The availability of nitrogen from sugarcane trash on contrasting soils in the wet tropics of North Queensland

Sugarcane crop residues ('trash') have the potential to supply nitrogen (N) to crops when they are retained on the soil surface after harvest. Farmers should account for the contribution of this N to crop requirements in order to avoid over-fertilisation. In very wet tropical locations, the climate may increase the rate of trash decomposition as well as the amount of N lost from the soil-plant system due to leaching or denitrification. A field experiment was conducted on Hydrosol and Ferrosol soils in the wet tropics of northern Australia using N-15-labelled trash either applied to the soil surface or incorporated. Labelled urea fertiliser was also applied with unlabelled surface trash. The objective of the experiment was to investigate the contribution of trash to crop N nutrition in wet tropical climates, the timing of N mineralisation from trash, and the retention of trash N in contrasting soils. Less than 6% of the N in trash was recovered in the first crop and the recovery was not affected by trash incorporation. Around 6% of the N in fertiliser was also recovered in the first crop, which was less than previously measured in temperate areas (20-40%). Leaf samples taken at the end of the second crop contined 2-3% of N from trash and fertilizer applied at the beginning of the experiment. Although most N was recovered in the 0-1.5 m soil layer there was some evidence of movement of N below this depth. The results showed that trash supplies N slowly and in small amounts to the succeeding crop in wet tropics sugarcane growing areas regardless of trash placement (on the soil surface or incorporated) or soil type, and so N mineralisation from a single trash blanket is not important for sugarcane production in the wet tropics

Laserterapia de baixa intensidade na expressão de colágeno após lesão muscular cirúrgica Low-level laser therapy in the expression of collagen after muscular surgical injury

A laserterapia é um procedimento utilizado em larga escala nas lesões musculoesqueléticas, devido as suas diversas propriedades, antiinflamatórias, cicatrizantes entre outras. Além disso, há tipos distintos de aparelhos de laser. Mesmo com os diversos modelos experimentais existentes na literatura, não há um consenso sobre a faixa de utilização, bem como o tipo de laser que promove melhor reparo no tecido muscular. Este estudo visa analisar os efeitos da laserterapia de baixa intensidade na expressão de colágeno após lesão muscular. Camundongos Swiss albinos (n=18) foram submetidos à lesão muscular cirúrgica e divididos em dois grupos, controle (C) e teste (T). Os animais foram submetidos a uma irradiação diária de 5 J/cm² pelos lasers AsGaAl 830 nm e AsGa 904 nm e, em diferentes tempos de sacrifício (7 e 14 dias). Os resultados não demonstraram diferença estatística significativa na expressão de colágeno em ambos os grupos analisados. Contudo, os dados apontam que a dose de 5 J/cm² do laser AsGa 904 nm promoveu maior deposição de fibras colágenas após 14 dias de tratamento, sugerindo que a terapia seja efetiva na síntese de colágeno. Outros estudos experimentais, em humanos, devem ser propostos para maiores inferências sobre os resultados do laser no tratamento da lesão muscular.<br>The laser therapy is a procedure utilized at long scale in the musculoskeletal injuries, due its anti-inflammatory and reparatory proprieties and others. Besides, there are differents types of laser equipments. Despites with the many experimental models at literature, there is no consensus about the range of application as well as the type of laser that promove of the best repair in muscular tissue. The aim of this study is to analyze the effects of the low level laser therapy in the expression of collagen after muscular injury. Mice Swiss albinos (n=18) were subjected to the muscular surgical injury and separated in two groups, control (C) and test (T). The animals were submitted a daily radiation of 5 J/cm² for the lasers AsGaAl 830 nm and AsGa 904 nm and, in different times of sacrifice (7 and 14 days). The results didn't demonstrate significant statistical difference in the expression of collagen in both analyzed groups. However, the data appear that the dose of 5 J/cm² of the laser AsGa 904 nm promoted larger deposition of fibers collagens after 14 days of treatment, suggesting that the therapy is effective in the synthesis of collagen. Others studies will be proposed at humans to bigger inferences about the results of laser in the treatment muscular injury

Laser and Light for Wound Healing Stimulation

Understanding wound healing is critical for health care ­professionals mainly because of the enormous burden of chronic wounds on society. In addition, in many medical specialties, creating wounds for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes is part of a physician’s daily practice. Acute wounds are usually closed using sutures, staples, or other methods of wound closure. Conventional modalities include maintenance of a moist wound bed, and prevention of infection. Although acute wounds are not challenging in most settings, they may influence the hospital stay or expenses related to medical procedures. Chronic wounds however, are more challenging. The incidence of chronic wounds in the United States is approximately five to seven million per year1 and the annual costs for management of these wounds is greater than $20 billion