Brassavola tuberculata Hook.: in vitro growth and ex vitro establishment as a function of the micropropagation system and sucrose

Abstract This study examines the in vitro growth and ex vitro establishment of Brassavola tuberculata in relation to the micropropagation system and sucrose concentration employed in the in vitro culture. A completely randomized experimental design was utilized, employing a 2 x 5 factorial arrangement. The experimental period began with seedlings cultivated in vitro for 180 days, which were subsequently transferred to Murashige and Skoog culture media containing sucrose concentrations of 0, 15, 30, 45, or 60 g L-1. The cultures were subjected to two micropropagation systems: conventional and gas exchange. After 90 days of in vitro cultivation, the plants were evaluated, transplanted into a substrate, and placed in a screened nursery for ex vitro cultivation. After 300 days of ex vitro cultivation, the survival and initial characteristics of the plants were assessed. The micropropagation system allowing gas exchange and sucrose concentrations up to 30 g L-1 enhanced the shoot and root growth of in vitro propagated plants. No noticeable anatomical differences were observed after 90 days of in vitro culture among the different sucrose concentrations and micropropagation systems used. In the ex vitro establishment, irrespective of sucrose concentration, the micropropagation system facilitating gas exchange positively influenced all evaluated characteristics

Potencial de economia de energia elétrica através do uso da luz natural e da ventilação híbrida em edifícios comerciais em Florianópolis

O objetivo deste estudo é estimar o potencial de economia de energia elétrica com o uso da luz natural integrada ao sistema de iluminação artificial e a utilização da ventilação híbrida em edifícios comerciais localizados em Florianópolis, SC. O trabalho foi baseado em simulações computacionais nos programas EnergyPlus e Daysim. Foram simulados modelos de ambientes de edificações comerciais, com três geometrias, três dimensões de sala por geometria, dez áreas de janela por modelo e quatro orientações. Os modelos foram examinados por meio de quatro estudos de caso. No Caso 1 (referência), a edificação opera com sistemas de iluminação e de condicionamento artificiais; no Caso 2, ocorre a integração da iluminação natural com a artificial, com condicionamento artificial; já no Caso 3, utilizam-se a ventilação híbrida e a iluminação artificial; no Caso 4, adotam-se a iluminação natural integrada com a artificial e a ventilação híbrida. Os consumos de eletricidade do Caso 1 foram comparados com os demais casos. Assim, foi estimado o potencial de economia de energia elétrica gerado pelo uso da luz natural e ventilação híbrida. Conclui-se que a utilização da iluminação natural e da ventilação híbrida em edificações comerciais localizadas em Florianópolis apresenta potencial de economia de energia elétrica de até 64,9% e que essas estratégias podem ser utilizadas para aumentar a eficiência energética desse tipo de edificação

The Use of Anti-VDAC2 Antibody for the Combined Assessment of Human Sperm Acrosome Integrity and Ionophore A23187-Induced Acrosome Reaction

Voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) is mainly located in the mitochondrial outer membrane and participates in many biological processes. In mammals, three VDAC subtypes (VDAC1, 2 and 3) have been identified. Although VDAC has been extensively studied in various tissues and cells, there is little knowledge about the distribution and function of VDAC in male mammalian reproductive system. Several studies have demonstrated that VDAC exists in mammalian spermatozoa and is implicated in spermatogenesis, sperm maturation, motility and fertilization. However, there is no knowledge about the respective localization and function of three VDAC subtypes in human spermatozoa. In this study, we focused on the presence of VDAC2 in human spermatozoa and its possible role in the acrosomal integrity and acrosome reaction using specific anti-VDAC2 monoclonal antibody for the first time. The results exhibited that native VDAC2 existed in the membrane components of human spermatozoa. The co-incubation of spermatozoa with anti-VDAC2 antibody did not affect the acrosomal integrity and acrosome reaction, but inhibited ionophore A23187-induced intracellular Ca2+ increase. Our study suggested that VDAC2 was located in the acrosomal membrane or plasma membrane of human spermatozoa, and played putative roles in sperm functions through mediating Ca2+ transmembrane transport

Otimização multiobjetivo das dimensões dos ambientes de uma residência unifamiliar baseada em simulação energética e estrutural

Resumo O desenvolvimento da tecnologia computacional nas últimas décadas levou a otimização associada à parametrização a possibilitar o desenvolvimento de projetos de melhor desempenho, com ou sem integração com a simulação. O intuito deste trabalho foi aplicar a otimização baseada em simulação na forma de uma edificação residencial unifamiliar com o objetivo de encontrar a composição que apresentasse o melhor desempenho térmico com o menor custo dos materiais construtivos, considerando-se restrições estruturais. Foram utilizados os programas Rhinoceros e Energy Plus, além de plug-ins para modelagem paramétrica, o intercâmbio de informações entre os programas e a condução da otimização. Foram realizadas duas simulações, a primeira considerando os custos dos componentes construtivos e os graus-hora de aquecimento e resfriamento combinados e a segunda considerando os custos e graus-hora de aquecimento, que produziu resultados mais relevantes. Dois casos de cada solução de Pareto foram selecionados para análise, dentre 19,8 mil e 27,4 mil casos obtidos com uso de algoritmos evolucionários. Apesar das limitações de algumas das ferramentas, foi verificado um grande potencial de aplicação deste método no desenvolvimento de projetos arquitetônicos

Comparison of crystallization characteristics and mechanical properties of polypropylene processed by ultrasound and conventional micro injection molding

