Índice de cobertura vegetal e sua modelagem para cultivares de soja no sul de Minas Gerais Index of vegetal cover and its modeling for soybean cultivars in the south of Minas Gerais

A cobertura vegetal do solo é decisiva para redução dos efeitos erosivos do impacto direto das gotas de chuva na superfície do solo. Desta forma, objetivou-se com este estudo determinar o índice de cobertura vegetal (CV) e desenvolver modelos para sua estimativa para a cultura da soja, usando os atributos climáticos no período de chuvas intensas no Sul de Minas Gerais. As determinações da CV foram feitas semanalmente, na área experimental do Departamento de Ciência do Solo, Universidade Federal de Lavras, no período de novembro de 1999 a maio de 2000, em 28 cultivares de soja com potencial para cultivo nesta região. Para avaliação da cobertura vegetal foi utilizada a metodologia descrita por Stocking (1988). Na modelagem procurou-se relacionar a CV com os valores acumulados dos seguintes atributos climáticos: temperatura média (Tmed), precipitação (PREC) e umidade relativa do ar (UR). Os valores de cobertura vegetal apresentaram uma amplitude de variação de 56 a 83%, sendo BR 162, LO 12 L e M. Soy 108 as cultivares mais eficientes e FT Abyara e Tucano as menos eficientes. O hábito diferencial de crescimento das cultivares ajuda a explicar esse comportamento. O modelo ajustado adequado para estimativa da CV foi: CV = 116589,976 + 0,422 . Tmed + 0,132 . PREC - 0,095 . UR + 0,000024 . Tmed², R² = 0,99 (P < 0,01). A determinação da CV nas diferentes fases de desenvolvimento da cultura é de grande importância, uma vez que seu estabelecimento coincide com o período de maior potencial erosivo das chuvas na região estudada.<br>Vegetal cover of soil is decisive to reduce the erosive effects of direct impact of raindrops on the soil surface. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the vegetal cover (CC) index and to develop models to estimate it for soybean cultivars, using climatic attributes in the period of intense rains in the South of the State of Minas Gerais in Brazil. CC was measured weekly in the experimental area of the Department of Soil Science, Federal University of Lavras, from November 1999 to May 2000, for 28 soybean cultivars with yield potential in this region. To evaluate the vegetal cover, the method described by Stocking (1988) was used. In the modeling, CC was related with the accumulated values of following climatic attributes: medium temperature (Tmed), precipitation (PREC), and relative humidity of the air (RH). Vegetal cover values presented an amplitude from 56 to 83%, being BR 162, LO 12 L and M. Soy 108, the more efficient cultivars, and the FT Abyara and Tucano, the least efficient ones. The differential growth habit of the cultivars helps to explain this behavior. The best adjusted model for the estimative of CC was: CC = 116589.976 + 0.422, Tmed + 0.132, PREC - 0.095, RH + 0.000024 Tmed², R² = 0.99 (P < 0.01). The knowledge of CC for different development phases of the crop is of great importance, taking into account that its establishment time coincides with the highest erosive potential of the rains in the studied region

Aging and environmental enrichment exacerbate inflammatory response on antibody-enhanced dengue disease in immunocompetent murine model

We previously demonstrated in young mice that in comparison with animals raised in an impoverished environment (IE), animals from an enriched environment (EE) show more severe dengue disease, associated with an increased expansion of memory T target cells. Because active older adults show less functional decline in T-cell adaptive immunity, we hypothesized that aged mice from EE would show higher mortality and T-lymphocyte expansion than mice from IE. To test this hypothesis, we administered serial i.p. injections of anti-DENV2 hyperimmune serum, followed 24 h later by DENV3 (genotype III)-infected brain homogenate. Control mice received equal volumes of serum but received uninfected brain homogenate. The presence of virus or viral antigens was indirectly detected by real-time quantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Compared to infected IE animals, EE mice, independent of age, showed higher mortality and more intense clinical signs. Compared to young mice, the higher mortality of aged mice was associated with a higher degree of T lymphocytic hyperplasia in the spleen and infiltration in kidneys, liver, and lungs, but less viral antigen immunolabeling. We propose that a higher expansion of T cells and serotype cross-reactive antibodies are associated with disease severity in aged mice.</p

Perdas de solo, água, nutrientes e carbono orgânico em Cambissolo e Latossolo sob chuva natural Soil, water, nutrients and organic carbon losses from inceptisol and Oxisol under natural rainfall

A erosão hídrica é responsável por perdas de nutrientes e carbono dos solos agrícolas. A minimização das perdas de solo, água, nutrientes e carbono orgânico constitui importante aspecto do planejamento conservacionista. Os objetivos deste trabalho foram avaliar as perdas, por erosão hídrica, de solo, água, nutrientes e carbono orgânico em Cambissolo Háplico Tb distrófico típico (CXbd) e Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico típico (LVdf). As coletas foram realizadas depois de cada evento de chuva considerada erosiva. As perdas médias anuais de solo foram de 205,65 Mg ha-1 para o CXbd e de 14,90 Mg ha-1 para o LVdf. As perdas médias anuais de água foram 369 mm para o CXbd e 113 mm para o LVdf, representando, respectivamente, 28,67% e 8,78% do total precipitado. Os atributos mineralógicos, químicos e físicos e o relevo de ocorrência desses solos explicam satisfatoriamente os resultados obtidos. O CXbd apresentou as maiores perdas de nutrientes e carbono orgânico. O carbono orgânico foi encontrado em maior quantidade no sedimento erodido, evidenciado pelo caráter seletivo da erosão.<br>Water erosion is responsible for considerable losses of nutrients and organic carbon from agricultural soils. The reduction of soil, water, nutrients and organic carbon losses constitutes an important aspect of the conservation planning. The objectives of this work were to evaluate the soil, water, nutrients and organic carbon losses from a Typic Dystrochept (TD) and a Rhodic Hapludox (RH). The samplings were performed after each considered erosive rain event. The mean annual soil losses were 205.65 Mg ha-1 for the TD and 14.90 Mg ha-1 for the RH. The mean annual water losses were 369 mm for the TD and 113 mm for the RH, representing 28.67% and 8.78% of the total precipitation, respectively. The mineralogical, chemical and physical attributes and the relief where these soils occur satisfactorily explain the obtained results. The TD presents higher nutrients and organic carbon losses than the RH. The organic carbon was the main component of the eroded sediment, evidenced by the selective character of erosion

Clinical and genetic characterization of pituitary gigantism : an international collaborative study in 208 patients

Despite being a classical growth disorder, pituitary gigantism has not been studied previously in a standardized way. We performed a retrospective, multicenter, international study to characterize a large series of pituitary gigantism patients.We included 208 patients (163 males; 78.4%) with growth hormone excess and a current/previous abnormal growth velocity for age or final height >2 S.D. above country normal means. The median onset of rapid growth was 13 years and occurred significantly earlier in females than in males; pituitary adenomas were diagnosed earlier in females than males (15.8 vs 21.5 years respectively). Adenomas were 6510 mm (i.e., macroadenomas) in 84%, of which extrasellar extension occurred in 77% and invasion in 54%. GH/IGF1 control was achieved in 39% during long-term follow-up. Final height was greater in younger onset patients, with larger tumors and higher GH levels. Later disease control was associated with a greater difference from mid-parental height (r=0.23, P=0.02). AIP mutations occurred in 29%; microduplication at Xq26.3 - X-linked acrogigantism (X-LAG) - occurred in two familial isolated pituitary adenoma kindreds and in ten sporadic patients. Tumor size was not different in X-LAG, AIP mutated and genetically negative patient groups. AIP-mutated and X-LAG patients were significantly younger at onset and diagnosis, but disease control was worse in genetically negative cases. Pituitary gigantism patients are characterized by male predominance and large tumors that are difficult to control. Treatment delay increases final height and symptom burden. AIP mutations and X-LAG explain many cases, but no genetic etiology is seen in >50% of cases

Gigantism and acromegaly due to Xq26 microduplications and GPR101 mutation

BACKGROUND Increased secretion of growth hormone leads to gigantism in children and acromegaly in adults; the genetic causes of gigantism and acromegaly are poorly understood. METHODS We performed clinical and genetic studies of samples obtained from 43 patients with gigantism and then sequenced an implicated gene in samples from 248 patients with acromegaly. RESULTS We observed microduplication on chromosome Xq26.3 in samples from 13 patients with gigantism; of these samples, 4 were obtained from members of two unrelated kindreds, and 9 were from patients with sporadic cases. All the patients had disease onset during early childhood. Of the patients with gigantism who did not carry an Xq26.3 microduplication, none presented before the age of 5 years. Genomic characterization of the Xq26.3 region suggests that the microduplications are generated during chromosome replication and that they contain four protein-coding genes. Only one of these genes, GPR101, which encodes a G-protein-coupled receptor, was overexpressed in patients' pituitary lesions. We identified a recurrent GPR101 mutation (p.E308D) in 11 of 248 patients with acromegaly, with the mutation found mostly in tumors. When the mutation was transfected into rat GH3 cells, it led to increased release of growth hormone and proliferation of growth hormone-producing cells. CONCLUSIONS We describe a pediatric disorder (which we have termed X-linked acrogigantism [X-LAG]) that is caused by an Xq26.3 genomic duplication and is characterized by early-onset gigantism resulting from an excess of growth hormone. Duplication of GPR101 probably causes X-LAG. We also found a recurrent mutation in GPR101 in some adults with acromegaly

Erosividade da chuva e erodibilidade de Cambissolo e Latossolo na região de Lavras, sul de Minas Gerais Rainfall erosivity and erodibility of Cambisol (Inceptisol) and Latosol (Oxisol) in the region of Lavras, Southern Minas Gerais State, Brazil

No Brasil, ainda são relativamente poucos os estudos envolvendo erodibilidade do solo, principalmente Cambissolos, dada a morosidade na obtenção dos resultados de experimentos com chuva natural. O conhecimento dos índices de erosividade e de erodibilidade é importante para o planejamento conservacionista, contribuindo para a sustentabilidade dos solos. Este estudo teve como objetivos determinar a erosividade da chuva e a erodibilidade de Cambissolo Háplico Tb distrófico típico e Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico típico, sob chuva natural, em Lavras (MG), no período de 1998 a 2002. Os dados de precipitação pluviométrica foram obtidos na Estação Climatológica Principal de Lavras, localizada no campus da Universidade Federal de Lavras, próxima das unidades experimentais de perdas de solo. A erosividade (EI30) foi determinada a partir do produto da energia cinética da chuva pela sua intensidade máxima em 30 min. Estes dados, correlacionados com as perdas de solo, permitiram obter o índice de erodibilidade dos solos. A precipitação total média anual foi 1.287 mm e a erosividade média foi de 4.865 MJ mm ha-1 h-1 ano-1. A erodibilidade foi 0,0355 Mg h MJ-1 mm-1 para o Cambissolo e 0,0032 Mg h MJ-1 mm-1 para o Latossolo, em consonância com seus atributos mineralógicos, químicos, físicos e morfológicos diferenciais.<br>Relatively few studies in Brazil have investigated soil erodibility, mainly for Cambisols (Inceptisols), due to the tediousness of data collection in natural rainfall experiments. Knowledge about erodibility and erosivity is important for conservation planning, which contributes to soil sustainability. This study aimed at evaluating the rainfall erosivity and erodibility of a typic dystrophic Tb Haplic Cambisol (Inceptisol) and a typic dystroferric Red Latosol (Oxisol) under natural rainfall, in Lavras, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, between 1998 and 2002. Pluvial precipitation data were obtained from the main weather station of Lavras, of the Universidade Federal de Lavras, close to the soil loss experimental plots. Erosivity (EI30) was calculated as the product of the rain kinetic energy by the maximum intensity in 30 min. Based on these data, correlated with the soil losses, the soil erodibility could be computed. The mean annual total precipitation was 1,287 mm and the mean calculated erosivity 4,865 MJ mm ha-1 h-1 year-1. The erodibility of the Cambisol was 0.026 Mg h MJ-1 mm-1 and of the Latosol 0.004 Mg h MJ-1 mm-1, in agreement with their differential mineralogical, chemical, physical and morphological properties