Influence of aluminum on root growth and of anatomy Stenocalyx dysentericus (DC.) O. Berg

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of aluminum (Al) on root growth and root anatomical structure of Stenocalyx dysentericus seedlings. Newly emerged plants were grown in simple solution composed of 0.1 μM of CaCl2.2H2O and five Al concentrations of 0, 150, 300, 600, and 1200 μM for 37 days in a hydroponic system. Subsequently, the seedlings were evaluated for root growth, relative root elongation, and anatomical studies using bright-field and fluorescence microscopy techniques. The results showed tolerance by S. dysentericus, with more root relative elongation in treatments with 150, 300, and 600 μM of Al. The anatomical studies revealed the presence of Al in root tissue, through the morin reagent, mainly in the 1200 μM treatment, characterizing some internal detoxification mechanism. S. dysentericus demonstrated tolerance in the tests with Al, principally at lower doses. These results may be entirely linked to its wide distribution in the cerrado domain, demonstrating to be a species  adapted to soils with higher Al concentration. S. dysentericus, when subjected to treatment with Al, showed a stimulating effect on root growth; for this species, low concentrations of Al may be essential for better root growth.Keywords: Cerrado, acidic soils, plant toxicity, toleranc

Fulminant immune-mediated necrotising myopathy (IMNM) mimicking myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA)

A 74-year-old man, with inflammatory arthritis, recently commenced on adalimumab, presented with a 4-week history of left-sided chest pain, malaise and shortness of breath. Admission ECG showed age-indeterminate left bundle branch block. Troponin T was 4444 ng/L (normal range <15 ng/L) and acute coronary syndrome treatment was commenced. Catheter angiogram revealed mild-burden non-obstructive coronary disease. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) was performed to refine the differential diagnosis and demonstrated no myocardial oedema or late gadolinium enhancement. Extracardiac review highlighted oedema and enhancement of the left shoulder girdle muscles consistent with acute myositis. Creatine kinase was subsequently measured and significantly elevated at 7386 IU/L (normal range 30–200 IU/L in men). Electrophoresis clarified that this was of predominantly skeletal muscle origin. Myositis protocol MRI revealed florid skeletal muscle oedema. The MR findings, together with positive anti-Scl-70 antibodies, suggested fulminant immune-mediated necrotising myopathy presenting as a rare mimic of myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries, diagnosed by careful extracardiac CMR review

Desirability–doability group judgment framework for the collaborative multicriteria evaluation of public policies

Desirability–doability framework (2 × D) is a novel framework for the collaborative evaluation of public policies. Fundamental objectives and performance indicators are agreed upon in workshops, policies are characterised, and barriers to implementation identified. MACBETH interactive protocols are then applied in decision conferences to elicit qualitative judgments about the desirability of policies, within and across objectives; and about their doability under the expected graveness of barriers on contrasting scenarios. Elicited judgments allow, respectively, to construct a shared multicriteria model measuring the overall desirability of policies; and, to measure their doability. Desirability–doability graphs enable visual interactive classification of policies, with sensitivity/robustness analyses of uncertainties. 2 × D was successfully tested in a real-world urban-health policymaking case to evaluate spatial policies. The main novelty of 2 × D is that it bridges the socio-technical gap, present in OR, between the support required by a complex social decision-making process, and that usually offered by analytic techniques – while keeping modeling theoretically sound and simple

Quantum Confinement Effects On The Phonons Of Pbte Quantum Dots In Tellurite Glasses

We present Raman-scattering results for PbTe quantum dots (QDs) in doped telluride glasses which clearly show the confinement effects on the phonon spectra as a function of the quantum-dot size..6892Kraus and F. Wise;Phys. Rev. Lett. 79 (25), 5102-05 (1997)Thoen, E.R., (1998) Appl, Phys. Lett, 73 (15), p. 2149Wise, F., (2000) Ace. Chem. Res, 33, pp. 773-780Tsuda, S., Cruz, C.H.B., (1991) Opt. Lett, 16, p. 1596Nakamura, A., Tokizaki, T., Akiyama, H., Kataoka, T., (1992) J. Lumin, 53, p. 105Ohtsuka, S., Koyama, T., Tsunetomo, K., Nagata, H., Tanaka, S., (1992) Appl. Phys. Lett, 61, p. 2953Tsunetomo, K., Ohtsuka, S., Koyama, T., Tanaka, S., Sasaki, F., Kobayashi, S., (1995) Nonlin. Opt, 13, p. 109Colvin, V.L., Schlamp, M.C., Alivisatos, A.P., (1995) Nature ∼London, 370, p. 354Dabbousi, M., Bawendi, G., Onitsuka, O., Rubner, M.F., (1995) Appl. Phys. Lett, 66, p. 1316Guerreiro, T., Ten, S., Borrelli, N.F., Butty, J., Jabbour, G.E., Peyghambarian, N., (1997) Appl. Phys. Lett, 71, p. 1595Murray, C.B., Kagan, C.R., Bawendi, M.G., (1995) Science, 270, p. 1335Kang, I., Wise, F.W., (1997) J. Opt. Soc. Am. B, 14, p. 1632Reynoso, V.C.S., de Paula, A.M., Cuevas, R.F., Medeiros Neto, J.A., Alves, O.L., Cesar, C.L., Barbosa, L.C., (1995) Electron. Lett, 31, p. 1013G.J.Jacob, C.L.Cesar,L.C.Barbosa, Chem.Phys.Glass 43C (2002)250-252Esch, V., Fluegel, B., Khitrova, G., Gibbs, H.M., Jiajin, X., Kang, K., Koch, S.W., Peyghambarian, N., (1990) Phys. Rev, B42, p. 7450Sercel, P.C., Valhala, K.J., (1990) Phys. Rev, B42, p. 3690Schoenlein, R.W., Mittleman, D.M., Shiang, J.J., Alivisatos, A.P., Shank, C.V., (1993) Phys. Rev. Lett, 70, p. 1014Ekimov, A.I., Hache, F., Schanne-Klein, M.C., Ricard, D., Flytzanis, C., Kudryavtsev, I.A., Yazeva, T.V., Efros, A.L., (1993) J. Opt. Soc. Am, B10, p. 100Norris, D.J., Sacra, A., Bawendi, C.B.M.M.G., (1994) Phys. Rev. Lett, 72, p. 2612de Oliveira, C.R.M., de Paula, A.M., Filho, F.O.P., Neto, J.A.M., Barbosa, L.C., Alves, O.L., Menezes, E.A., Cesar, C.L., (1995) Appl. Phys. Lett, 66, p. 439R. Ruppin and R. Englman, Rep. Prog. Phys. 33, 149 (1970)R. Ruppin, J. Phys. C: 8, 1969 (1975)Thoen, E.R., Steinmeyer, G., Langlois, P., Ippen, E.P., Tudury, G.E., Brito Cruz, C.H., Barbosa, L.C., Cesar, C.L., (1998) Appl. Phys. Lett, 73Krauss, T.D., Wise, F.W., Coherent and Acoustical Phonon in a Semiconductor Quantum DotsPhis (1997) Rev. Lett, 79, pp. 5102-510

Avaliação Da Vestimenta-padrão Utilizada Durante A Colheita Das Folhas Do Tabaco E Implicações Na Prevenção Da Green Tobacco Sickness (gts)

Recently, Green Tobacco Sickness (GTS) has been confirmed among workers in a major tobacco-producing region in Brazil. This indicates the need to adopt preventive measures to control the disease. Objectives: This study aimed at evaluating the efficacy of the proposed use of standard clothing during tobacco leaf harvesting process, and at evaluating its applicability in the GTS prevention. Methods: Potential dermal exposure of workers to nicotine and cotinine was determined by passive dosimetry. A total of 18 workers participated in the study. These workers wore the standard protective clothing during a typical workday. Quantification of the nicotine and cotinine residues was carried out by means of UPLC-MS-MS. Results: The results showed that the clothing provided approximately 98% protection, and that its use may contribute to the GTS prevention. Conclusion: To raise awareness on the importance of the use of the clothing, associated with educational actions concerning the disease, will be the path to prevention and control of GTS.14318419

