Comportamento Per Se De Híbridos De Capim-elefante Para Fins Energéticos

The aim of this study was to evaluate the Per se performance of elephant grass hybrids obtained by partial diallel crossing and also their parents for energy purposes through agronomic traits during rainy and dry seasons. The experiment was conducted at Pesagro experimental station, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil, in randomized blocks, with three repetitions. The crosses were made between contrasting parents in a partial diallel scheme with 5 female parents × 5 male parents. The treatments consisted of ten parents, twenty-five hybrid combinations and the control. Three cuts were realized for evaluations (April and October 2013 and April 2014). The characteristics evaluated were: plant height (ALT), in m; stem diameter (SD), in cm; leaf blade width (LB), in cm; number of tillers per linear meter (NP); dry matter percentage (%DM) and dry matter production (DMP), in t.ha-1. Variance analysis were performed and the means were grouped according to Scott-Knott test (P>0.05). It was oberved that the hybrid H4 (Cuban Pinda x Taiwan A-144), H7 (Cameroon - Piracicaba × Três Rios), H8 (Cameroon - Piracicaba × Mercker 86-Mexico), H10 (Cameroon - Piracicaba × Roxo), H13 (P241-86-Piracicaba × Mercker 86-Mexico), H17 (IAC Campinas × Três Rios) and H18 (IAC-86-Campinas × Mercker 86-Mexico) presented high biomass production.71738

Cell-derived microvesicles in infective endocarditis: Role in diagnosis and potential for risk stratification at hospital admission

Objectives: To characterize the plasmatic profile of cell-derived microvesicles (MVs) at diagnosis and during the treatment of patients with infective endocarditis (IE). Methods: Blood samples from 57 patients with IE were obtained on 3 consecutive moments: upon admission (T0), at 2 weeks (T1), and at the end of treatment (T2), and were compared with 22 patients with other bacterial infections. MPs were measured by flow cytometry and labeled for specific cell markers of CD45 (leukocytes), CD66b (neutrophils), CD14 (monocytes), CD41a (platelets), CD51 (endothelial cells), CD3 (T lymphocyte) and CD235a (erythrocytes). Results: MVs from platelets (pltMVs), leukocytes (leukMVs), neutrophils (neutMVs), monocytes (monoMVs) and lymphocytes (lymphMVs) were significantly more elevated in the patients with IE, compared to the patients with other bacterial infections, despite comparable age, sex, blood counts and C-reactive protein levels. MVs values revealed a relatively stable pattern over time in IE, except for a significant increase in leukMVs and neutMVs in T1. LeukMVs (p = 0.011), neutMVs (p = 0.010), monoMVs (p = 0.016) and lymphMVs (p = 0.020), measured at admission, were significantly higher in IE patients that died during hospitalization in comparison with those that survived. In a multivariable analyses, the levels of neutMVs remained as an independent factor associated with mortality (odds ratio 2.203; 95% confidence interval 1.217 - 3.988; p = 0.009), adjustment for heart failure during the treatment. Conclusions: Plasma levels of pltMVs, leukMVs, neutMVs, monoMVs and lymphMVs were significantly more elevated in patients with IE than in patients with other bacterial infections at hospital admission. Furthermore, neutMVs at admission have been identified as an independent predictor of mortality in patients with IE. Thus, cell derived MPs may become an important tool in the differential diagnosis and mortality risk assessment early in the course of IE suspected cases