Mapeamento da fitomassa da caatinga do seridó pelos índices de área de planta e de vegetação da diferença normalizada

Phytomass is a critical information for economic and environmental activities like the establishment of policies for timber resources, forest management, studies of plant nutrient cycling, CO2 sink, among other. The phytomass of a Caatinga area was obtained by an empirical method using normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) of Landsat images, the plant area index (PAI) and the phytomass inventory. At a first stage, linear, logarithmic and non-linear models were developed and tested. Bush and tree specimens were considered in the study, so that most of the individuals that contribute to the spectral answer detected by satellite images were included. At a second stage, the orbital parameter NDVI was used to map the PAI, which was used to map the phytomass, based on the relationship of this phytomass as a function of PAI. The residues between measurements and estimates based on NDVI varied from 0 to 84%, while the residues of total dry weight of phytomass per ha obtained by mapping and by dendrometrical equations varied from 5 to 104%, with a large trend of 166 and 448% in open Caatinga areas, due to the contribution of the herbaceous stratum to NDVI.A fitomassa, principalmente arbórea, é informação necessária em atividades econômicas e ambientais, como políticas de uso do recurso madeireiro, manejo florestal, estudos de ciclagem de nutrientes, absorção de CO2, entre outros. A finalidade deste estudo foi a verificação de um método empírico para o mapeamento da fitomassa da Caatinga do Seridó, integrando-se um inventário de fitomassa, o índice de área de planta (IAP) e o índice de vegetação da diferença normalizada (NDVI), por meio de imagens Landsat TM. Na primeira etapa foram desenvolvidos e testados modelos lineares, logarítmicos e não lineares. A abordagem de tamanho foi arbustiva e arbórea, incluindo-se a maior parte dos indivíduos que contribuem na resposta espectral mensurada por imagens de satélite. Em uma segunda etapa utilizamos o parâmetro orbital, NDVI, para o mapeamento do IAP, que por sua vez, foi utilizado para mapear a fitomassa. Os desvios entre mensurações de IAP e estimativas a partir do NDVI, variaram de 0 a 84%, enquanto que os desvios entre Peso Seco Total de Fitomassa por ha obtidos pelo mapeamento e por equações dendrométricas, variaram de 5 a 104%, com grandes tendências de 166 e 448% para áreas de caatinga aberta, provocada pela contribuição do estrato herbáceo no NDVI

Infrasound induces coronary perivascular fibrosis in rats

Background: Chronic exposure to industrial noise is known to affect biological systems, namely, by inducing fibrosis in the absence of inflammatory cells. In rat hearts exposed to this environmental hazard, we have previously found myocardial and perivascular fibrosis. The acoustic spectrum of industrial environments is particularly rich in high-intensity infrasound (<20 Hz), whose effects on the heart are unknown. We evaluated the morphological changes induced by IFS in rat coronaries in the presence and absence of dexamethasone. Methods: Adult Wistar rats were divided into three groups: group A (GA)-IFS (<20 Hz, 120 dB)-exposed rats for 28 days treated with dexamethasone; group B (GB)-IFS-exposed rats; group C (GC)-age-matched controls. The midventricle was prepared for observation with an optical microscope using 100x magnification. Thirty-one arterial vessels were selected (GA 8, GB 10, GC 13). The vessel caliber, thickness of the wall, and perivascular dimensions were quantified using image j software. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare the groups for lumen-to-vessel wall (LW) and vessel wall-to-perivascular tissue (W/P) ratios. Results: IFS-exposed rats exhibited a prominent perivascular tissue. The median L/W and median W/P ratios were 0.54 and 0.48, 0.66 and 0.49, and 0.71 and 0.68, respectively, in GA, GB, and GC. The W/P ratio was significantly higher in GC compared with IFS-exposed animals (P=.001). The difference was significant between GC and GB (P=.008) but not between GC and GA. Conclusion: IFS induces coronary perivascular fibrosis that differs under treatment with corticosteroid

Impact of complex NOTCH1 mutations on survival in paediatric T-cell leukaemia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Molecular alterations occur frequently in T-ALL and the potential impact of those abnormalities on outcome is still controversial. The current study aimed to test whether <it>NOTCH1 </it>mutations and additional molecular abnormalities would impact T-ALL outcome in a series of 138 T-ALL paediatric cases.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>T-ALL subtypes, status of <it>SIL-TAL1 </it>fusion, ectopic expression of <it>TLX3</it>, and mutations in <it>FBXW7</it>, <it>KRAS</it>, <it>PTEN </it>and <it>NOTCH1 </it>were assessed as overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) prognostic factors. OS and EFS were determined using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The frequencies of mutations were 43.5% for <it>NOTCH1</it>, while <it>FBXW7</it>, <it>KRAS </it>and <it>PTEN </it>exhibited frequencies of 19.1%, 9.5% and 9.4%, respectively. In 78.3% of cases, the coexistence of <it>NOTCH1 </it>mutations and other molecular alterations was observed. In multivariate analysis no statistical association was revealed between <it>NOTCH1 </it>mutations and any other variable analyzed. The mean length of the follow-up was 68.4 months and the OS was 50.7%. <it>SIL-TAL1 </it>was identified as an adverse prognostic factor. <it>NOTCH1 </it>mutation status was not associated with outcome, while the presence of <it>NOTCH1 </it>complex mutations (indels) were associated with a longer overall survival (<it>p </it>= 0.031) than point mutations.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p><it>NOTCH1 </it>mutations alone or in combination with <it>FBXW7 </it>did not impact T-ALL prognosis. Nevertheless, complex <it>NOTCH1 </it>mutations appear to have a positive impact on OS and the <it>SIL-TAL1 </it>fusion was validated as a negative prognostic marker in our series of T-ALL.</p

Improving Cry8Ka toxin activity towards the cotton boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The cotton boll weevil (<it>Anthonomus grandis</it>) is a serious insect-pest in the Americas, particularly in Brazil. The use of chemical or biological insect control is not effective against the cotton boll weevil because of its endophytic life style. Therefore, the use of biotechnological tools to produce insect-resistant transgenic plants represents an important strategy to reduce the damage to cotton plants caused by the boll weevil. The present study focuses on the identification of novel molecules that show improved toxicity against the cotton boll weevil. <it>In vitro </it>directed molecular evolution through DNA shuffling and phage display screening was applied to enhance the insecticidal activity of variants of the Cry8Ka1 protein of <it>Bacillus thuringiensis</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Bioassays carried out with <it>A. grandis </it>larvae revealed that the LC₅₀of the screened mutant Cry8Ka5 toxin was 3.15-fold higher than the wild-type Cry8Ka1 toxin. Homology modelling of Cry8Ka1 and the Cry8Ka5 mutant suggested that both proteins retained the typical three-domain Cry family structure. The mutated residues were located mostly in loops and appeared unlikely to interfere with molecular stability.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The improved toxicity of the Cry8Ka5 mutant obtained in this study will allow the generation of a transgenic cotton event with improved potential to control <it>A. grandis</it>.</p