Avaliação da resistência à penetração em diferentes sistemas em lote de reforma agrária no município de Itapeva, SP.

O sistema vivo, complexo e dinâmico do solo tem sido, no ultimo século, considerado apenas um suporte inerte para a obtenção de lucro pela agricultura convencional e os passivos de degradação de sua estrutura física, química e biológica já são entraves à melhoria de qualidade de vida dos agricultores, dentro da realidade de escassez de recursos e assistência técnica dos assentamentos rurais do estado de São Paulo (PRIMAVESI, 2002; GLIESSMAN, 2009). Um dos legados do manejo inadequado com maquinaria pesada e cultivo intensivo, deixado nos solos da maioria das áreas destinadas à assentamentos rurais, é a compactação ou o chamado "pé-de-grande" (RAMOS FILHO e PELLEGRINI, 2006). A destruição da bioestrutura do solo compromete a estabilidade, resistência às intempéries, fornecimento de água e oxigênio para os cultivos e, portanto, constitui-se na principal causa dos problemas de produtividade na agricultura tropical (PRIMAVESI, 2002). Dentro deste contexto têm surgido nos últimos anos diversas iniciativas de alternativas de manejo agroecológico do solo na forma de sistemas agroflorestais (SAFs). Pelo fato de aliar no mesmo espaço e/ou tempo o cultivo de grande diversidade de espécies agrícolas anuais, florestais perenes, herbáceas, arbustivas e arbóreas, os SAFs imitam e se fundamentam na estrutura multiestratificada complexa e na dinâmica dos processos ecológicos de ecossistemas florestais naturais (PENEIREIRO et al., 2002). A camada de estratos acima do solo e a "capa" de folhas o protege dos impactos do sol, chuva e vento, evitando a destruição de sua estrutura, a sua erosão e compactação. A incorporação frequente de matéria orgânica reconstrói o solo e a camada ampla e complexa de raízes abaixo da superfície promove a descompactação, aeração e aumento da infiltração de água. Experiências de SAF com objetivo de aliar conservação do solo com produção agrícola vêm sendo construídas no assentamento Pirituba II, localizado no município de Itapeva, SP, cujo histórico anterior é de produção convencional de grãos com uso intensivo de maquinaria pesada em extensas áreas de monocultivo. O presente estudo foi realizado no lote dos agricultores João Pereira da Silva e Eva Conceição da Silva que tem trabalhado com agrofloresta desde 2006. Dentro deste contexto, o monitoramento do sistema por indicadores de sustentabilidade se constitui em uma ferramenta essencial de qualificação da experiência e de base para melhorias de práticas de manejo, indicando modificações em atributos-chave na dinâmica do agroecossistema (DEPONTI et al., 2002). Neste sentido o objetivo principal deste trabalho foi analisar os efeitos do uso e manejo agroecológico do solo na forma de SAF, através de medições com equipamento de medição de compactação, o penetrômetro

Numerical investigation of sheet cavitation over a 3-D venturi configuration

Sheet cavitation appears in many hydraulic applications and can lead to technical issues. Numerical simulation is a pertinent way to study the phenomenon. A numerical tool based on 1-fluid compressible RANS equations with a cavitation model is used to compute a flow within a 3-D venturi geometry with a 4° divergent angle. In the present work, a detailed study of this cavitating flow, which presents a quasi-stable vapour pocket, is carried out using tools such as Power Spectral Densities or Spectral Proper Orthogonal Decompositions. An oblique oscillation of the cavity is then identified and discussed

The (A)gamma-195 (C -> G) mutation in hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin is not associated with activation of a reporter gene in vitro

Hereditary persistence, of fetal hemoglobin is an uncommon, benign disorder in which the expression of gamma -globin genes persists into adult life. Several point mutations have been associated with the increased gamma -globin gene promoter activity. We evaluated the -195 (C-->G) mutation by a functional in vitro assay based on the luciferase reporter gene system. The results indicated that the increased promoter activity observed in vivo could not be reproduced in vitro, under the conditions employed, suggesting that other factors may be involved in the overexpression of the gamma -globin gene containing the -195 (C-->G) mutation. Furthermore: this is the first time that the -195 (C-->G) mutation of the (A)gamma -globin gene has been evaluated by in vitro gene expression.34448949

