Tissue culture of ornamental cacti

Cacti species are plants that are well adapted to growing in arid and semiarid regions where the main problem is water availability. Cacti have developed a series of adaptations to cope with water scarcity, such as reduced leaf surface via morphological modifications including spines, cereous cuticles, extended root systems and stem tissue modifications to increase water storage, and crassulacean acid metabolism to reduce transpiration and water loss. Furthermore, seeds of these plants very often exhibit dormancy, a phenomenon that helps to prevent germination when the availability of water is reduced. In general, cactus species exhibit a low growth rate that makes their rapid propagation difficult. Cacti are much appreciated as ornamental plants due to their great variety and diversity of forms and their beautiful short-life flowers; however, due to difficulties in propagating them rapidly to meet market demand, they are very often over-collected in their natural habitats, which leads to numerous species being threatened, endangered or becoming extinct. Therefore, plant tissue culture techniques may facilitate their propagation over a shorter time period than conventional techniques used for commercial purposes; or may help to recover populations of endangered or threatened species for their re-introduction in the wild; or may also be of value to the preservation and conservation of the genetic resources of this important family. Herein we present the state-of-the-art of tissue culture techniques used for ornamental cacti and selected suggestions for solving a number of the problems faced by members of the Cactaceae family

Risk profiles and one-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in India: Insights from the GARFIELD-AF Registry.

BACKGROUND: The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) is an ongoing prospective noninterventional registry, which is providing important information on the baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1-year outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). This report describes data from Indian patients recruited in this registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 52,014 patients with newly diagnosed AF were enrolled globally; of these, 1388 patients were recruited from 26 sites within India (2012-2016). In India, the mean age was 65.8 years at diagnosis of NVAF. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor for AF, present in 68.5% of patients from India and in 76.3% of patients globally (P < 0.001). Diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) were prevalent in 36.2% and 28.1% of patients as compared with global prevalence of 22.2% and 21.6%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). Antiplatelet therapy was the most common antithrombotic treatment in India. With increasing stroke risk, however, patients were more likely to receive oral anticoagulant therapy [mainly vitamin K antagonist (VKA)], but average international normalized ratio (INR) was lower among Indian patients [median INR value 1.6 (interquartile range {IQR}: 1.3-2.3) versus 2.3 (IQR 1.8-2.8) (P < 0.001)]. Compared with other countries, patients from India had markedly higher rates of all-cause mortality [7.68 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval 6.32-9.35) vs 4.34 (4.16-4.53), P < 0.0001], while rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding were lower after 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Compared to previously published registries from India, the GARFIELD-AF registry describes clinical profiles and outcomes in Indian patients with AF of a different etiology. The registry data show that compared to the rest of the world, Indian AF patients are younger in age and have more diabetes and CAD. Patients with a higher stroke risk are more likely to receive anticoagulation therapy with VKA but are underdosed compared with the global average in the GARFIELD-AF. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362

Três ciclos de seleção entre e dentro de progênies de meios-irmãos na população de milho CMS-52 Three cycles selection among and within half sib progenies in the maize population CMS-52

