Dinâmica de decomposição e composição química de palhada de cana-de-açúcar no Cerrado.

A decomposição de resíduos vegetais de cana-de-açúcar dispensa a queima da palhada e promove melhorias na conservação do solo com a redução de perdas de água e de nutrientes. Assim, este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar as relações entre a decomposição da palhada e a composição química desses resíduos em área de cana-de-açúcar na Usina Goiasa, em Goiatuba GO-Brasil. As amostras foram armazenadas em litter bags e colocadas no campo, sob a camada de palhada de cana-de-açúcar, sendo retiradas periodicamente durante 563 dias para a quantificação da decomposição, análise bromatológica (lignina, FDA e FDN) e de nitrogênio (N) total dos resíduos remanescentes. A meia vida dos resíduos de cana-de-açúcar foi de 118 dias. Após 365 dias a quantidade remanescente de resíduos foi de 36% em relação à massa inicial. Os teores de N total aumentaram ao longo das fases de decomposição dos resíduos e diminuíram apenas a partir dos 330 dias de decomposição. A decomposição relativamente lenta dos resíduos vegetais de cana-de-açúcar pode ser atribuída aos valores bastante elevados de C/N e lignina/N nesses resíduos, onde houve forte correlação entre quantidade de resíduos remanescentes, e o decaimento de celulose e C:N

Adequação de métodos indiretos para estimativa da erodibilidade de solos com horizonte B textural no Brasil.

O conhecimento da erodibilidade dos solos (fator K) e de fundamental importancia para a aplicacao da equacao universal de perdas de solo (EUPS). O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar a adequacao de diferentes metodos indiretos para estimativa da erodibilidade de solos com horizonte B textural (Bt) de varias regioes geograficas do Brasil. Coletaram-se amostras superficiais de 22 solos com Bt, cujo fator K foi determinado diretamente no campo. Realizaram-se diversas analises quimicas e fisicas, de modo que o fator K pudesse ser estimado por treze diferentes metodos indiretos. Correlacionaram-se os valores dos fatores K medidos no campo com os obtidos indiretamente. Verificou-se que nenhum dos metodos indiretos testados e adequado para a estimativa do fator K de todo o conjunto de solos com Bt estudados

Patterns of Soft Masses from General Semi-Direct Gauge Mediation

We give a general formulation of semi-direct gauge mediation of supersymmetry breaking where the messengers interact with the hidden sector only through a weakly gauged group. Using this general formulation, we provide an explicit proof that the MSSM gaugino masses are vanishing to leading order in the gauge couplings. On the other hand, the MSSM sfermion masses have, generically, a non-vanishing leading contribution. We discuss how such a mechanism can successfully be combined with other mediation schemes which give tachyonic sfermions, such as sequestered anomaly mediation and some direct gauge mediation models.Comment: 26 pages, 5 figures; v2: refs added; v3: minor corrections, clarifications added, mainly in section

Primates in peril: the significance of Brazil, Madagascar, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo for global primate conservation

Primates occur in 90 countries, but four—Brazil, Madagascar, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)—harbor 65% of the world’s primate species (439) and 60% of these primates are Vulnerable, Endangered, or Critically Endangered (IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017-3). Considering their importance for global primate conservation, we examine the anthropogenic pressures each country is facing that place their primate populations at risk. Habitat loss and fragmentation are main threats to primates in Brazil, Madagascar and Indonesia. However, in DRC hunting for the commercial bushmeat trade is the primary threat. Encroachment on primate habitats driven by local and global market demands for food and non-food commodities hunting, illegal trade, the proliferation of invasive species, and human and domestic-animal borne infectious diseases cause habitat loss, population declines, and extirpation. Modeling agricultural expansion in the 21st century for the four countries under a worst-case-scenario, showed a primate range contraction of 78% for Brazil, 72% for Indonesia 62% for Madagascar and 32% for DRC. These pressures unfold in the context of expanding human populations with low levels of development. Weak governance across these four countries may limit effective primate conservation planning. We examine landscape and local approaches to effective primate conservation policies and assess the distribution of protected areas and primates in each country. P rimates in Brazil and Madagascar have 38% of their range inside protected areas, 17% in Indonesia and 14% in DRC, suggesting that the great majority of primate populations remain vulnerable. We list the key challenges faced by the four countries to avert primate extinctions now and in the future. In the short term, effective law enforcement to stop illegal hunting and illegal forest destruction is absolutely key. Long-term success can only be achieved by focusing local and global public awareness, actively engaging with international organizations, multinational businesses and consumer nations to reduce unsustainable demands on the environment. Finally, the four primate range states need to ensure that integrated, sustainable land-use planning for economic development includes the maintenance of biodiversity and intact, functional natural ecosystems

