Tamanho de amostra para avaliação de caracteres de cenoura em sistemas de cultivo agroecológico.

O correto dimensionamento de experimentos deve ser utilizado para que se possa reduzir o erro experimental e com isso, maximizar a precisão das informações obtidas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi estimar o número mínimo de famílias e de plantas por parcela para avaliação de caracteres de raiz em uma população de cenoura cultivada em sistema agroecológico. Os ensaios foram conduzidos no verão de 2006/2007 em duas propriedades com cultivo agroecológico em Brasília: Associação Mokiti Okada, que segue modelo de Agricultura Natural em Brazlândia-DF e Núcleo Rural Taguatinga, seguindo modelo de Agricultura Orgânica em Taguatinga-DF. Foram avaliadas 100 famílias de meio-irmãos de cenoura dispostas em delineamento de blocos casualizados com duas repetições e parcelas de 1 m2. Foram colhidas 20 plantas competitivas por parcela e avaliadas individualmente para os caracteres comprimento de raiz, diâmetro da raiz, massa da raiz, diâmetro do xilema da raiz, relação diâmetro do xilema/diâmetro da raiz, tipo de ponta da raiz, tipo de ombro da raiz, parâmetro a* para os tecidos xilema e floema. Foi realizada análise de variância conjunta e para cada sistema, com informação entre e dentro de parcelas. Foram realizadas ainda análises de representatividade do número mínimo de famílias e de plantas para representar uma população de cenoura. Foi verificado que uma amostra de 18 plantas competitivas/parcela coletadas em ensaios com 2 repetições, bem como de 74 famílias, são suficientes para garantir uma adequada avaliação de famílias meio-irmãos de cenoura para os caracteres estudados

High performance maleated lignocellulose epicarp fibers for copper ion removal

Natural lignocellulosic fiber epicarp extracted from the babassu coconut (Orbignya speciosa) was chemically modified through reaction with molten maleic anhydride without solvent, with incorporation of 189.34 mg g-1 of carboxylic acid groups into the biopolymer structure. The success of this reaction was also confirmed by the presence of carboxylic acid bands at 1741 and 1164 cm-1 in the infrared spectrum. Identically, the same group is observed through 13C NMR CP/MAS in the solid state, via high field signals in the 167 pm region. Both the precursor and the immobilized maleated biopolymers presented nearly the same thermal stability and similar crystallinity to cellulose. However, the pendant carboxylic groups have the ability to remove copper with maximum sorption through a batchwise process at pH 6.0, as expected from the point of zero charge, determined to be 6.45. The sorption kinetic data were fitted to pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order, Elovich-chemisorption and intra-particle diffusion models and the equilibrium data were fitted to the Langmuir, the Freundlich and Tenkim isotherm models. Taking into account a statistical error function and determination coefficients, the data were fit to the pseudo-first and pseudo-second order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm models, with a maximum sorption capacity of copper ions of 55.09 mg g-1. This value suggests the application of this biopolymer with incorporated carboxylate groups as a favorable agent for copper removal from appropriate systems31118319

Plasma glucose regulation and insulin secretion in hypertriglyceridemic mice

In this study, we examined glucose homeostasis and insulin secretion in transgenic mice overexpressing the human apolipoprotein CIII gene (apo CIII tg). These mice have elevated plasma levels of triglycerides, FFA and cholesterol compared to control mice. The body weight, plasma glucose, and insulin levels, glucose disappearance rates, areas under the ipGTT curve for adult (4-8 mo. old) and aged (20-24 mo. old) apo CIII tg mice and the determination of insulin during the ipGTT were riot different from those of control mice. However, an additional elevation of plasma FFA by treatment with heparin for 2-4h impaired the ipGTT responses in apo CIII tg mice compared to saline-treated mice. The glucose disappearance rate in heparin-treated transgenic mice was slightly lower than in heparin-treated controls. Glucose (22.2 mmol/l) stimulated insulin secretion in isolated islets to the same extent in saline-treated control and apo CIII tg mice. in islets from heparin-treated apo CIII tg mice, the insulin secretion at 2.8 and 22.2 mmol glucose/l was lower than in heparin-treated control mice. In conclusion, hypertriglyceridemia per se or a mild elevation in FFA did not affect insulin secretion or insulin resistance in adult or aged apo CIII tg mice. Nonetheless, an additional elevation of FFA induced by heparin in hypertriglyceridemic mice impaired the ipGTT by reducing insulin secretion.341212

The plant WEE1 kinase is involved in checkpoint control activation in nematode-induced galls

Galls induced by plant‐parasitic nematodes involve a hyperactivation of the plant mitotic and endocycle machinery for their profit. Dedifferentiation of host root cells includes drastic cellular and molecular readjustments. In such background, potential DNA damage in the genome of gall cells is eminent. We questioned if DNA damage checkpoints activation followed by DNA repair occurred, or was eventually circumvented, in nematode‐induced galls. Galls display transcriptional activation of the DNA damage checkpoint kinase WEE1, correlated with its protein localization in the nuclei. The promoter of the stress marker gene SMR7 was evaluated under the WEE1‐knockout background. Drugs inducing DNA damage and a marker for DNA repair, PARP1 were used to understand mechanisms that might cope with DNA damage in galls. Our functional study revealed that gall cells lacking WEE1 conceivably entered mitosis prematurely disturbing the cell cycle despite the loss of genome integrity. The disrupted nuclei phenotype in giant cells hinted to the accumulation of mitotic defects. As well, WEE1‐knockout in Arabidopsis and downregulation in tomato repressed infection and reproduction of root‐knot nematodes. Together with data on DNA damaging drugs, we suggest a conserved function for WEE1 controlling a G1/S cell cycle arrest in response to replication defect in galls

