcus to the tongue. Skeletal, muscular and vascular relationships were meticulously analyzed and documented during anatomic and surgical dissections. According to our observations, hypoglossal nerve can be divided into five segments. The first two are intracranial, cisternal and intracanalar, and the other three, namely the descending, horizontal and ascending, are extracranial. Intriguingly, we found unreported relations of the nerve that, apart from their anatomical interest, have tremendous significance for surgeons operating on head and neck. Specifically, the intracanalar segment passes through a venous lacuna that, to the best of our knowledge, was never described before as such. This venous structure drains into the jugular bulb and acts as a sheath between the nerve and the osseous wall of the canal. The nerve in the venous sheath bends and it is elastically fixed to the osseous wall of the canal by fibrous bands. Therefore, the venous lacuna guarantees mobility to the nerve, and cushion the nerve from the bone. As for the descending segment, during its course it has very close relationship with the internal jugular vein, the internal carotid artery, the posterior belly of digastric muscle, and the styloid process and muscles inserting on it. The descending segment provides the ansa hypoglossi, branches to muscles inserting on the styloid process and to the sternocleidomastoid muscle. The horizontal segment has relationship with the intermediate digastric tendon, the stylohyoid, hyoglossus and mylohyoid muscles and the submandibular gland. The ascending segment might be very short and sometimes it is absent. The fifth and last segment becomes deeper at the anterior edge of hyoglossus muscle, and terminates into several branches supplying intrinsic and extrinsic musculature of tongue

Acromegaly is associated with increased cancer risk: A survey in Italy

It is debated if acromegalic patients have an increased risk to develop malignancies. The aim of the present study was to assess the standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) of different types of cancer in acromegaly on a large series of acromegalic patients managed in the somatostatin analogs era. It was evaluated the incidence of cancer in an Italian nationwide multicenter cohort study of 1512 acromegalic patients, 624 men and 888 women, mean age at diagnosis 45 \uc2\ub1 13 years, followed up for a mean of 10 years (12573 person-years) in respect to the general Italian population. Cancer was diagnosed in 124 patients, 72 women and 52 men. The SIRs for all cancers was significantly increased compared to the general Italian population (expected: 88, SIR 1.41; 95% CI, 1.18-1.68, P < 0.001). In the whole series, we found a significantly increased incidence of colorectal cancer (SIR 1.67; 95% CI, 1.07-2.58, P = 0.022), kidney cancer (SIR 2.87; 95% CI, 1.55-5.34, P < 0.001) and thyroid cancer (SIR 3.99; 95% CI, 2.32-6.87, P < 0.001). The exclusion of 11 cancers occurring before diagnosis of acromegaly (all in women) did not change remarkably the study outcome. In multivariate analysis, the factors significantly associated with an increased risk of malignancy were age and family history of cancer, with a non-significant trend for the estimated duration of acromegaly before diagnosis. In conclusion, we found evidence that acromegaly in Italy is associated with a moderate increase in cancer risk