Crescimento de plantas de mogno brasileiro (Swietenia Macrophylla king.) cultivadas em diferentes substratos no horto florestal do Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro.

A demanda de mudas de plantas da Mata Atlântica supera a oferta no mercado brasileiro. A necessidade de substratos para germinação e desenvolvimento das plantas envolve grande volume de insumos ricos em matéria orgânica e nutriente que suprem necessidades físicas, químicas e biológicas dos vegetais. Os resíduos vegetais produzidos nos 57 ha do arboreto do Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro apresentam elevados teores de nutrientes essenciais às plantas. Para êxito na produção de mudas de qualidade consideram-se características físicas e químicas do substrato, as quais conferem qualidades que permitem o desenvolvimento e proteção das raízes na fase de viveiro. As recomendações para manejo do mogno inclui que a regeneração deve ser estimulada de forma artificial devido pouca habilidade natural em se regenerar após desmatamento intenso. O mogno (Swietenia macrophylla King.) se encontra entre as espécies mais exploradas no setor madeireiro e está ameaçada de extinção, considerada madeira nobre entre as mais valiosas na Amazônia, pois possui diversas utilidades. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o desenvolvimento de plantas de mogno nativo do Brasil (Swietenia macrophylla King.) cultivado em diferentes substratos no horto florestal do Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro

Produção de mudas de Schizolobium Parahyba (Vell.) blake cultivadas em diferentes substratos no horto florestal do Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro.

Entre as diversas espécies florestais nativas de rápido crescimento, como possíveis fontes de madeira para reflorestamento, o guapuruvu (Shizolobium parahyba (Vell.) Blake) apresenta pouca exigência quanto à fertilidade do solo e encontra-se ao longo de todo Vale do Paraíba, onde as terras possuem baixo teor de nutrientes em consequência da exaustão de culturas na época colonial. Contudo nota-se melhoria no crescimento das plantas nos solos com boa fertilidade, profundos, úmidos e bem drenados. O conhecimento dos requerimentos nutricionais das espécies e respostas em relação aos substratos é fundamental para êxito na produção de mudas de qualidade. Quanto maior o conhecimento para produção de mudas melhor será a propagação para plantios e reflorestamento. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o desenvolvimento de plantas de guapuruvu (Shizolobium parahyba (Vell.) Blake) cultivados em diferentes substratos no horto florestal do Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro

Gene expression, biochemical and physiological activities in evaluating melon seed vigor through ethanol release.

The aim of the present study was to establish parameters to evaluate melon seeds vigor by ethanol release test using a modified ethylometer and correlate with physiological seed quality, gene expression and enzyme activities alterations. To perform this trial, six seeds lots of yellow melon were submitted to determinations such as moisture content, germination assay and vigor tests. 25 and 50 seeds soaked with 0.5 mL of distilled water and tested after 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 24 h at 40 °C. After 0, 6 and 24 h of imbibition, the high and low vigor lots were evaluated for the following enzyme activity: superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and alcoholic dehydrogenase (ADH). Accumulation of ADH protein was verified using Western Blotting hybridization technique with the primary Anti-ADH antibody. The release of ethanol in 25 seeds, soaked in 0.5 mL of distilled water for 6 h, proved efficient for vigor evaluation and can be related to other traditionally used tests. Enzyme activity varied according to the vigor of the seed lot. For the protein profile, there was variation in the accumulation of proteins of specific molecular weights throughout the soaking periods. There was also variation in expression according to accumulation of ADH protein. The biochemical and molecular tests corroborate with the establishment of the ethanol test as an additional tool to evaluate seed vigor

Modern insulation materials for warming of walls

Biodiversity hotspots understandably attract considerable conservation attention. However, deserts are rarely viewed as conservation priority areas, due to their relatively low productivity, yet these systems are home to unique species, adapted to harsh and highly variable environments. While global attention has been focused on hotspots, the world's largest tropical desert, the Sahara, has suffered a catastrophic decline in megafauna. Of 14 large vertebrates that have historically occurred in the region, four are now extinct in the wild, including the iconic scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah). The majority has disappeared from more than 90% of their Saharan range, including addax (Addax nasomaculatus), dama gazelle (Nanger dama) and Saharan cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus hecki) - all now on the brink of extinction. Greater conservation support and scientific attention for the region might have helped to avert these catastrophic declines. The Sahara serves as an example of a wider historical neglect of deserts and the human communities who depend on them. The scientific community can make an important contribution to conservation in deserts by establishing baseline information on biodiversity and developing new approaches to sustainable management of desert species and ecosystems. Such approaches must accommodate mobility of both people and wildlife so that they can use resources most efficiently in the face of low and unpredictable rainfall. This is needed to enable governments to deliver on their commitments to halt further degradation of deserts and to improve their status for both biodiversity conservation and human well-being. Only by so-doing will deserts be able to support resilient ecosystems and communities that are best able to adapt to climate change. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Mechanistic Elucidation of the Arylation of Non-Spectator N-Heterocyclic Carbenes at Copper Using a Combined Experimental and Computational Approach

CuI(NHC)Br complexes (NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene) undergo a direct reaction with iodobenzene to give 2-arylated benzimidazolium products. The nature of the N-substituent on the NHC ligand influences the reactivity of the CuI(NHC)Br complex toward arylation. N-Benzyl or N-phenyl substituents facilitate arylation, whereas N-mesityl substituents hinder arylation. Density functional theory calculations show that an oxidative addition/reductive elimination pathway involving CuIII species is energetically feasible. A less hindered CuI(NHC)Br complex with N-benzyl groups is susceptible to oxidation reactions to give 1,3-dibenzylbenzimidazolium cations containing a CuIBr anion (various polymorphs). The results described herein are of relevance to C–H functionalization of (benz)azoles

