Eficiência de linhagens de milho na absorção e utilização de fósforo em solução nutritiva Efficiency of corn inbred lines in phosphorus uptake and use in nutrient solutions

Mediante solução nutritiva, definiu-se uma metodologia para avaliação e seleção de plantas de milho mais eficientes na absorção e utilização do fósforo, em condições de sua baixa concentração. Quarenta linhagens de milho foram cultivadas em solução nutritiva completa, contendo 6,0mg de P/vaso de 2,8 litros, sem renovação da solução e com geração contínua. As plantas foram deixadas crescer durante 20 dias, sem reposição do P, até aparecerem sintomas de deficiência. Observaram-se variações no crescimento das linhagens, tanto nas raízes como na parte aérea, afetando o peso da matéria seca e a altura das plantas. As variações observadas no conteúdo total de P das plantas crescidas nas mesmas condições, acompanharam proporcionalmente as variações observadas no peso da matéria seca. Entretanto, a capacidade de produção de matéria seca por unidade de P absorvido (relação de eficiência) variou pouco. Assim, atribuíram-se as diferenças no crescimento das plantas muito mais ao mecanismo de absorção de P do que ao de sua utilização. As linhagens foram também avaliadas quanto aos sintomas visuais de deficiência de P. A classificação do material foi baseada nos pesos de matéria seca, dispostos numa curva de distribuição "t" de médias. De acordo com o intervalo de confiança da média geral, calculado com 99,9% de probabilidade, separou-se o material em 11 linhagens ineficientes (com peso abaixo de 5,28g), 20 linhagens medianamente eficientes (com peso entre 5,28 e 6,04g) e 9 linhagens eficientes (com peso acima de 6,040g).<br>A methodology was defined, using nutrient solution as growth medium, to evaluate and select more efficient corn (Zea mays L.) inbred lines in regard to P uptake and use, under low P conditions. Plants of 40 corn inbred lines were allowed to grow in nutrient solutions for 20 days, with 6.0 mg P/2.8 liters and continuous aeration, without renewing the solution until P-deficiency symptoms appeared. Differential top and root growth was observed among inbred lines. Plants differed with respect to dry matter weight, plant height, total P content and dry matter produced per unit P absorbed (efficiency ratios). The variation found for whole plant P content followed, proportionally, the variation observed for dry matter weight. The relation ship between plant growth and efficiency ratio was less evident, indicating that differentes in dry matter weight were mostly due to the differential P uptake rather than to the P use mechanism. The genetic materials were then classified based on the total dry matter weight means, which were fitted by a Student's t distribution. The confidence interval for this distribution, calculated with 99.9% probability, allowed to separate 9 P-efficient inbred lines (total dry weight above 6.04 g), 11 P-inefficient inbred lines (total dry weight below 5.28 g) and 20 intermediary lines (total dry weight between 5.28 and 6.04 g)

Development and validation of an ankle brachial index risk model for the prediction of cardiovascular events

Background The ankle brachial index (ABI) is related to risk of cardiovascular events independent of the Framingham risk score (FRS). The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a risk model for cardiovascular events incorporating the ABI and FRS. Design An analysis of participant data from 18 cohorts in which 24,375 men and 20,377 women free of coronary heart disease had ABI measured and were followed up for events. Methods Subjects were divided into a development and internal validation dataset and an external validation dataset. Two models, comprising FRS and FRS + ABI, were fitted for the primary outcome of major coronary events. Results In predicting events in the external validation dataset, C-index for the FRS was 0.672 (95% CI 0.599 to 0.737) in men and 0.578 (95% CI 0.492 to 0.661) in women. The FRS + ABI led to a small increase in C-index in men to 0.685 (95% CI 0.612 to 0.749) and large increase in women to 0.690 (95% CI 0.605 to 0.764) with net reclassification improvement (NRI) of 4.3% (95% CI 0.0 to 7.6%, p = 0.050) and 9.6% (95% CI 6.1 to 16.4%, p < 0.001), respectively. Restricting the FRS + ABI model to those with FRS intermediate 10-year risk of 10 to 19% resulted in higher NRI of 15.9% (95% CI 6.1 to 20.6%, p < 0.001) in men and 23.3% (95% CI 13.8 to 62.5%, p = 0.002) in women. However, incorporating ABI in an improved newly fitted risk factor model had a nonsignificant effect: NRI 2.0% (95% CI 2.3 to 4.2%, p = 0.567) in men and 1.1% (95% CI 1.9 to 4.0%, p = 0.483) in women. Conclusions An ABI risk model may improve prediction especially in individuals at intermediate risk and when performance of the base risk factor model is modest