Improvement to the physical quality and imbibition pattern in seeds of candeia (Eremanthus incanus (Less.) Less.)

The objective of this work was to develop a methodology for seed processing and X-ray analysis and to study imbibition pattern in seeds of candeia (Eremanthus incanus). Seeds were gathered in 2001 and 2002 in Morro do Pilar and Lavras respectively, processed and stored in a cold chamber (5ºC/60%RH) until the start of experiments. In order to identify unfilled seeds, a protocol was developed for X-ray use combining radiation energy (Kv) and exposure time (seconds). For elimination of unfilled seeds, an experiment was conducted using a South Dakota seed blower whereby different opening settings and ventilation times were combined. Original seed lots and categorized lots following radiograph viewing were tested by germination tests, with seeds being cleansed in sodium hypochlorite and scattered over blotting paper in 'gerboxes' and then taken to germinators with alternating temperatures of 20º-30ºC and 10 hours of light, for up to 15 days. Imbibition curves were determined under the conditions 30ºC, 20º-30ºC/10 hours of light and 30º-20ºC/10 hours of light. The X-ray protocol that best allowed viewing of internal seed structures was 30Kv for 45 seconds. Seed separation using the blower setting at a 3.0 opening for 30 seconds raised the number of embryonic seeds to values exceeding 99%, also raising the germination rates as a consequence. The imbibition pattern is three-phased and the germination process is completed in 72 hours. Under alternate temperatures, primary root growth is favored.

Avaliação do desempenho de gotejadores com uso de água residual na suinocultura

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Irrigação e Drenagem) - FCA

Desempenho de sondas Lambda no monitoramento de motores do ciclo Otto alimentados por etanol e GNV

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Mecânica - FEB

Molecular models of NS3 protease variants of the Hepatitis C virus

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) currently infects approximately three percent of the world population. In view of the lack of vaccines against HCV, there is an urgent need for an efficient treatment of the disease by an effective antiviral drug. Rational drug design has not been the primary way for discovering major therapeutics. Nevertheless, there are reports of success in the development of inhibitor using a structure-based approach. One of the possible targets for drug development against HCV is the NS3 protease variants. Based on the three-dimensional structure of these variants we expect to identify new NS3 protease inhibitors. In order to speed up the modeling process all NS3 protease variant models were generated in a Beowulf cluster. The potential of the structural bioinformatics for development of new antiviral drugs is discussed.Results: the atomic coordinates of crystallographic structure 1CU1 and 1DY9 were used as starting model for modeling of the NS3 protease variant structures. The NS3 protease variant structures are composed of six subdomains, which occur in sequence along the polypeptide chain. The protease domain exhibits the dual beta-barrel fold that is common among members of the chymotrypsin serine protease family. The helicase domain contains two structurally related beta-alpha-beta subdomains and a third subdomain of seven helices and three short beta strands. The latter domain is usually referred to as the helicase alpha-helical subdomain. The rmsd value of bond lengths and bond angles, the average G-factor and Verify 3D values are presented for NS3 protease variant structures.Conclusions: This project increases the certainty that homology modeling is an useful tool in structural biology and that it can be very valuable in annotating genome sequence information and contributing to structural and functional genomics from virus. The structural models will be used to guide future efforts in the structure-based drug design of a new generation of NS3 protease variants inhibitors. All models in the database are publicly accessible via our interactive website, providing us with large amount of structural models for use in protein-ligand docking analysis.

Some comments on the bi(tri)-Hamiltonian structure of generalized AKNS and DNLS hierarchies

We give the correct prescriptions for the terms involving ∂ -1 xδ(x - y), in the Hamiltonian structures of the AKNS and DNLS systems, necessary for the Jacobi identities to hold. We establish that the sl(2) and sl(3) AKNS systems are tri-Hamiltonians and construct two compatible Hamiltonian structures for the sl(n) AKNS system. We give a method for the derivation of the recursion operator for the sl(n + 1) DNLS system, and apply it explicitly to the sl(2) case, showing that such a system is tri-Hamiltonian. © 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.

As contribuições das linguagens de marcação para a gestão da informação arquivística digital

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Random regression models to estimate genetic parameters for test-day milk yield in Brazilian Murrah buffaloes

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Estimative of genetic parameters in progeny test of Pinus caribaea Morelet var. hondurensis Barret & Golfari by quantitative traits and microsatellite markers

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Study of alternative schemes for the parameterization step of the continuation power flow method based on physical parameters, part I: Mathematical modeling

The conventional power flow method is considered to be inadequate to obtain the maximum loading point because of the singularity of Jacobian matrix. Continuation methods are efficient tools for solving this kind of problem since different parameterization schemes can be used to avoid such ill-conditioning problems. This paper presents the details of new schemes for the parameterization step of the continuation power flow method. The new parameterization options are based on physical parameters, namely, the total power losses (real and reactive), the power at the slack bus (real or reactive), the reactive power at generation buses, and transmission line power losses (real and reactive). The simulation results obtained with the new approach for the IEEE test systems (14, 30, 57, and 118 buses) are presented and discussed in the companion paper. The results show that the characteristics of the conventional method are not only preserved but also improved.

Identification of synchronous machine parameters using load rejection test data

This work shows a computational methodology for the determination of synchronous machines parameters using load rejection test data. By machine modeling one can obtain the quadrature parameters through a load rejection under an arbitrary reference, reducing the present difficulties. The proposed method is applied to a real machine.

Genetic parameters for production traits of dairy Gyr (Bos indicus) x Holstein cattle estimated with a random regression model

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Modeling the crystallographic structure of Ho(Ni,Co,Mn)O3±δ perovskite-type manganite

Crystallographic and microstructural properties of Ho(Ni,Co,Mn)O3± perovskite-type multiferroic material are reported. Samples were synthesized with a modified polymeric precursor method. The synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction (SXRPD) technique associated to Rietveld refinement method was used to perform structural characterization. The crystallographic structures, as well as microstructural properties, were studied to determine unit cell parameters and volume, angles and atomic positions, crystallite size and strain. X-ray energies below the absorption edges of the transition metals helped to determine the mean preferred atomic occupancy for the substituent atoms. Furthermore, analyzing the degree of distortion of the polyhedra centered at the transitions metal atoms led to understanding the structural model of the synthesized phase. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was performed to evaluate the valence states of the elements, and the tolerance factor and oxygen content. The obtained results indicated a small decrease distortion in structure, close to the HoMnO3 basis compound. In addition, the substituent atoms showed the same distribution and, on average, preferentially occupied the center of the unit cell.

Haematological characteristics of Brazilian Teleosts: III. Parameters of the hybrid tambacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus Holmberg x Colossoma macropomum Cuvier) (Osteichthyes, Characidae)

Fifty six specimens of the hybrid tambacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus Holmberg, 1887 male x Colossoma macropomum Cuvier, 1818 female) were collected from fishfarm of Guariba, São Paulo, to evaluate their haematology. Fishes presented 400.0 to 3,100.0 g total weight and 20.0 to 52.0 cm total length. Haemoglobin, haematocrit, mean corpuscular haemoglobin content (MCHC) and percentage of defense blood cells including leucocytes and thrombocytes, were studied. Statistical analysis showed positive correlation (P<0.01) between haematocrit, MCHC and haemoglobin rate. Nevertheless, thrombocytes and lymphocytes showed negative correlation (P<0.01).

Modeling upper eyelid kinematics during spontaneous and reflex blinks

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Genetic parameters for first lactation test-day milk flow in Holstein cows

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)