Metabolic adjustments in two Amazonian cichlids exposed to hypoxia and anoxia.

The effects of graded hypoxia on the physiological and biochemical responses were examined in two closely related species of cichlids of the Amazon: Astronotus crassipinnis and Symphysodon aequifasciatus. Ten fish of each species were exposed to graded hypoxia for 8 h in seven oxygen concentrations (5.92, 3.15, 1.54, 0.79, 0.60, 0.34, and 0.06 mg O2 L- 1), with the aim to evaluate hypoxia tolerance and metabolic adjustments, where plasma glucose and lactate levels, hepatic and muscle glycogen contents, and maximum enzyme activities (PK, LDH, MDH and CS) in skeletal and cardiac muscles were measured. Another experimental set was done to quantify oxygen consumption (MO2) and opercular movements in two oxygen concentrations. Hypoxia tolerance differed between the two species. Astronotus crassipinnis was able to tolerate anoxia for 178 min while S. aequifasciatus was able to withstand 222 min exposure in deep hypoxia (0.75 mg O2 L- 1). Suppressed MO2 was observed during exposure to 0.34 (A. crassipinnis) and 0.79 mg O2 L- 1 (S. aequifasciatus), while opercular movements increased in both species exposed to hypoxia. Higher levels of muscle and liver glycogen and larger hypoxia-induced increases in plasma glucose and lactate were observed in A. crassipinnis, which showed a higher degree of hypoxia tolerance. Changes in enzyme levels were tissue-specific and differed between species suggesting differential abilities in down-regulating oxidative pathways and increasing anaerobic metabolism. Based on the present data, we conclude that these animals are good anaerobes and highly adapted to their environment, which is allowed by their abilities to regulate metabolic pathways and adjust their enzyme levels

Caracterização morfo-agronômica de cultivares locais de feijão-caupi do grupo Canapu.

O feijão-caupi [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] é uma leguminosa utilizada como alimento básico pelas populações rurais e urbanas. Nos últimos anos, a pesquisa tem evoluído, principalmente na seleção e/ou obtenção de cultivares adaptadas para cada tipo de ambiente e sistema de produção, com características de grão e vagem que atendam as exigências de comerciantes e consumidores. Assim, objetivou-se realizar a caracterização fenológica e agronômica de cultivares locais de feijão-caupi, do grupo Canapu. O ensaio foi conduzido em Teresina, Piauí, utilizando-se o delineamento de blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições, sendo semeado em julho de 2003. Avaliou-se: tipo de porte, início de floração, comprimento e número de nós no ramo principal, número de ramos laterais, cor da flor, comprimento, largura e espessura da vagem, número de grãos/vagem; peso de 100 grãos e rendimento de grãos. Os genótipos de feijão-caupi apresentaram pouca variabilidade genética para maioria dos caracteres analisados. Linhagens com elevados índices de grãos podem ser selecionadas através do comprimento e do número de nós dos ramos principal e laterais. Para o número de dias para o florescimento, comprimento e número de nós do ramo principal e peso de 100 sementes existe variabilidade suficiente para seleção de genótipos superiores

Controle genético do comprimento da vagem em feijão-caupi.

O conhecimento dos fatores genéticos responsáveis pela produção de grãos em feijão-caupi e dos seus componentes primários é fundamental para os programas de melhoramento. Contudo, as pesquisas direcionadas para o estudo da herança da maioria dos componentes primários, ainda são escassas. Assim, objetivou-se estimar os parâmetros genéticos que explicam a herança do comprimento de vagem, em feijão-caupi. Os dois genótipos parentais, Capela e IT85F-2687, e as gerações F1, F2, RC1 e RC2 foram avaliados, quanto ao comprimento da vagem, utilizando-se o delineamento em blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições, em Teresina, PI, de agosto a novembro de 2002. Foram estimadas as variâncias fenotípica, genotípica, aditiva, devido à dominância e ambiental; herdabilidades no sentido amplo e restrito; número de genes e grau médio de dominância. A maior parte da variação observada para o caráter avaliado foi de natureza genética, sendo que a variância aditiva correspondeu a 96,33% do valor estimado. As estimativas de h2 a e h2 r foram 73,30 e 70,63%, respectivamente. O modelo aditivo-dominante é suficiente para explicar a variância obtida para o comprimento da vagem. A predominância dos efeitos gênicos aditivos possibilita a seleção de genótipos superiores para o comprimento da vagem, em populações derivadas de F2, no cruzamento estudado

Controle genético do comprimento e do número de nós do ramo principal em feijão-caupi.

