Desempenho de sementes de soja submetidas a diferentes potenciais osmóticos em polietilenoglicol

Com o objetivo de determinar o potencial fisiológico e o desempenho germinativo de sementes de soja, dois lotes foram avaliados pelos testes de germinação, de frio, de envelhecimento acelerado, de condutividade elétrica e de germinação sob estresse osmótico, nos potenciais 0,0 (controle); -0,1; -0,2; -0,3; -0,4; -0,5; -0,6 e -0,7MPa. Utilizou-se delineamento inteiramente casualizado e quatro repetições de 50 sementes, exceto para a condutividade elétrica, com duas repetições de 50 sementes. Adicionalmente, a germinação sob estresse osmótico foi submetida à análise de regressão. O estresse osmótico em polietilenoglicol, em potencial igual ou inferior a -0,6MPa, é um procedimento promissor para a avaliação do potencial fisiológico de sementes de soja; valores decrescentes de potencial osmótico reduzem a germinação, enquanto potenciais próximos a zero podem provocar o envigoramento das sementes.

Effects of Silicon and Drought Stress on Tuber Yield and Leaf Biochemical Characteristics in Potato

Silicon has beneficial effects on many crops, mainly under biotic and abiotic stresses. Silicon can affect biochemical, physiological, and photosynthetic processes and, consequently, alleviates drought stress. However, the effects of Si on potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) plants under drought stress are still unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of Si supply on some biochemical characteristics and yield of potato tubers, either exposed or not exposed to drought stress. The experiment was conducted in pots containing 50 dm(3) of a Typic Acrortox soil (33% clay, 4% silt, and 63% sand). The treatments consisted of the absence or presence of Si application (0 and 284.4 mg dm(-3)), through soil amelioration with dolomitic lime and Ca and Mg silicate, and in the absence or presence of water deficit (-0.020 MPa and -0.050 MPa soil water potential, respectively), with eight replications. Silicon application and water deficit resulted in the greatest Si concentration in potato leaves. Proline concentrations increased under lower water availability and higher Si availability in the soil, which indicates that Si may be associated with plant osmotic adjustment. Water deficit and Si application decreased total sugars and soluble proteins concentrations in the leaves. Silicon application reduced stalk lodging and increased mean tuber weight and, consequently, tuber yield, especially in the absence of water stress.

Comparison of selective genotyping strategies for prediction of breeding values in a population undergoing selection

Genomewide marker information can improve the reliability of breeding value predictions for young selection candidates in genomic selection. However, the cost of genotyping limits its use to elite animals, and how such selective genotyping affects predictive ability of genomic selection models is an open question. We performed a simulation study to evaluate the quality of breeding value predictions for selection candidates based on different selective genotyping strategies in a population undergoing selection. The genome consisted of 10 chromosomes of 100 cM each. After 5,000 generations of random mating with a population size of 100 (50 males and 50 females), generation G(0) (reference population) was produced via a full factorial mating between the 50 males and 50 females from generation 5,000. Different levels of selection intensities (animals with the largest yield deviation value) in G(0) or random sampling (no selection) were used to produce offspring of G(0) generation (G(1)). Five genotyping strategies were used to choose 500 animals in G(0) to be genotyped: 1) Random: randomly selected animals, 2) Top: animals with largest yield deviation values, 3) Bottom: animals with lowest yield deviations values, 4) Extreme: animals with the 250 largest and the 250 lowest yield deviations values, and 5) Less Related: less genetically related animals. The number of individuals in G(0) and G(1) was fixed at 2,500 each, and different levels of heritability were considered (0.10, 0.25, and 0.50). Additionally, all 5 selective genotyping strategies (Random, Top, Bottom, Extreme, and Less Related) were applied to an indicator trait in generation G(0), and the results were evaluated for the target trait in generation G(1), with the genetic correlation between the 2 traits set to 0.50. The 5 genotyping strategies applied to individuals in G(0) (reference population) were compared in terms of their ability to predict the genetic values of the animals in G(1) (selection candidates). Lower correlations between genomic-based estimates of breeding values (GEBV) and true breeding values (TBV) were obtained when using the Bottom strategy. For Random, Extreme, and Less Related strategies, the correlation between GEBV and TBV became slightly larger as selection intensity decreased and was largest when no selection occurred. These 3 strategies were better than the Top approach. In addition, the Extreme, Random, and Less Related strategies had smaller predictive mean squared errors (PMSE) followed by the Top and Bottom methods. Overall, the Extreme genotyping strategy led to the best predictive ability of breeding values, indicating that animals with extreme yield deviations values in a reference population are the most informative when training genomic selection models.

Propriedades físicas dos lenhos juvenil e adulto de Pinus elliottii Engelm var. elliottii e de Eucalyptus grandis Hill ex Maiden

The juvenile wood presents great difference in its anatomical and physical properties in relation to the mature wood. That heterogeneity of the wood causes a series of upset for the processing industry. The present research had as objective the study of the physical properties of the juvenile and mature wood of Pinus elliottii Engelm var. elliottii, with 25 years of age and of Eucalyptus grandis Hill ex Maiden, with 30 years of age, coming from the Experimental Station of Itapetininga and State Forest of Santa Barbara, belonging to the Forest Institute of the state of São Paulo. From both species there were taken from radial boards, specimens with dimensions of 20x30x50 mm, for the determination of density, swelling and swelling coefficient of the juvenile and mature wood. The results of the species showed that the mature compared with the juvenile wood presented: (1) an increase in the values of the basic density, at 0% and at 12% of moisture content and of the volumetric, radial and tangential swelling at 12% moisture content and maximum coefficient of radial and tangential swelling; (2) a reduction in the values of longitudinal swelling at 12% and maximum and of the longitudinal swelling coefficient.

Mobilização de água e conservação da viabilidade de embriões de sementes recalcitrantes de ingá (Inga vera Willd. subsp. affinis (DC.) T. D. Pennington)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Influência do estresse hídrico e salino na germinação de urochloa decumbens e urochloa ruziziensis

Studies of the germination response of seeds subjected to artificial stresses are provided tools for better understanding of the survivability and adaptation of these species in natural stress conditions such as drought or saline soils, common in agricultural and forest regions, contributing significantly to the development of management strategies. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the possible effects of water and salt stress on germination of Urochloa decumbens and Urochloa ruziziensis. The test was conducted at the Faculty of Technology of São Paulo, campus of Capon Bonito. The seeds were sown with four replicates of 50 seeds in paper soaked in solutions with the potentials of 0.0, -0.2, -0.4 and -0.8 MPa, induced with polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000) and NaCl. The germination test was conducted at 25 degrees C in the presence of light, evaluating the first test score at seven days after sowing, and weekly germination (normal seedlings) until 35 days. We calculated the index of germination rate. The results allowed the conclusion that water stress causes a greater reduction in force, speed of germination and cumulative germination of seeds of U. decumbens and U. ruziziensis than salt stress. The species U. decumbens showed higher tolerance to water and salt stresses.

THE EFFECT of CARBONIZATION on WOOD STRUCTURE of DALBERGIA VIOLACEA, STRYPHNODENDRON POLYPHYLLUM, TAPIRIRA GUIANENSIS, VOCHYSIA TUCANORUM, and POUTERIA TORTA FROM THE BRAZILIAN CERRADO

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Efeito da adição de lodo de estação de tratamento de água (ETA) nas propriedades de material cerâmico estrutural

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

Sugarcane bagasse ash as a potential quartz replacement in red ceramic

Sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) is an industrial waste that contains silicon and aluminum oxides as the major components and iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium oxides as the main minor components. In this paper, SCBA from one Brazilian factory was characterized and tested for its influence on the ceramic properties of clay/ash ceramic probes. Prismatic probes were pressed (18 MPa) using a ceramic mass mixed with 0%, 5%, 8%, and 10% ash. The probes were fired at temperatures between 800 degrees and 1200 degrees C. X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, thermal analysis (differential thermal analysis, thermo-gravimetric analysis/differential thermogravimetric analysis), and tests for texture (particle-size analysis), flexural strength, and linear shrinkage were carried out to characterize the samples. The results showed that the amount of ash to be incorporated will depend on mainly the composition of clay but also ash, and indicated that the clay used in this work can incorporate up to 10% weight of ash to produce solid bricks. The results also showed an improvement in ceramic/ash properties up to sintering temperatures higher than 1000 degrees C.

Recycling of glass cullet as aggregate for clays used to produce roof tiles

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

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of a primaquine prodrug without red blood cell membrane destabilization property

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

Recombinant expression of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase using the Pichia pastoris system

In the present study, the GPD2 gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which codifies for the enzyme glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH), was cloned from the pPICZ-alpha expression vector and used with the purpose of inducing the extracellular expression of the glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase under the control of the methanol-regulated AOX promoter. The presence of the GPD2 insert was confirmed by PCR analysis. Pichia pastoris X-33 (Mut(+)) was transformed with linearized plasmids by electroporation and transformants were selected on YPDS plates containing 100 mu g/mL of zeocin. Several clones were selected and the functionality of this enzyme obtained in a culture medium was assayed. Among the mutants tested, one exhibited 3.1 x 10(-2) U/mg of maximal activity. Maximal enzyme activity was achieved at 6 days of growth. Medium composition and pre-induction osmotic stress influenced protein production. