3,994 research outputs found
Fifty years of wheat breeding in Southern Brazil: yield improvement and associated changes.
O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a contribuição do melhoramento genĂ©tico na produtividade de grĂŁos e identificar as caracterĂsticas fisiolĂłgicas, associadas ao incremento do rendimento, e os processos de crescimento que as produzem. Foram estudadas sete cultivares de trigo, extensivamente cultivadas na regiĂŁo Sul do Brasil entre 1940 e 1992. As cultivares foram comparadas quanto ao rendimento de grĂŁos, produção biolĂłgica, Ăndice de colheita, partição de biomassa e componentes do rendimento. O nĂşmero de grĂŁos por metro quadrado foi o componente mais afetado pelo melhoramento genĂ©tico, no perĂodo de 52 anos abrangidos pelo estudo, e esteve mais correlacionado ao rendimento de grĂŁos (r = 0,94, p<0,01) do que o peso de grĂŁos (r = -0,39ns). O maior nĂşmero de grĂŁos por metro quadrado, observado nas cultivares modernas, foi mais correlacionado com seu nĂşmero de grĂŁos por espiga, em relação Ă s cultivares antigas, o que caracteriza a importância do perĂodo de prĂ©-antese na produção de grĂŁos. O ganho genĂ©tico na produção de grĂŁos foi de 44,9 kg ha-1 por ano e reflete o importante esforço dos programas de melhoramento genĂ©tico desenvolvidos no Sul do Brasil. As variações em rendimento de grĂŁos, ocorridas no perĂodo de estudo, estiveram mais associadas Ă produção de biomassa (r = 0,78, p<0,01) do que ao Ăndice de colheita (r = 0,65, p<0,01)
Transcriptomic Analysis of the Pistacia vera (L.) Fruits Enable the Identification of Genes and Hormone-Related Gene Linked to Inflorescence Bud Abscission
Pistacia vera (L.) is an alternate bearing species. The tree produces axillary inflorescence buds every year. Still, they abscise in “ON” overloaded shoots, causing a limited production in the following “OFF” year, causing a significant and unfavorable production fluctuation. In this work, we carried out de novo discovery and transcriptomic analysis in fruits of “ON” and “OFF” shoots of the cultivar Bianca. We also investigated whether the fruit signaling pathway and hormone biosynthesis directly or indirectly linked to the premature fall of the inflorescence buds causing alternate bearing. We identified 1536 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in fruits of “ON” vs. “OFF” shoots, which are involved primarily in sugar metabolism, plant hormone pathways and transcription factors. The premature bud abscission linked to the phenomenon is attributable to a lack of nutrients (primarily sugar) and the possible competition between the same branches’ sinks (fruits vs. inflorescence buds). Hormone pathways are involved as a response to signals degradation and remobilization of carbon and nutrients due to the strengthening of the developing embryos. Genes of the secondary metabolism and transcription factors are also involved in tailoring the individual branches response to the nutritional stress and sink competition. Crosstalk among sugar and various hormone-related genes, e.g., ethylene, auxin, ABA and cytokinin, were determined. The discovery of putative biomarkers like callose synthase 5, trehalose-6-phosphate synthase, NAD(P)-linked oxidoreductase and MIOX2, Jasmonate, and salicylic acid-related genes can help to design precision farming practices to mitigate the alternate bearing phenomenon to increase farming profitability. The aim of the analysis is to provide insight into the gene expression profiling of the fate of “ON” and “OFF” fruits associated with the alternate bearing in the pistachio
Spectroscopic and thermal properties of GeS2-based chalcohalide glasses
The low phonon energy of germanium sulphide glasses makes them ideal candidates as hosts for 1.3µm fibre amplifier applications. However, the GeS2 glass host suffers from a major drawback of poor rare-earth ion solubility. In an efficient device, the solubility of Pr ions has to be enhanced, without adversely affecting either the thermal or the spectroscopic properties of the glass. In the present investigation, we report the synthesis and optical properties of modified GeS2-based chalcohalide glasses with excellent thermal characteristics suitable for drawing low-loss optical fibres
The CRESST Experiment: Recent Results and Prospects
The CRESST experiment seeks hypothetical WIMP particles that could account
for the bulk of dark matter in the Universe. The detectors are cryogenic
calorimeters in which WIMPs would scatter elastically on nuclei, releasing
phonons. The first phase of the experiment has successfully deployed several
262 g sapphire devices in the Gran Sasso underground laboratories. A main
source of background has been identified as microscopic mechanical fracturing
of the crystals, and has been eliminated, improving the background rate by up
to three orders of magnitude at low energies, leaving a rate close to one count
per day per kg and per keV above 10 keV recoil energy. This background now
appears to be dominated by radioactivity, and future CRESST scintillating
calorimeters which simultaneously measure light and phonons will allow
rejection of a great part of it.Comment: To appear in the proceedings of the CAPP2000 Conference, Verbier,
Switzerland, July, 2000 (eds J. Garcia-Bellido, R. Durrer, and M.