Sutureless bioprosthesis for aortic valve replacement: surgical and clinical outcomes

© 2022 The Authors. Journal of Cardiac Surgery published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.Background: Aortic valve stenosis is the most common adult valve disease in industrialized countries. The aging population and the increase in comorbidities urge the development of safer alternatives to the current surgical treatment. Sutureless bioprosthesis has shown promising results, especially in complex procedures and in patients requiring concomitant surgeries. Objectives: Assess the clinical and hemodynamic performance, safety, and durability of the Perceval® prosthetic valve. Methods: This single-center retrospective longitudinal cohort study collected data from all adult patients with aortic valve disease who underwent aortic valve replacement with a Perceval® prosthetic valve between February 2015 and October 2020. Of the 196 patients included (mean age 77.20 ± 5.08 years; 45.4% female; mean EuroSCORE II 2.91 ± 2.20%), the majority had aortic stenosis. Results: Overall mean cross-clamp and cardiopulmonary bypass times were 33.31 ± 14.09 min and 45.55 ± 19.04 min, respectively. Mean intensive care unit and hospital stay were 3.32 ± 3.24 days and 7.70 ± 5.82 days, respectively. Procedural success was 98.99%, as two explants occurred. Four valves were reimplanted due to intraoperative misplacement. Mean transvalvular gradients were 7.82 ± 3.62 mmHg. Pacemaker implantation occurred in 12.8% of patients, new-onset atrial fibrillation in 21.9% and renal replacement support was necessary for 3.1%. Early mortality was 2.0%. We report no structural valve deterioration, strokes, or endocarditis, and one successfully treated valve thrombosis. Conclusions: Our study confirms the excellent clinical and hemodynamic performance and safety of a truly sutureless aortic valve, up to a 5-year follow-up. These results were consistent in isolated and concomitant interventions, solidifying this device as a viable option for the treatment of isolated aortic valve disease.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Biossorção de compostos fenólicos e aumento da bioacessibilidade / Biossorption of phenolic compounds and increased bioaccessibility

Esta revisão bibliográfica teve por objetivo analisar artigos científicos que contemplaram o processo de biossorção empregando a levedura Saccharomyces cerevisiae, bem como o aumento da bioacessibilidade dos elementos adsorvidos, em específico os compostos fenólicos. As informações e dados apresentados foram extraídos de banco de dados e bibliotecas virtuais. Foi possível constatar que a levedura Saccharomyces cerevisiae é amplamente empregada como biossorvente, enquanto compostos fenólicos, principalmente oriundos de frutas e resíduos agroindustriais, são utilizados como adsorbatos. Os trabalhos revisados reportam a eficiência e a importância da biossorção para o desenvolvimento de novos produtos alimentícios. Além disso, estudos relatam aumento significativo na bioacessibilidade dos compostos bioativos após a biossorção, promovendo valorização nutricional dos produtos desenvolvidos

Caracterização física e produtividade de acessos de Passiflora nítida no Cerrado do Distrito Federal.

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Photodynamic inactivation of biofilms formed by Candida spp., Trichosporon mucoides, and Kodamaea ohmeri by cationic nanoemulsion of zinc 2,9,16,23-tetrakis(phenylthio)-29H, 31H-phthalocyanine (ZnPc)

The biofilms formed by opportunistic yeasts serve as a persistent reservoir of infection and impair the treatment of fungal diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate photodynamic inactivation (PDI) of biofilms formed by Candida spp. and the emerging pathogens Trichosporon mucoides and Kodamaea ohmeri by a cationic nanoemulsion of zinc 2,9,16,23-tetrakis(phenylthio)-29H,31H-phthalocyanine (ZnPc). Biofilms formed by yeasts after 48 h in the bottom of 96-well microtiter plates were treated with the photosensitizer (ZnPc) and a GaAlAs laser (26.3 J cm(-2)). The biofilm cells were scraped off the well wall, homogenized, and seeded onto Sabouraud dextrose agar plates that were then incubated at 37A degrees C for 48 h. Efficient PDI of biofilms was verified by counting colony-forming units (CFU/ml), and the data were submitted to analysis of variance and the Tukey test (p < 0.05). All biofilms studied were susceptible to PDI with statistically significant differences. The strains of Candida genus were more resistant to PDI than emerging pathogens T. mucoides and K. ohmeri. A mean reduction of 0.45 log was achieved for Candida spp. biofilms, and a reduction of 0.85 and 0.84, were achieved for biofilms formed by T. mucoides and K. ohmeri, respectively. Therefore, PDI by treatment with nanostructured formulations cationic zinc 2,9,16,23- tetrakis (phenylthio)- 29H, 31H- phthalocyanine (ZnPc) and a laser reduced the number of cells in the biofilms formed by strains of C. albicans and non-Candida albicans as well the emerging pathogens T. mucoides and K. ohmeri.Sao Paulo Council of Research FAPESP, BrazilSao Paulo Council of Research - FAPESP, Brazil [09/52283-0]post-doc FAPESP project [2009/15363-6]postdoc FAPESP projectUniv Estadual Paulista PROPE/UNESPUniv Estadual Paulista - PROPE/UNES

Functional and Phenotypic Changes of Natural Killer Cells in Whole Blood during Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection and Disease.

Tuberculosis (TB) is still a global health concern, especially in resource-poor countries such as The Gambia. Defining protective immunity to TB is challenging: its pathogenesis is complex and involves several cellular components of the immune system. Recent works in vaccine development suggest important roles of the innate immunity in natural protection to TB, including natural killer (NK) cells. NK cells mediate cellular cytotoxicity and cytokine signaling in response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). NK cells can display specific memory-type markers to previous antigen exposure; thus, bridging innate and adaptive immunity. However, major knowledge gaps exist on the contribution of NK cells in protection against Mtb infection or TB. We performed a cross-sectional assessment of NK cells phenotype and function in four distinct groups of individuals: TB cases pre-treatment (n = 20) and post-treatment (n = 19), and household contacts with positive (n = 9) or negative (n = 18) tuberculin skin test (TST). While NK cells frequencies were similar between all groups, significant decreases in interferon-γ expression and degranulation were observed in NK cells from TB cases pre-treatment compared to post-treatment. Conversely, CD57 expression, a marker of advanced NK cells differentiation, was significantly lower in cases post-treatment compared to pre-treatment. Finally, NKG2C, an activation and imprinted-NK memory marker, was significantly increased in TST+ (latently infected) compared to TB cases pre-treatment and TST- (uninfected) individuals. The results of this study provide valuable insights into the role of NK cells in Mtb infection and TB disease, demonstrating potential markers for distinguishing between infection states and monitoring of TB treatment response

Southern African Large Telescope Spectroscopy of BL Lacs for the CTA project

In the last two decades, very-high-energy gamma-ray astronomy has reached maturity: over 200 sources have been detected, both Galactic and extragalactic, by ground-based experiments. At present, Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) make up about 40% of the more than 200 sources detected at very high energies with ground-based telescopes, the majority of which are blazars, i.e. their jets are closely aligned with the line of sight to Earth and three quarters of which are classified as high-frequency peaked BL Lac objects. One challenge to studies of the cosmological evolution of BL Lacs is the difficulty of obtaining redshifts from their nearly featureless, continuum-dominated spectra. It is expected that a significant fraction of the AGN to be detected with the future Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) observatory will have no spectroscopic redshifts, compromising the reliability of BL Lac population studies, particularly of their cosmic evolution. We started an effort in 2019 to measure the redshifts of a large fraction of the AGN that are likely to be detected with CTA, using the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT). In this contribution, we present two results from an on-going SALT program focused on the determination of BL Lac object redshifts that will be relevant for the CTA observatory