Poda verde e produção do pessegueiro em alta densidade

O objetivo da pesquisa foi avaliar o efeito da poda verde em pessegueiros em alta densidade sobre a quantidade e qualidade de frutos produzidos nos anos agrícolas de 2010, 2011 e 2012 em Fazenda Rio Grande, Paraná. Os quatro tratamentos estudados foram: testemunha sem poda verde, uma poda verde realizada a 45 dias antes da colheita (AC), duas podas verdes a 45 e 75 dias AC e três podas verdes realizadas a 15, 45 e 75 dias AC. O método adotado para a poda verde foi a eliminação de ramos ladrões verticais e ramos voltados ao centro da copa e o desponte dos ramos acima de 2,3 m do solo. Foram avaliados a massa total colhida, a massa média do fruto, os diâmetros do fruto, a acidez titulável, o grau Brix, o pH e a relação Brix/Acidez. Não houve influência das diferentes épocas de poda verde em relação à produção de frutos por planta, ao tamanho do fruto e à qualidade química dos pêssegos colhidos, com exceção do pH do suco que aumentou ao longo das três safras analisadas. Concluiu-se que a poda verde realizada de 15 a 75 dias antes da colheita não influenciou na produção e na qualidade de pêssegos produzidos em alta densidade

Physical activity levels objectively measured among older adults: a population-based study in a Southern city of Brazil

Abstract Background Low levels of physical activity are currently observed in all age groups around the world. Among older adults physical activity is even lower, potentially influencing quality of life, incidence of diseases and premature mortality. The aim of this study was to describe objectively measured physical activity levels among older adults residents in a Southern city of Brazil. Methods A population-based study was carried out including people aged 60+ years living in the urban area of Pelotas. Face-to-face interviews, anthropometric measures and triaxial accelerometry (non-dominant wrist) were used to collect sociodemographic, anthropometric and physical activity, respectively. For descriptive purposes, overall physical activity was expressed as daily averages of acceleration. Time spent in light physical activity (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) using different bout criteria (non-bouted, and in 1-, 5- and 10-min bouts) were calculated. Crude and adjusted analyses were performed using simple linear regression to examine the association between physical activity and exposure variables. Results Overall, 971 individuals provided valid accelerometry data. Women spent on average more time on LPA (136.2 vs. 127.6 min per day). Men and women respectively accumulated, in average, 64.5 and 56.7 min per day of non-bouted MVPA, while these daily averages were 14.9 and 9.46 min using 5-min, and 8.1 and 4.5 min using 10-min bout MVPA. In adjusted analyses, men aged 80 years or more spent in average 45 min less LPA per day when compared to men 60-69 years and, among women, this difference was 65 min. Considering time in 5-min MVPA bouts, the youngest age group and those with a better self-perceived health accumulated more MVPA. Specifically among men, socioeconomic status was inversely associated with 5-min bout MVPA. Conclusion The present study showed low levels of physical activity among Brazilian older adults, even lower in more advanced ages, and a different pattern for physical activity intensity between men and women

Descrição do clima na região da Indicação Geográfica Campo das Vertentes nos anos de 2020 a 2022.

O objetivo desse resumo é descrever o clima da região da Indicação Geográfica Campo das Vertentes (IGCV), no período de janeiro 2020 a dezembro 2022, utilizando o banco de dados de reanálise NASA Previsão de Recursos Energéticos Mundiais (NASA POWER - https://power.larc.nasa.gov). A região IGCV é formada por 17 municípios pertencentes às mesorregiões do IBGE Campo das Vertentes e Oeste de Minas. Os municípios foram divididos em dois grupos de acordo com a similaridade dos dados climáticos, Grupo 1 (Bom Sucesso, Cana Verde e Santo Antônio do Amparo) e Grupo 2 (Camacho e Oliveira). A análise climática demonstrou que as precipitações anuais médias dos municípios foram de aproximadamente 1360 mm. No Grupo 1, os meses mais chuvosos foram de dezembro a fevereiro com precipitação média de 250 mm, seguidos por outubro e novembro com precipitação média de 145 mm, março 100 mm, setembro 80 mm, abril 31 mm, maio 25 mm, e os meses de junho, julho e agosto com média de 7 mm (com exceção em agosto de 2022, no qual a média foi de 103,3 mm). As temperaturas médias anuais foram de 20,7˚C, as médias das temperaturas máximas foram de 27ºC, com máximas superiores a 30˚C nos meses de setembro e outubro de 2020 e 2021, e de temperaturas mínimas médias anuais de 15,3˚C, com mínimas inferiores a 10˚C nos meses de maio e julho nos anos de 2020 e 2021. No Grupo 2, os meses mais chuvosos foram de dezembro a fevereiro com precipitação média de 260 mm, seguido por outubro e novembro com precipitação média de 160 mm, março 92 mm, setembro 78 mm, abril 33 mm, maio 27 mm, e os meses de junho, julho e agosto com média de 9 mm, (com exceção em agosto de 2022, no qual a média foi de 134,6 mm). As temperaturas médias anuais foram de 21 ˚C, as médias das temperaturas máximas foram de 27,4ºC, com máximas superiores a 30 ˚C nos meses de setembro e outubro de 2020 e 2021, e as temperaturas mínimas médias anuais de 15,7˚C, com mínimas inferiores a 10˚C nos meses de maio de 2020 e julho de 2021. Com relação às variações médias anuais de umidades do ar (UR%), observou-se pequena diferença entre as regiões da IGCV, sendo a média para os dois grupos de aproximadamente 72,5%, no qual os meses mais secos foram julho, agosto e setembro, abaixo de 60%. As regiões citadas podem ser caracterizadas com temperaturas médias, máximas e mínimas anuais de 20,8 ˚C, 27,2 ˚C, 15,5 ˚C, respectivamente. Precipitação média anual de 1360 mm e umidade do ar média anual de 72,5%. Entretanto as diferenças observadas entre os grupos devem ser consideradas no manejo das áreas de cafés visando a alcançar a qualidade da bebida dos cafés da região Indicação Geográfica Campo das Vertentes (IGCV)

Microbiological quality of drinking rainwater in the inland region of Pajeú, Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil

Despite all efforts to store and reduce its consumption, water is becoming less inexhaustible and its quality is falling faster. Considering that water is essential to animal life, it is necessary to adopt measures to ensure its sanitary conditions in order to be fit for consumption. The aim of this study was to analyze the microbiological quality of drinking rainwater used by rural communities of Tuparetama, a small town located in Northeast Brazil. The study covered seven rural communities, totaling 66 households. In each household two samples were collected, one from a tank and the other from a clay pot located inside the home, resulting in 132 samples (tank plus clay pot). Approximately 90% of samples were below the standard recommended by the current legislation, being considered unfit for human consumption. Part of this high microbiological contamination of drinking rainwater could be related to the lack of sanitary education and of an adequate sewerage sanitation system

Cytoadhesion to gC1qR through Plasmodium falciparum Erythrocyte Membrane Protein 1 in Severe Malaria

Cytoadhesion of Plasmodium falciparum infected erythrocytes to gC1qR has been associated with severe malaria, but the parasite ligand involved is currently unknown. To assess if binding to gC1qR is mediated through the P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) family, we analyzed by static binding assays and qPCR the cytoadhesion and var gene transcriptional profile of 86 P. falciparum isolates from Mozambican children with severe and uncomplicated malaria, as well as of a P. falciparum 3D7 line selected for binding to gC1qR (Pf3D7gC1qR). Transcript levels of DC8 correlated positively with cytoadhesion to gC1qR (rho = 0.287, P = 0.007), were higher in isolates from children with severe anemia than with uncomplicated malaria, as well as in isolates from Europeans presenting a first episode of malaria (n = 21) than Mozambican adults (n = 25), and were associated with an increased IgG recognition of infected erythrocytes by flow cytometry. Pf3D7gC1qR overexpressed the DC8 type PFD0020c (5.3-fold transcript levels relative to Seryl-tRNA-synthetase gene) compared to the unselected line (0.001-fold). DBLbeta12 from PFD0020c bound to gC1qR in ELISA-based binding assays and polyclonal antibodies against this domain were able to inhibit binding to gC1qR of Pf3D7gC1qR and four Mozambican P. falciparum isolates by 50%. Our results show that DC8-type PfEMP1s mediate binding to gC1qR through conserved surface epitopes in DBLbeta12 domain which can be inhibited by strain-transcending functional antibodies. This study supports a key role for gC1qR in malaria-associated endovascular pathogenesis and suggests the feasibility of designing interventions against severe malaria targeting this specific interaction

Neuroprotection of Tanshinone IIA against Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury through Inhibition of Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor in Rats

. Recent studies have demonstrated that TSA has protective effects against focal cerebral I/R injury. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms. Here we put forward the hypothesis that TSA acts through inhibition of MIF expression during focal cerebral I/R injury in rats.Rats were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for 2 hours. This was followed by reperfusion. We measured neurological deficits, brain water content, and infarct volume, and found that neurological dysfunction, brain edema, and brain infarction were significantly attenuated by TSA 6 hours after reperfusion. We also measured myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity at 6 and 24 hours, and found that neutrophil infiltration was significantly higher in the vehicle+I/R group than in the TSA+I/R group. ELISA demonstrated that TSA could inhibit MIF expression and the release of TNF-α and IL-6 induced by I/R injury. Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence staining showed that MIF expression was significantly lower in the TSA+I/R group than in the vehicle+I/R group. MIF was found almost all located in neurons and hardly any located in astrocytes in the cerebral cortex. Western blot analysis and EMSA demonstrated that NF-κB expression and activity were significantly increased in the vehicle+I/R group. However, these changes were attenuated by TSA.Our results suggest that TSA helps alleviate the proinflammatory responses associated with I/R-induced injury and that this neuroprotective effect may occur through down-regulation of MIF expression in neurons