Três ciclos de seleção entre e dentro de progênies de meios-irmãos foram praticados na população de milho (Zea mays L.) de alta qualidade protéica CMS-52, nos tabuleiros costeiros dos estados de Sergipe e Bahia, no período de 1995 a 1997, visando à obtenção de uma população melhor adaptada às condições edafoclimáticas da região. As progênies foram avaliadas em látice simples 14 x 14, com recombinação das progênies superiores, dentro do mesmo ano agrícola, de modo a se obter um ciclo por ano. Os valores dos parâmetros genéticos decresceram do ciclo original para o ciclo I, mantendo-se no ciclo II com magnitudes semelhantes ao ciclo I. As altas magnitudes desses parâmetros genéticos, as altas médias de produtividades das progênies, e o ganho médio esperado com a seleção entre e dentro de progênies, por ciclo de seleção (12,3%), mostram o grande potencial da população em responder à seleção, o que permitirá a obtenção de uma população mais produtiva e melhor adaptada às condições edafoclimáticas da região. A magnitude da interação progênies x locais evidenciou a importância de se avaliarem as progênies em mais de um local, para melhorar a eficiência do processo seletivo e obter estimativas mais consistentes dos componentes da variância.<br>Three cycles of selection among and within halfsib progenies were carried out in the high quality protein maize (Zea mays L.) population CMS-52, at the tabuleiros costeiros of Sergipe and Bahia, Brazil, during the period of 1995 to 1997. The work aimed at obtaining a better adapted population for the regional environment. The progenies were evaluated on a 14 x 14 látice design. Recombination of the superior progenies was processed within the same year in order to get one cycle per year. The values of the genetic parameters decreased from the original cycle to cycle I, keeping at cycle II similar magnitudes of cycle I. The high magnitudes of the genetic parameters, the high productivity means of progenies, and the averaged gain expected from the selection among and within progenies per selection cycle (12.3%) show the high potential of the population to respond to selection, which will permit to attain a higher yielding population, better adapted to the regional environment. The high progeny x location interaction showed the importance for progeny evaluation in more than one location, to increase the efficiency of the selection process and to obtain more accurate estimates of variance components

Produção de alface hidropônica em três ambientes de cultivo Production of hydroponic lettuce in three environments

Propôs-se avaliar a produção hidropônica de alface-crespa, variedade "Vera", em bancadas inclinadas com canais de 100 mm, utilizando a técnica de filme de solução nutritiva, em resposta à aplicação de dióxido de carbono e ao resfriamento evaporativo. Realizaram-se cinco ciclos de cultivo nos períodos de 20-3 a 17-4-2000 (C1); 25-5 a 29-6-2000 (C2); 13-7 a 21-8-2000 (C3); 27-8 a 2-10-2000 (C4) e 12-12-2000 a 10-1-2001 (C5). Avaliaram-se três casas de vegetação, sendo casa de vegetação sem sistema de resfriamento evaporativo do ar e sem injeção aérea de CO2 (A1); casa de vegetação com injeção aérea de CO2 e sem sistema de resfriamento evaporativo do ar (A2), e casa de vegetação com injeção aérea de CO2 e com sistema de resfriamento evaporativo do ar do tipo meio poroso-exaustor (A3). Avaliaram-se as massas frescas e secas em gramas, o número de folhas e a área foliar em mm². Utilizou-se do delineamento inteiramente casualizado, em que, no ciclo C1, utilizaram-se 48 repetições por ambiente; para os ciclos C2, C3 e C5, foram 64 repetições, e para o ciclo C4, foram 24 repetições. O ambiente climatizado com incremento de dióxido de carbono promoveu melhor desenvolvimento das plantas, com maior número de folhas comercializáveis. Em ambientes não climatizados, o incremento de CO2 não resultou em aumento de produtividade da alface para a maioria dos ciclos. Em épocas de temperaturas mais elevadas, obtiveram-se plantas maiores, com maior número de folhas.<br>It was proposed to evaluate the hydroponic lettuce production, variety "Vera", on inclined benches with channels of 100 mm, and Nutrient Film Technique, as answer to carbon dioxide application and evaporative cooling. There were five cycles of cultivation from March, 20th to April, 17th (C1); from May, 25th to June, 29th (C2); from July, 13th to August, 20th (C3); from August, 27th to October, 10th (C4); from December, 12th to January, 10th (C5). In three greenhouses were tested the following systems: (A1) without evaporative cooling air CO2 aerial injection, (A2) with CO2 aerial injection and without evaporative cooling and (A3) with CO2 aerial injection and pad-fan evaporative cooling system. The fresh and dry mass of leaves in grams, number of leaves and leaf area in square millimeter were evaluated. The completely randomized statistical analysis was used. The cycle C1 were used 48 replications, for cycles C2, C3 and C5 were used 64 replications and C5 were used 24 replications. The results showed that greenhouse with evaporative cooling system and CO2 allow better development and greater lettuce yield. It was possible to conclude that the aerial injection of CO2, in the absence of evaporative cooling system, did not lead increasing the lettuce productivity to most cycles. Bigger lettuce leaf areas were found in periods with higher temperatures