Ichthyofauna of the Mata de Itamacaoca, an urban protected area from the upper Munim River basin, Northern Brazilian Cerrado

The Munim River basin is one of the main river drainages of the Hydrological unit Maranhão, but there are few published studies which focus on ichthyological surveys and taxonomic work within this basin. The present study aims to provide a fish species inventory of the Mata da Itamacaoca, one of the few urban protected areas from the upper Munim River basin, comparing the ichthyofauna with other lists by conducted at the upper Munim River basin. A total of 42 collection expeditions were conducted, the sampling was conducted at five collecting sites distributed within the boundaries of Mata de Itamacaoca, upper Munim River basin. Diversity indices were calculated and generalised linear models (GLMs) were employed to assess differences in species richness, diversity and evenness depending on season and location in relation to the reservoir dam wall. In order to visualize fish community differences, non-metric multidimensional scaling (nMDS) and a one-way PERMANOVA was used to understand whether factors of site, season and location to the dam wall had an effect on fish community compositions. A total of six orders, 13 families, and 23 fish species were found, and the order with the highest species richness, considering all reaches, was Characiformes followed by Cichliformes. The most abundant species was Nannostomus beckfordi, while Pimelodella parnahybae and Hoplerythrinus unitaeniatus were the rarer species sampled. There were no alien invasive species collected within the study area. Species richness was significantly higher below the dam wall, but there were no other significant differences in diversity indices with regards to season or location. Fish community composition was significantly different above and below the dam wall and was significantly affected by sampling site. Season did not have an effect on fish community. This study corroborates other studies conducted in the Unidade Hidrológica Maranhão sensu Hubbert and Renno (2006), that the ichthyofaunal composition and taxonomy of species within this region face major data deficits, anthropogenic impacts, this study may be a baseline for comparing similar environments throughout the region

Full Genome Characterization of the Culicoides-Borne Marsupial Orbiviruses: Wallal Virus, Mudjinbarry Virus and Warrego Viruses

Viruses belonging to the species Wallal virus and Warrego virus of the genus Orbivirus were identified as causative agents of blindness in marsupials in Australia during 1994/5. Recent comparisons of nucleotide (nt) and amino acid (aa) sequences have provided a basis for the grouping and classification of orbivirus isolates. However, full-genome sequence data are not available for representatives of all Orbivirus species. We report full-genome sequence data for three additional orbiviruses: Wallal virus (WALV); Mudjinabarry virus (MUDV) and Warrego virus (WARV). Comparisons of conserved polymerase (Pol), sub-core-shell 'T2' and core-surface 'T13' proteins show that these viruses group with other Culicoides borne orbiviruses, clustering with Eubenangee virus (EUBV), another orbivirus infecting marsupials. WARV shares <70% aa identity in all three conserved proteins (Pol, T2 and T13) with other orbiviruses, consistent with its classification within a distinct Orbivirus species. Although WALV and MUDV share <72.86%/67.93% aa/nt identity with other orbiviruses in Pol, T2 and T13, they share >99%/90% aa/nt identities with each other (consistent with membership of the same virus species - Wallal virus). However, WALV and MUDV share <68% aa identity in their larger outer capsid protein VP2(OC1), consistent with membership of different serotypes within the species - WALV-1 and WALV-2 respectively

Opportunistic screening for skin cancer using a mobile unit in Brazil

Abstract Background Skin cancer is the most common malignancy in the white population worldwide. In Brazil, the National Cancer Institute (INCA) estimates that in 2010 there will be 119,780 and 5,930 new cases of non-melanoma skin cancer and melanoma, respectively. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of a mobile unit in the diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer in several poor regions of Brazil. Methods The diagnosis of skin cancer was accomplished through active medical screening in the prevention Mobile Unit (MU) of Barretos Cancer Hospital (BCH). The study population consisted of patients examined in the MU between 2004 and 2007, and their suspicious lesions were subjected to histopathological evaluation. Data were collected prospectively from standardized forms and analyzed. Results During the screening, 17,857 consultations were carried out. A total of 2012 (11.2%) cases of skin cancer were diagnosed. The predominant histological type reported was basal cell carcinoma (n = 1,642 or 81.6%), followed by squamous cell carcinoma (n = 303 or 15.1%), Bowen's disease (n = 25 or 1.2%), malignant melanoma (n = 23 or 1.1%), basosquamous cell carcinoma (n = 3 or 0.1%), miscellaneous lesions (12 or 0.6%), and metatypical carcinoma (n = 4 or 0.2%). Only 0.6% of lesions were stage III. There were no stage IV non-melanoma skin lesions, as well as no melanomas stages III and IV, found. Conclusions It was observed that the MU can be a useful tool for early skin cancer diagnosis and treatment. This program probably is important, especially in developing countries with inadequate public health systems and social inequality