Shaposhnikov
Predictors of Successful Decannulation Using a Tracheostomy Retainer in Patients with Prolonged Weaning and Persisting Respiratory Failure
Background: For percutaneously tracheostomized patients with prolonged weaning and persisting respiratory failure, the adequate time point for safe decannulation and switch to noninvasive ventilation is an important clinical issue. Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the usefulness of a tracheostomy retainer (TR) and the predictors of successful decannulation. Methods: We studied 166 of 384 patients with prolonged weaning in whom a TR was inserted into a tracheostoma. Patients were analyzed with regard to successful decannulation and characterized by blood gas values, the duration of previous spontaneous breathing, Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) and laboratory parameters. Results: In 47 patients (28.3%) recannulation was necessary, mostly due to respiratory decompensation and aspiration. Overall, 80.6% of the patients could be liberated from a tracheostomy with the help of a TR. The need for recannulation was associated with a shorter duration of spontaneous breathing within the last 24/48 h (p < 0.01 each), lower arterial oxygen tension (p = 0.025), greater age (p = 0.025), and a higher creatinine level (p = 0.003) and SAPS (p < 0.001). The risk for recannulation was 9.5% when patients breathed spontaneously for 19-24 h within the 24 h prior to decannulation, but 75.0% when patients breathed for only 0-6 h without ventilatory support (p < 0.001). According to ROC analysis, the SAPS best predicted successful decannulation {[}AUC 0.725 (95% CI: 0.634-0.815), p < 0.001]. Recannulated patients had longer durations of intubation (p = 0.046), tracheostomy (p = 0.003) and hospital stay (p < 0.001). Conclusion: In percutaneously tracheostomized patients with prolonged weaning, the use of a TR seems to facilitate and improve the weaning process considerably. The duration of spontaneous breathing prior to decannulation, age and oxygenation describe the risk for recannulation in these patients. Copyright (c) 2012 S. Karger AG, Base
Vibrations of a chain of Xe atoms in a groove of carbon nanotube bundle
We present a lattice dynamics study of the vibrations of a linear chain of Xe
adsorbates in groove positions of a bundle of carbon nanotubes. The
characteristic phonon frequencies are calculated and the adsorbate polarization
vectors discussed. Comparison of the present results with the ones previously
published shows that the adsorbate vibrations cannot be treated as completely
decoupled from the vibrations of carbon nanotubes and that a significant
hybridization between the adsorbate and the tube modes occurs for phonons of
large wavelengths.Comment: 3 PS figure
Avaliação de linhagens de trigo duplo propósito no sul do Rio Grande do Sul.
O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a produtividade de matéria seca de linhagens de trigo duplo propósito.Editora técnica Claudia Cristina Gulias Gomes
Delayed nephrectomy has comparable long-term overall survival to immediate nephrectomy for cT1a renal cell carcinoma: A population-based analysis
Objectives: Early surgical resection remains the recommended treatment option for most small renal mass (≤4 cm). We examined the long-term overall survival (OS) of patients managed with delayed and immediate nephrectomy of cT1a renal cancer. /
Patient and methods: We utilized the National Cancer Database (2005–2010) to identify 14,677 patients (immediate nephrectomy: 14,050 patients vs. late nephrectomy: 627 patients) aged 180 days from diagnosis, respectively. Inverse probability of treatment weighting–adjusted Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to compare OS of patients in the 2 treatment arms. Influence of patient age and Charlson Comorbidity Index on treatment effect was tested by interactions. Sensitivity analysis was performed to explore the outcome of delaying nephrectomy for >12 months. /
Results: Median patient age was 55 years with a median follow-up of 82.5 months. Inverse probability of treatment weighting-adjusted Kaplan-Meier curves suggest no significant difference between treatment arms (immediate nephrectomy [180 days]) (Hazard ratio 0.96; 95% confidence interval 0.73–1.26; P = 0.77). This outcome was consistent between all patients regardless of age (P = 0.48). Sensitivity analysis reports no difference in OS even if nephrectomy was delayed by >12 months (P = 0.60). /
Conclusions: We report that delayed and immediate nephrectomy for cT1a renal cell carcinoma confers comparable long-term OS. These findings suggest that a period of observation of between 6 and 12 months is safe to allow identification of renal masses, which will benefit from surgical resection
Avaliação de linhagens do gênero Paspalum em Bagé-RS.
O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar linhagens de Paspalum notatum, P. guenoarum e hĂbridos interespecĂficos de Paspalum guenoarum x P. plicatum quanto a caracteres produtivos e de adaptabilidade na regiĂŁo da Campanha do Rio Grande do Sul.Editora tĂ©cnica Claudia Cristina Gulias Gomes
Clinical epigenetics settings for cancer and cardiovascular diseases: real-life applications of network medicine at the bedside
Despite impressive efforts invested in epigenetic research in the last 50 years, clinical applications are still lacking. Only a few university hospital centers currently use epigenetic biomarkers at the bedside. Moreover, the overall concept of precision medicine is not widely recognized in routine medical practice and the reductionist approach remains predominant in treating patients affected by major diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases. By its’ very nature, epigenetics is integrative of genetic networks. The study of epigenetic biomarkers has led to the identification of numerous drugs with an increasingly significant role in clinical therapy especially of cancer patients. Here, we provide an overview of clinical epigenetics within the context of network analysis. We illustrate achievements to date and discuss how we can move from traditional medicine into the era of network medicine (NM), where pathway-informed molecular diagnostics will allow treatment selection following the paradigm of precision medicine
- …