YesUltrasound injection molding has emerged as an alternative production route for the manufacturing of micro-scale polymeric components, where it offers significant benefits over the conventional micro-injection molding process. In this work, the effects of ultrasound melting on the mechanical and morphological properties of micro-polypropylene parts were characterized. The ultrasound injection molding process was experimentally compared to the conventional micro-injection molding process using a novel mold, which allows mounting on both machines and visualization of the melt flow for both molding processes. Direct measurements of the flow front speed and temperature distributions were performed using both conventional and thermal high-speed imaging techniques. The manufacturing of micro-tensile specimens allowed the comparison of the mechanical properties of the parts obtained with the different processes. The results indicated that the ultrasound injection molding process could be an efficient alternative to the conventional process

Association of kidney disease measures with risk of renal function worsening in patients with type 1 diabetes

Background: Albuminuria has been classically considered a marker of kidney damage progression in diabetic patients and it is routinely assessed to monitor kidney function. However, the role of a mild GFR reduction on the development of stage 653 CKD has been less explored in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients. Aim of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic role of kidney disease measures, namely albuminuria and reduced GFR, on the development of stage 653 CKD in a large cohort of patients affected by T1DM. Methods: A total of 4284 patients affected by T1DM followed-up at 76 diabetes centers participating to the Italian Association of Clinical Diabetologists (Associazione Medici Diabetologi, AMD) initiative constitutes the study population. Urinary albumin excretion (ACR) and estimated GFR (eGFR) were retrieved and analyzed. The incidence of stage 653 CKD (eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) or eGFR reduction > 30% from baseline was evaluated. Results: The mean estimated GFR was 98 \ub1 17 mL/min/1.73m2 and the proportion of patients with albuminuria was 15.3% (n = 654) at baseline. About 8% (n = 337) of patients developed one of the two renal endpoints during the 4-year follow-up period. Age, albuminuria (micro or macro) and baseline eGFR < 90 ml/min/m2 were independent risk factors for stage 653 CKD and renal function worsening. When compared to patients with eGFR > 90 ml/min/1.73m2 and normoalbuminuria, those with albuminuria at baseline had a 1.69 greater risk of reaching stage 3 CKD, while patients with mild eGFR reduction (i.e. eGFR between 90 and 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) show a 3.81 greater risk that rose to 8.24 for those patients with albuminuria and mild eGFR reduction at baseline. Conclusions: Albuminuria and eGFR reduction represent independent risk factors for incident stage 653 CKD in T1DM patients. The simultaneous occurrence of reduced eGFR and albuminuria have a synergistic effect on renal function worsening

The phosphorylation potential generated by respiring bovine heart submitochondrial particles.

A phosphorylation potential deltaGp, where deltaGp = deltaGo' + RT2.303 log ([ATP]/([ADP][Pi])), of approx. 44.3 kJ.mol-1 (10.6 kcal.mol-1) was generated by submitochondrial particles that were oxidizing either NADH or succinate. Addition of adenylyl imidodiphosphate, which should suppress adenosine triphosphatase activity of any uncoupled particles, did not raise the phosphorylation potential. Raising the Pi concentration slightly increased the magnitude of the value for [ATP]/[ADP], but this did not fully compensate for the increased Pi concentration, so that the phosphorylation potential decreased slightly as the Pi concentration was raised. The phosphorylation potential developed by submitochondrial particles is lower than that generated by phosphorylating membrane vesicles from some bacteria, and is also less than that developed externally by mitochondria, but is strikingly close to the phosphorylation potential that is generated internally by mitochondria

GERMINAÇÃO E CRESCIMENTO IN VITRO DE Dendrobium nobile LINDL. SEM SUBCULTIVO EM MEIO DE CULTURA ALTERNATIVO / SEED QUANTITY ON IN VITRO CULTIVATION OF Dendrobium nobile LINDL. IN ALTERNATIVE CULTURE MEDIA WITHOUT SUBCULTURE

O cultivo in vitro de orquídeas possibilita elevadas porcentagens de germinação, quando comparadas a germinação natural dessas espécies, pois suas sementes possuem pouca ou nenhuma reserva nutritiva. Objetivou-se avaliar diferentes volumes de suspensão de sementes na propagação in vitro de Dendrobium nobile Lindl. var. nobilius e var. comet king em meio alternativo, sem subcultivos. Foram utilizadas 0,02 g de sementes de cada planta e desinfestadas em solução de hipoclorito de sódio a 0,8%, por 15 minutos, sendo diluídas em água estéril até completar 60 mL. Em ambiente asséptico, procedeu-se a semeadura in vitro. Foram pipetados 2, 3 ou 4 mL de cada suspensão de sementes em frascos de vidro de 600mL providos de tampa metálica e contendo 80 mL do meio de cultura alternativo. As culturas foram transferidas para sala de crescimento com temperatura e fotoperíodo controlados (25 ± 2 ºC; 16 horas) permanecendo por seis meses nessas condições. O maior número de sementes potencialmente viáveis (426 mg-1) foi observado em D. nobile var. nobilius, enquanto D. nobile var. comet king apresentou 164 mg-1 sementes potencialmente viáveis. A variedade nobilius apresentou maiores resultados no número de plantas total e de plantas vivas, número de folhas, número e diâmetro de pseudobulbos e comprimento da maior raiz, característica dessa variedade, que é mais vigorosa. A inoculação de 2mL foi mais eficiente para a micropropagação das duas plantas, havendo menos concorrência entre as plântulas no frasco.</p