Plasticity of fetal cartilaginous cells.

Tissue-specific stem cells found in adult tissues can participate in the repair process following injury. However, adult tissues, such as articular cartilage and intervertebral disc, have low regeneration capacity, whereas fetal tissues, such as articular cartilage, show high regeneration ability. The presence of fetal stem cells in fetal cartilaginous tissues and their involvement in the regeneration of fetal cartilage is unknown. The aim of the study was to assess the chondrogenic differentiation and the plasticity of fetal cartilaginous cells. We compared the TGF-β3-induced chondrogenic differentiation of human fetal cells isolated from spine and cartilage tissues to that of human bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC). Stem cell surface markers and adipogenic and osteogenic plasticity of the two fetal cell types were also assessed. TGF-β3 stimulation of fetal cells cultured in high cell density led to the production of aggrecan, type I and II collagens, and variable levels of type X collagen. Although fetal cells showed the same pattern of surface stem cell markers as BMSCs, both type of fetal cells had lower adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation capacity than BMSCs. Fetal cells from femoral head showed higher adipogenic differentiation than fetal cells from spine. These results show that fetal cells are already differentiated cells and may be a good compromise between stem cells and adult tissue cells for a cell-based therapy

Effect of microstructure on the electrochemical behavior of Pt/YSZ electrodes

Two types of O2,Pt/YSZ electrode preparation (Pt/YSZ cermet and sputtered platinum film) have been characterized by SEM and by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry at 450 °C in 20 kPa oxygen. Cyclic voltammetry on the cermet and on the as-sputtered non-porous film electrode evidenced the characteristics of the PtO x /Pt couple. The corresponding redox reaction occurs at the metal/electrolyte interface and it manifests itself by an anodic wave and one of more cathodic peaks in the voltammogram. Heat treatment of the sputtered electrode at 700 °C in oxygen atmosphere resulted in a porous structure by coalescence of the film. Cyclic voltammetry of the porous film electrode featured the characteristics of the O2/O2− couple, i.e. the redox reaction of gaseous oxygen occurring at the tpb. Chronoamperometry at anodic potentials showed similar features for both electrode preparations: an initial inhibition, a current peak and a slow activation, the latter being related to the phenomenon of electrochemical promotion of catalysi

Transformations of Heun's equation and its integral relations

We find transformations of variables which preserve the form of the equation for the kernels of integral relations among solutions of the Heun equation. These transformations lead to new kernels for the Heun equation, given by single hypergeometric functions (Lambe-Ward-type kernels) and by products of two hypergeometric functions (Erd\'elyi-type). Such kernels, by a limiting process, also afford new kernels for the confluent Heun equation.Comment: This version was published in J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 44 (2011) 07520

Doenças foliares da pupunheira (Bactris gasipaes) no Estado do Paraná.

Visando fornecer subsidios para futuras acoes de pesquisa, este trabalho tem o objetivo de apresentar informacoes sobre a situacao fitossanitaria da cultura da pupunha no Estado do Parana. Foi constatada a ocorrencia de antracnose, causada por Colletotrichum gloesporioides, em oito plantios e dois viveiros amostrados nos municipios de Morretes, Paranagua, Sao Tome e Paranavai, Estado do Parana. A ocorrencia de antracnose foi mais severa em mudas em formacao em viveiros e tambem nos plantios com ate 6 a 8 meses. Foram constatadas as presencas de Fusarium sp. e Cladosporium sp., causando queima das folhas, em plantas jovens.Notas tecnicas

Eficiência de fungicidas para o controle da ferrugem-asiática da soja, Phakopsora pachyrhizi, na safra 2010/11: resultados sumarizados dos ensaios cooperativos.

bitstream/item/42071/1/CT87-VE1.pd

Eficiência de fungicidas para o controle da ferrugem-asiática da soja, Phakopsora pachyrhizi, na safra 2011/12: resultados sumarizados dos ensaios cooperativos.

Material e método: Tabela 1 - Instituições, locais, cultivares, datas da semeadura da soja, presença (1) ou ausência (0) de sintomas de ferrugem na primeira aplicação de fungicida (incidência - INC). Tabela 2 - Ingrediente ativo (i.a.), produto comercial (p.c.) e dose dos fungicidas nos tratamentos para o controle da ferrugem-asiática da soja, safra 2011/12. Resultados e discussões: Figura 1 - Box plot da porcentagem de controle da ferrugem, para os diferentes tratamentos com fungicidas, em relação à média da severidade da testemunha sem controle (T1). Figura 2 - Box plot da porcentagem de redução da produtividade, para os diferentes tratamentos com fungicidas, em relação à média da produtividade do melhor tratamento. Tabela 3: Severidade da ferruge, porcentagem de controle em relação à testemunha sem tratamento, produtividade (Kg ha-1) e porcentagem de redução de produtividade (RP) em relação ao tratamento com a maior produtividade, para os diferentes tratamentos. Média de 11 ensaios para severidade e de 15 ensaios para produtividade. Rede de ensaios cooperativos, safra 2011/12.bitstream/item/61841/1/CT93.2012.pd