O feijão-caupi [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] é uma importante leguminosa, fonte de proteína cuja plasticidade permite a adaptação em diferentes condições ambientais. A tendência atual é a utilização de tecnologia na lavoura, que possibilite a colheita mecanizada, sendo imprescindível à definição do ideotipo da cultura. Neste sentido, objetivou-se estudar a herança dos caracteres relacionados à arquitetura da planta, comprimento e número de nós do ramo principal. Avaliou-se as linhagens parentais de feijão-caupi e as populações F1's, F2's e RC's dos cruzamentos TE96-282-22G (P1) x TVX-5058-09C (P2) e TE96-282-22G (P1) x IT81D-1332 (P3), na Embrapa Meio-Norte, em Teresina, PI, no delineamento em blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições. Foram estimadas as variâncias fenotípica, genotípica, aditiva, devido à dominância e ambiental; herdabilidades no sentido amplo e restrito; número de genes e grau médio de dominância. O modelo reduzido, aditivo-dominante, explica a variação observada no comprimento e número de nós do ramo principal. Os componentes de maior relevância no controle dos caracteres foram a média e o efeito aditivo. Em programas de melhoramento, o comprimento e o número de nós do ramo principal devem ser considerados na seleção para aumento de produtividade

Avoidable mortality in acute myocardial infarction at hospital level : where to look for answers?

Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2017Background: Outcomes assessment is very important for improving health care outcomes and control spending. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was chosen for its prevalence, high morbidity and mortality, relevant mortality variability and high treatment costs. Purpose: To study the differences between hospitals in AMI mortality and the associated waste from unjustified variation. Methods: Patients with AMI discharged from public hospitals in our country in 2011–13 were selected and anonymized administrative data was utilized. The relevant variables to explain the differences in mortality were: patient characteristics (demographics, AMI type, comorbidities, and procedures), hospital characteristics (hospital with “coronary green way”, volume, and university hospital), and travel time to hospital. Generalized linear mixed models (1st level: patient, 2nd level: hospital) were used and specifically binary logistic regression was applied. The differences in mortality explained by each group of variables were evaluated with a percentual rate of Pseudo-r2. We considered as waste the number of additional deaths in each hospital compared to patients with the same characteristics, through the hospital random effect variance (difference of each hospital to the global odds). Results: 22.380 patients treated in 17 hospitals were included. Mortality rate was 9.5%. The mortality rate varied between 5.4% (H11) and 14.1% (H3). Our model explained 29.8% of the differences in mortality. Comorbidities explained 23.2% of mortality differences, demographic variables 7.8%, procedures 6.6%, and type of AMI 2.8%. Angioplasty and primary angioplasty procedures were protective factors, since all other procedures showed a comparatively increased risk of death, particularly fibrinolysis without angioplasty (OR 5.9; CI 3.2–10.9). Across all hospitals, there were 137 avoidable deaths, with a variation between -81 deaths (hospital with lower mortality) and +133 deaths (hospital with higher mortality). As shown in Fig. 1, there was a risk of death 3.5 times higher at H8 than at H7. The model showed excellent discrimination (area under the ROC curve: 0.871). Conclusion: We observed significant differences in mortality in acute myocardial infarction between hospitals, therefore indicating variability of practices. The scale of avoidable deaths justifies an investigation of its causes, mainly in the hospitals with worse performance. The hospital characteristics had little impact on the detected differences, so the inefficiencies are probably more related with the internal organization of hospitals and the way care is provided. These results raise relevant concerns at the health system and hospitals levels, in particular about the compliance with AMI guidelines.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Friction and wear behaviour of bacterial cellulose against articular cartilage

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a natural and biocompatible material with unique properties, such as high water holding capacity, ultra-fine fibre network and high strength that makes it an attractive material for the repair of articular cartilage lesions. However, data on the tribological properties of BC is very scarce, particularly if natural articular cartilage is involved in the contact. In this work, unmodified BC pellicles were grown from Gluconacetobacter xylinus in order to be used as tribological samples against bovine articular cartilage (BAC) in the presence of phosphate buffered saline (PBS). The tribological assessment of the sliding pairs was accomplished using reciprocating pin-on-flat tests at 37ºC. The reciprocating sliding frequency and stroke length were kept constant at 1 Hz and 8 mm, respectively. Contact pressures ranging from 0.80 to 2.40 MPa were applied. The friction coefficient evolution was continuously monitored during the tests and the release of total carbohydrates into the lubricating solution was followed by means of the phenol-H2SO4 method as an attempt to evaluate wear losses. The morphology of worn surfaces was characterized by SEM/EDS and the main wear mechanisms were identified. Low friction coefficient values (~ 0.05) combined with the preservation of the mating surfaces (BC and BAC) indicate the potential of BC to be used as artificial cartilage for articular joints.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Physical modeling of sand-filled geosystems for coastal protection

Unidirectional irregular waves of varying significant wave-height and peak period but with aconstant spectral shape (JONSWAP spectrum, =3.3) were generated over a sandy 3:20 sloped planebeach to investigate scour fronting a dune erosion control system constructed from geotextiles, slopeinclined at 45º. Both passive (i.e., three dune erosion control systems with two configurations) and active(i.e., one nearshore submerged structure with four configurations) structures are investigated. A twodimensionalphysical movable-bed model simulating the prototype dune-beach systems of Estela, locatedalong the NW Portuguese coast, is employed in this study. The paper presents a brief characterization ofthe prototype conditions and discusses requirements and limitations on the choice of model scale for thewaves, the sediments, and the geotextile materials

Responses in growth and dynamics of the shade-tolerant species Theobroma subincanumto logging gaps in the Eastern Amazon.

Aim of study: To assess responses of the shade-tolerant species Theobroma subincanum in relation to canopy gaps created by reduced impact logging (RIL). Materials and methods: A managed forest in themunicipality ofMoju, Pará state,Brazil, harvested in 1997 through RIL was monitored during 12 years (1998-2010). Nine logging gaps were selected and classified in small, medium, and large. Four 10 m x 50 m strips starting from the gap?s border towards the forest and following the directions of cardinal points were installed. Each strip was divided in five 10 m x 10 m plots. Density, diameter distribution (DBH ≥ 5 cm with intervals = 5 cm), and diameter growth were measured. Main results: No significant changes in seedling density of T. subincanum were found, and its diameter distribution followed the reverse ?J? shape during all monitoring time. T. subincanum presented diameter growth of 0.15 cm year-1 with highest Periodic Annual Increment in diameter up to three years, and stabilization in nine years after RIL. The species responded to a growth gradient inversely proportional to the gap?s border distance (p = 0.001) but not to gap size and plots direction in cardinal points around the gap. Research highlights: Shade-tolerant species such as T. subincanum have sensible and positive growth responses to disturbances caused by RIL even when seedlings received low amounts of indirect sunlight. These positive responses should be considered in the management of production forests

Análise de trilha dos componentes de rendimento de grãos em populações de feijão-caupi.

Estimaram-se os efeitos diretos e indiretos dos componentes primários (número de vagens por planta, número de grãos por vagem e peso de cem grãos) sobre a produção de grãos, em feijão-caupi, visando posterior seleção para produção de grãos verdes. Foram avaliados 64 genótipos (62 linhagens - 39 F4, 16 F3RC1, 07 F3RC2, e os dois genótipos parentais Capela e Costelão), no município de Teresina, PI. O número de vagens por planta apresentou efeito direto,positivo e elevado, sobre produção de grãos que resultou em estimativa positiva, de elevada magnitude da correlação genotípica. A correlação positiva de média magnitude entre o número de grãos por vagem e o rendimento de grãos resultou do efeito direto positivo e dos efeitos indiretos negativos por via do peso de cem grãos e número de vagens por planta. O peso de cem grãos apresentou um efeito direto positivo no rendimento de grãos, porém a correlação genotípica foi negativa em razão dos efeitos indiretos e negativos do número de vagens por planta e número de grãos por vagem. A seleção indireta do número de vagens por planta traz ganhos para o rendimento de grãos