Modulation of Androgen Receptor Signaling in Hormonal Therapy-Resistant Prostate Cancer Cell Lines

Background: Prostate epithelial cells depend on androgens for survival and function. In (early) prostate cancer (PCa) androgens also regulate tumor growth, which is exploited by hormonal therapies in metastatic disease. The aim of the present study was to characterize the androgen receptor (AR) response in hormonal therapy-resistant PC346 cells and identify potential disease markers. Methodology/Principal Findings: Human 19K oligoarrays were used to establish the androgen-regulated expression profile of androgen-responsive PC346C cells and its derivative therapy-resistant sublines: PC346DCC (vestigial AR levels), PC346Flu1 (AR overexpression) and PC346Flu2 (T877A AR mutation). In total, 107 transcripts were differentially-expressed in PC346C and derivatives after R1881 or hydroxyflutamide stimulations. The AR-regulated expression profiles reflected the AR modifications of respective therapy-resistant sublines: AR overexpression resulted in stronger and broader transcriptional response to R1881 stimulation, AR down-regulation correlated with deficient response of AR-target genes and the T877A mutation resulted in transcriptional response to both R1881 and hydroxyflutamide. This AR-target signature was linked to multiple publicly available cell line and tumor derived PCa databases, revealing that distinct functional clusters were differentially modulated during PCa progression. Differentiation and secretory functions were up-regulated in primary PCa but repressed i

Dialetheism in Action: A New Strategy for Solving the Equal Validity Paradox

This paper starts from the Equal Validity Paradox, a paradoxical argument connected to the so-called phenomenon of faultless disagreement. It is argued that there are at least six strategies for solving the paradox. After presenting the first five strategies and their main problems, the paper focuses on the sixth strategy which rejects the assumption that every proposition cannot be both true a false. Dialetheism is the natural candidate for developing strategy six. After presenting strategy six in detail, we formulate a normative problem for the dialetheist and offer a tentative solution to it. We then elaborate further considerations connecting strategy six to pluralism about truth and logic. Even if strategy six is a hard path to take, its scrutiny highlights some important points on truth, logic and the norms for acceptance and rejection

Prevalence and factors associated with difficulty and intention to quit smoking in Switzerland

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Recent data indicate a slight decrease in the prevalence of smoking in Switzerland, but little is known regarding the intention and difficulty to quit smoking among current smokers. Hence, we aimed to quantify the difficulty and intention to quit smoking among current smokers in Switzerland. METHODS: Cross-sectional study including 607 female and 658 male smokers. Difficulty, intention and motivation to quit smoking were assessed by questionnaire. RESULTS: 90% of women and 85% of men reported being "very difficult" or "difficult" to quit smoking. Almost three quarters of smokers (73% of women and 71% of men) intended to quit; however, less than 20% of them were in the preparation stage and 40% were in the precontemplation stage. On multivariate analysis, difficulty to quit was lower among men (Odds ratio and 95% [confidence interval]: 0.51 [0.35-0.74]) and increased with nicotine dependence and number of previous quitting attempts (OR=3.14 [1.75-5.63] for 6+ attempts compared to none). Intention to quit decreased with increasing age (OR=0.48 [0.30-0.75] for [greater than or equal to]65 years compared to <45 years) and increased with nicotine dependence, the number of previous quitting attempts (OR=4.35 [2.76-6.83] for 6+ attempts compared to none) and among non-cigarette smokers (OR=0.51 [0.28-0.92]). Motivation to quit was inversely associated with nicotine dependence and positively associated with the number of previous quitting attempts and personal history of lung disease. CONCLUSION: Over two thirds of Swiss smokers want to quit. However, only a small fraction wishes to do so in the short term. Nicotine dependence, previous attempts to quit or previous history of lung disease are independently associated with difficulty and intention to quit

Estresse e Burnout entre residentes multiprofissionais

OBJECTIVE: To identify associations between high-stress and burnout syndrome in multidisciplinary residents from a federal university in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. METHOD: This is an analytical, cross-sectional and quantitative study. A socio-demographic questionnaire, the Work Stress Scale and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Health Services Survey (MBI-HSS) were applied to 37 residents between April and June 2011. P-valuesOBJETIVO: Identificar la asociación entre alto estrés y Burnout en residentes Multiprofesionales de una universidad federal de Rio Grande do Sul. MÉTODO: se trata de un estudio analítico, transversal, cuantitativo. Se aplicaron un formulario de datos socio-demográficos, la Escala de Estrés en el Trabajo y el Maslach Burnout Inventory- Health Services en 37 residentes entre Abril y Junio de 2011. Valores de pOBJETIVO: identificar a associação entre alto estresse e Burnout em residentes multiprofissionais de uma universidade federal do Rio Grande do Sul. MÉTODO: trata-se de estudo analítico, transversal, quantitativo. Aplicaram-se um formulário de dados socio demográficos, a Escala de Estresse no Trabalho e o Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) em 37 residentes entre abril e junho de 2011. Valores de

Changes of overweight and obesity in the adult Swiss population according to educational level, from 1992 to 2007

In many high income developed countries, obesity is inversely associated with educational level. In some countries, a widening gap of obesity between educational groups has been reported. The aim of this study was to assess trends in body mass index (BMI) and in prevalence of overweight and obesity and their association with educational level in the adult Swiss population. Four cross-sectional National health interview surveys conducted in 1992/93 (n = 14,521), 1997 (n = 12,474), 2002 (n = 18,908) and 2007 (n = 17,879) using representative samples of the Swiss population (age range 18-102 years). BMI was derived from self-reported data. Overweight was defined as BMI > or = 25 and <30 kg/m(2), and obesity as BMI > or = 30 kg/m(2). Mean (+/- standard deviation) BMI increased from 24.7 +/- 3.6 in 1992/3 to 25.4 +/- 3.6 kg/m2 in 2007 in men and 22.8 +/- 3.8 to 23.7 +/- 4.3 kg/m(2) in women. Between 1992/3 and 2007, the prevalence of overweight + obesity increased from 40.4% to 49.5% in men and from 22.3% to 31.3% in women, while the prevalence of obesity increased from 6.3% to 9.4% in men and from 4.9% to 8.5% in women. The rate of increase in the prevalence of obesity was greater between 1992/3 and 2002 (men: +0.26%/year; women: +0.31%/year) than between 2002 and 2007 (men: +0.10%/year; women: +0.10%/year). A sizable fraction (approximately 25%) of the increasing mean BMI was due to increasing age of the participants over time. The increase was larger in low than high education strata of the population. BMI was strongly associated with low educational level among women and this gradient remained fairly constant over time. A weaker similar gradient by educational level was apparent in men, but it tended to increase over time. In Switzerland, overweight and obesity increased between 1992 and 2007 and was associated with low education status in both men and women. A trend towards a stabilization of mean BMI levels was noted in most age categories since 2002. The increase in the prevalence of obesity was larger in low education strata of the population. These findings suggest that obesity preventive measures should be targeted according to educational level in Switzerland

TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits-the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants-determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait-based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits-almost complete coverage for 'plant growth form'. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait-environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives