Utilizacao da embriogenese somatica no processo de melhoramento da tamareira.

A tamareira Phoenix dactilifera L. é uma palmeira do gênero Phoenix que produz frutos comestíveis que fazem parte de uma dieta básica de povos devários países do Oriente Médio (Bailey, 1944). Suas flores frescas são a base para uma bebida destilada (tora water). Uma goma medicional (kukm chil) é feita de seu palmito, sendo de comprovada eficácia em doenças do aparelho respiratório

Can stigma become a resource? The mobilisation of aesthetic–corporal capital by female immigrant entrepreneurs from Brazil

The proportion and visibility of Brazilian women and particularly the specific images of Brazil and Brazilians in the Portuguese imaginary have contributed to the construction of new versions of stigma and stereotypes surrounding them. Mainstream images of Brazilian women have incorporated prejudices about the sensuality of Creole women who are reminiscent of the Portuguese colonial imaginary. Starting from this stigmatised image, we show how Brazilian women entrepreneurs in the ‘beauty’ business filière reinterpret and mobilise this perceived negative image, transforming it into an added value associated with an ‘aesthetic’ Brazilian body culture. This idea of ‘body’ aesthetics becomes a business resource transformed into aesthetic– corporal capital, a key component of the Brazilian beauty business filière. Empirically, this research is based on qualitative elements, in particular 25 interviews with Brazilian women entrepreneurs of the beauty filière working in Portugal, collected for the project BELTS-W (Brazilian Entrepreneurial Links and Transnational Strategies – Women).This article is an output of the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) sponsored project PIHM/GC/0111/2008 and Brazilian Entrepreneurial Links and Transnational Strategies-Women (BELTS-W)

Three new triterpenes from the resinous bark of Protium kleinii and their antinociceptive activity

Three novel pentacyclic triterpenes have been isolated from the resin of Protium kleinii and their structures elucidated by NMR spectroscopy as 3-oxo-11beta,16beta-dihydroxy-urs-12-ene (1), 3-oxo-11beta-hydroxy-urs-12-ene (2) and 3-oxo-11beta-hydroxy-olean-12-ene (3). The systemic administration of the above compounds (10-100 mg kg-1, i.p.) was able to inhibited both first and second phase of the formalin-induced nociception in mice. The known triterpenes 3beta,16beta-dihydroxy-olean-12-ene (brein) (4) and a mixture of alpha (5)- and beta-amyrin (6) were also found. Três triterpenos pentacíclicos inéditos foram isolados da resina de Protium kleinii. Suas estruturas, 3-oxo-11beta,16beta-diidróxi-urs-12-eno (1), 3-oxo-11beta-hidróxi-urs-12-eno (2) e 3-oxo-11beta-hidróxi-olean-12-eno (3), foram elucidadas por espectroscopia de RMN. A administração sistêmica destes compostos (10-100 mg kg-1, i.p.) foi capaz de inibir tanto a primeira quanto a segunda fase da nocicepção induzida pela formalina em camundongos. Em adição, foram isolados os triterpenos conhecidos 3beta,16beta-dihidróxi-urs-12-eno (breina) (4) e uma mistura de alfa (5)- e beta-amirina (6)

Animal Performance in Pastures of \u3ci\u3ePanicum maximum\u3c/i\u3e cv. IPR 86 Fertilized with Nitrogen

The experiment was carried out at the Experimental Station of the IAPAR in Paranavaí– PR, Brazil, from October 1998 to May 1999 to evaluate the response of crossbred steers grazing pastures of Panicum maximum cv. IPR 86 fertilized with four doses of N (0; 150; 300 and 450 kg.ha-1.year). The grass was grazed according to a rotational grazing system with grazing cycles (GCs) of 40 days (grazing period of 5 days and rest period of 35 days). It was used a randomized complete block design, with split-plots, and two replications per treatment, being the N-doses studied in the main plots and the GCs in the sub-plots. The availability of green leaf-blades increased with the increase of N-doses, resulting in 4.09; 8.18; 11.18; and 13.92 steers.ha-1.day-1 and daily LWG of 2.73; 5.25; 7.40; and 9.24 kg.ha-1 when the pastures were fertilized with 0; 150; 300 and 450 kg N.ha-1, respectively. The efficiency of N-utilization was 3.35; 3.11; and 2.89 kg LWG kg.N-1 when the pastures were fertilized with 150; 300; and 450 kg N.ha-1, respectively

Effects of Nitrogen Fertilization on the Production of \u3ci\u3ePanicum maximum\u3c/i\u3e cv. IPR 86 under Grazing

The experiment was conducted at the Experimental Station of Paranavaí/IAPAR-PR-Brazil, from October 1998 to May 1999, to evaluate the effects of N fertilization on Panicum maximum cv. IPR 86 pastures. Four doses of N (0; 150; 300; and 450 kg.ha-1.year-1) were applied to pastures under rotational grazing with grazing cycles (GCs) of 40 days (5 days-grazing and 35 days-rest). It was used a randomized complete block design, with split-plots, and two replications per treatment, being the N-doses studied in the main plots and the GCs in the sub-plots. In all GCs the variables dry matter of available green leaf-blades (GLB) and dry matter of stems + leaf sheaths (GSLS) increased linearly (P\u3c 0.01) with the increase in N-doses during a grazing period of 200 days. The average residual GLB and GSLS were 335; 730; 825; and 837, and 104; 1024; 1817; and 2763 kg.ha-1, respectively for the N-treatments of 0; 150; 300; and 400 kg.ha-1

Fast Biofilm Penetration and Anti-PAO1 Activity of Nebulized Azithromycin in Nanoarchaeosomes

Azithromycin (AZ) is a broad-spectrum antibiotic with anti-inflammatory and antiquorum sensing activity against biofilm forming bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. AZ administered by oral or parenteral routes, however, neither efficiently accesses nor remains in therapeutic doses inside pulmonary biofilm depths. Instead, inhaled nanocarriers loaded with AZ may revert the problem of low accessibility and permanence of AZ into biofilms, enhancing its antimicrobial activity. The first inhalable nanovesicle formulation of AZ, nanoarchaeosome-AZ (nanoARC-AZ), is here presented. NanoARC prepared with total polar archaeolipids (TPAs), rich in 2,3-di-O-phytanyl-sn-glycero-1-phospho-(3′-sn-glycerol-1′-methylphosphate) (PGP-Me) from Halorubrum tebenquichense archaebacteria, consisted of ∼180 nm-diameter nanovesicles, loaded with 0.28 w/w AZ/TPA. NanoARC-AZ displayed lower minimal inhibitory concentration and minimal bactericidal concentration, higher preformed biofilm disruptive, and anti-PAO1 activity in biofilms than AZ. NanoARC penetrated and disrupted the structure of the PAO1 biofilm within only 1 h. Two milliliters of 15 μg/mL AZ nanoARC-AZ nebulized for 5 min rendered AZ doses compatible with in vitro antibacterial activity. The strong association between AZ and the nanoARC bilayer, combined with electrostatic attraction and trapping into perpendicular methyl groups of archaeolipids, as determined by Laurdan fluorescence anisotropy, generalized polarization, and small-angle X-ray scattering, was critical to stabilize during storage and endure shear forces of nebulization. NanoARC-AZ was noncytotoxic on A549 cells and human THP-1-derived macrophages, deserving further preclinical exploration as enhancers of AZ anti-PAO1 activity.Fil: Altube, María Julia. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Martínez, Melina María Belén. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Malheiros, Barbara. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Maffía, Paulo C.. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes; ArgentinaFil: Barbosa, Leandro R. S.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Morilla, María José. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Romero, Eder Lilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes; Argentin

Prediction of Dry Matter Intake Based on Ruminal Degradation from Milking Cows Grazing Coast-Cross Grass

Dry matter intake (DMI) of coast-cross grazing by crossbred Holstein-Zebu and Zebu lactating cows was calculated using in vitro dry matter digestibility from extrusa (four esophageal fistulated cows) and fecal output estimate with mordent chromium. Pasture was rotationally grazed with three days grazing period and 27 days resting period, adopting a stocking rate of 1.6 and 3.2 cows/ha, during the dry and rainy season respectively. Voluntary DMI was estimated from degradation characteristics using different equations. Predicted coast-cross DMI varied with models. The prediction of tropical forages dry matter intake from equations based in ruminal degradation parameters needs further investigation before being employed in practice

Complicações neurológicas em transplantes cardíacos

OBJECTIVE: Neurologic complications are known as important cause of morbidity and mortality in orthotopic heart transplantation. Our aim was to identify the frequency and outcome of neurologic complications after heart transplantation in a prospective observational study. METHOD: From September 93 to September 99, as part of our routine heart transplantation protocol all patients with end-stage cardiac failure were evaluated by the same neurologist before and at the time of any neurologic event (symptom or complaint) after transplantation. RESULTS: Out of 120 candidates evaluated, 62 were successfully transplanted (53 male; median age 45.5 years, median follow-up 26.8 months). Fifteen patients (24%) had ischemic, 22 (35%) idiopathic, 24 (39%) Chagas' disease and 1 (2%) had congenital cardiomyopathy. Neurologic complications occurred in 19 patients (31%): tremor, severe headache, transient encephalopathy and seizures related to drug toxicity or metabolic changes in 13; peripheral neuropathy in 4; and spinal cord compression in two (metastatic prostate cancer and epidural abscess). No symptomatic postoperative stroke was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Although frequent, neurologic complications were seldom related to persistent neurologic disability or death. Most of the complications resulted from immunosuppression, however, CNS infection was rare. The absence of symptomatic stroke in our series may be related to the lower frequency of ischemic cardiomyopathy.OBJETIVO: Complicações neurológicas são frequentemente descritas como causa de morbidade e mortalidade em transplantes cardíacos. Nosso objetivo foi avaliar a frequência de complicações neurológicas em pacientes submetidos a transplantes cardíacos, bem como sua evolução, através de um estudo prospectivo observacional. MÉTODO: Todos os candidatos a transplantes cardíacos foram avaliados pelo mesmo neurologista, como parte do protocolo de rotina de avaliação pré-transplante no período de 9/93 a 9/99. Após a cirurgia, os pacientes foram reavaliados sempre que houvesse qualquer sintoma ou queixa neurológica. RESULTADOS: Entre 120 pacientes avaliados no período pré-operatório, 62 foram transplantados (53 sexo masculino; idade mediana de 45.5 anos; tempo de seguimento mediano 26.8 meses). A etiologia da miocardiopatia foi isquêmica em 15 pacientes (24%), idiopática em 22 (35%), chagásica em 24 (39%) e congênita em 1 (2%). Complicações neurológicas ocorreram em 19 pacientes (31%): tremor, cefaléia intensa, encefalopatia transitória ou crises relacionados com toxicidade medicamentosa ou alterações metabólicas em 13; neuropatia periférica em 4; compressão medular em 2 (metástase epidural de carcinoma de próstata e abscesso epidural). Nenhum paciente apresentou acidente vascular cerebral (AVC) sintomático no período pós-operatório. CONCLUSÕES: Apesar de frequentes, as complicações neurológicas raramente provocaram seqüelas permanentes ou óbito. A maior parte das complicações foi relacionada com imunossupressão, entretanto, infecções foram raras. A ausência de pacientes com AVC sintomático pode estar associada com a baixa frequência de miocardiopatia isquêmica na presente série.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de Medicina Department of NeurologyUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de Medicina Department of CardiologyUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de Medicina Department of Infectious DiseasesUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de Medicina Department of Cardiovascular SurgeryUNIFESP, EPM, Department of NeurologyUNIFESP, EPM, Department of CardiologyUNIFESP, EPM, Department of Infectious DiseasesUNIFESP, EPM, Department of Cardiovascular SurgerySciEL