MRI-based strain measurements reflect morphological changes following myocardial infarction:A study on the UK Biobank cohort

In a porcine experimental model of myocardial infarction, a localised, layer-specific, circumferential left ventricular strain metric has been shown to indicate chronic changes in ventricular function post-infarction more strongly than ejection fraction. This novel strain metric might therefore provide useful prognostic information clinically. In this study, existing clinical volume indices, global strains, and the novel, layer-specific strain were calculated for a large human cohort to assess variations in ventricular function and morphology with age, sex, and health status. Imaging and health data from the UK Biobank were obtained, including healthy volunteers and those with a history of cardiovascular illness. In total, 710 individuals were analysed and stratified by age, sex and health. Significant differences in all strain metrics were found between healthy and unhealthy populations, as well as between males and females. Significant differences in basal circumferential strain and global circumferential strain were found between healthy males and females, with males having smaller absolute values for both (all (Formula presented.) 0.001). There were significant differences in the functional variables left ventricular ejection fraction, end-systolic volume, end-systolic volume index and mid-ventricular circumferential strain between healthy and unhealthy male cohorts aged 65–74 (all (Formula presented.) 0.001). These results suggest that whilst regional circumferential strains may be useful clinically for assessing cardiovascular health, care must be taken to ensure critical values are indexed correctly to age and sex, due to the differences in these values observed here.</p

Cerebrovascular Variants and the Role of the Selfish Brain in Young-Onset Hypertension

Background: Variants in the posterior anatomy of the cerebral circulation are associated with hypertension and lower cerebral blood flow in midlife (age ≈55 years); however, whether these variants are a result of aging or long-term exposure to high blood pressure is unclear. Additionally, the role these variants play in early onset of hypertension (<40 years) and poor cerebral perfusion in this population is unknown. Methods: We retrospectively examined whether specific cerebrovascular variants (vertebral artery hypoplasia and absent/hypoplastic posterior communicating arteries (an incomplete posterior circle of Willis) measured via magnetic resonance angiography) were associated with a diagnosis of hypertension in 220 young adults (<40 years; n=164 primary hypertensive [mean age±SD, 32±6 years] and n=56 [30±6 years] normotensive adults). Whether cerebrovascular variants were associated with lower cerebral blood flow (phase-contrast angiography) was measured in the hypertensive group only (n=146). Results: Binary logistic regression (adjusted for age, sex, and body mass index) showed that vertebral artery hypoplasia with an incomplete posterior circle of Willis was associated with hypertension diagnosis (P<0.001, odds ratio; 11.79 [95% CI, 3.34–41.58]). Vertebral artery hypoplasia plus an incomplete circle of Willis was associated with lower cerebral blood flow in young adults with hypertension (P=0.0172). Conclusions: Vertebral artery hypoplasia plus an incomplete posterior circle of Willis independently predicts hypertension in young adults suggesting that this variant is not acquired with aging into midlife. Importantly this variant combination was associated with lower cerebral perfusion, which may have long-term consequences on cerebrovascular health in young adults with hypertension

Some anisotropic universes in the presence of imperfect fluid coupling with spatial curvature

We consider Bianchi VI spacetime, which also can be reduced to Bianchi types VI0-V-III-I. We initially consider the most general form of the energy-momentum tensor which yields anisotropic stress and heat flow. We then derive an energy-momentum tensor that couples with the spatial curvature in a way so as to cancel out the terms that arise due to the spatial curvature in the evolution equations of the Einstein field equations. We obtain exact solutions for the universes indefinetly expanding with constant mean deceleration parameter. The solutions are beriefly discussed for each Bianchi type. The dynamics of the models and fluid are examined briefly, and the models that can approach to isotropy are determined. We conclude that even if the observed universe is almost isotropic, this does not necessarily imply the isotropy of the fluid (e.g., dark energy) affecting the evolution of the universe within the context of general relativity.Comment: 17 pages, no figures; to appear in International Journal of Theoretical Physics; in this version (which is more concise) an equation added, some references updated and adde