New and conventional strategies for lung recruitment in acute respiratory distress syndrome

Mechanical ventilation is a supportive and life saving therapy in patients with acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Despite advances in critical care, mortality remains high. During the last decade, the fact that mechanical ventilation can produce morphologic and physiologic alterations in the lungs has been recognized. In this context, the use of low tidal volumes (VT) and limited inspiratory plateau pressure (Pplat) has been proposed when mechanically ventilating the lungs of patients with ALI/ARDS, to prevent lung as well as distal organ injury. However, the reduction in VT may result in alveolar derecruitment, cyclic opening and closing of atelectatic alveoli and distal small airways leading to ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) if inadequate low positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) is applied. On the other hand, high PEEP levels may be associated with excessive lung parenchyma stress and strain and negative hemodynamic effects, resulting in systemic organ injury. Therefore, lung recruitment maneuvers have been proposed and used to open up collapsed lung, while PEEP counteracts alveolar derecruitment due to low VT ventilatio

Discursos e a construção do senso comum sobre alimentação a partir de uma revista feminina

Diversos elementos contribuem para a construção do senso comum sobre alimentação com impacto na saúde das populações. Nesse estudo, parte-se da hipótese de que o discurso midiático desempenha um papel estruturador relevante no processo de construção e consolidação de padrões de estética corporal e de alimentação, produzindo sentidos coletivos que interferem nas escolhas feitas pelos sujeitos. Este trabalho objetivou reconhecer as estratégias discursivas adotadas por um veículo midiático direcionado ao público feminino quanto à alimentação saudável e sua contribuição para a formação do senso comum sobre o tema. Foram analisadas as matérias de capa dos doze números de uma revista feminina publicados no ano de 2007, segundo o referencial teórico da análise do discurso. Foi observado um discurso carregado de ambiguidade entre beleza e saúde, com forte apelo à sensualidade e ao culto do corpo perfeito, predominantemente divergente do saber científico na área da nutrição, legitimado por dois outros discursos transversais, o socioestético e o especializado. Concluiu-se que as estratégias discursivas adotadas pelo veículo midiático analisado contribuem para a formação de um saber comum sobre práticas alimentares que é frágil e não habilita os sujeitos para escolhas autônomas e saudáveis.Several factors contribute to the construction of common sense on food with impact on public health. In this study, our hypothesis was that media discourse plays an important structuring role in the process of body aesthetics and food patterns construction and consolidation, producing collective senses that interfere in the choices made by people. The study aimed to recognize the discursive strategies adopted by a media vehicle targeted at women about healthy eating, and their contribution to the formation of common sense on the subject. We analyzed the twelve cover reports of a women's magazine published in 2007, according to the theoretical framework of discourse analysis. A discourse full of ambiguity between beauty and health was observed, with a strong appeal to sensuality and to the cult of the perfect body, predominantly divergent from scientific knowledge in the nutrition area, legitimized by two other cross discourses, the socioaesthetic and the specialized ones. We conclude that the discursive strategies adopted by the media vehicle that was examined contribute to the formation of a common knowledge about eating habits that is fragile and does not enable people to make independent and healthy choices

Rationale, study design, and analysis plan of the Alveolar Recruitment for ARDS Trial (ART): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is associated with high in-hospital mortality. Alveolar recruitment followed by ventilation at optimal titrated PEEP may reduce ventilator-induced lung injury and improve oxygenation in patients with ARDS, but the effects on mortality and other clinical outcomes remain unknown. This article reports the rationale, study design, and analysis plan of the Alveolar Recruitment for ARDS Trial (ART). METHODS/DESIGN: ART is a pragmatic, multicenter, randomized (concealed), controlled trial, which aims to determine if maximum stepwise alveolar recruitment associated with PEEP titration is able to increase 28-day survival in patients with ARDS compared to conventional treatment (ARDSNet strategy). We will enroll adult patients with ARDS of less than 72 h duration. The intervention group will receive an alveolar recruitment maneuver, with stepwise increases of PEEP achieving 45 cmH2O and peak pressure of 60 cmH2O, followed by ventilation with optimal PEEP titrated according to the static compliance of the respiratory system. In the control group, mechanical ventilation will follow a conventional protocol (ARDSNet). In both groups, we will use controlled volume mode with low tidal volumes (4 to 6 mL/kg of predicted body weight) and targeting plateau pressure 6430 cmH2O. The primary outcome is 28-day survival, and the secondary outcomes are: length of ICU stay; length of hospital stay; pneumothorax requiring chest tube during first 7 days; barotrauma during first 7 days; mechanical ventilation-free days from days 1 to 28; ICU, in-hospital, and 6-month survival. ART is an event-guided trial planned to last until 520 events (deaths within 28 days) are observed. These events allow detection of a hazard ratio of 0.75, with 90% power and two-tailed type I error of 5%. All analysis will follow the intention-to-treat principle. DISCUSSION: If the ART strategy with maximum recruitment and PEEP titration improves 28-day survival, this will represent a notable advance to the care of ARDS patients. Conversely, if the ART strategy is similar or inferior to the current evidence-based strategy (ARDSNet), this should also change current practice as many institutions routinely employ recruitment maneuvers and set PEEP levels according to some titration metho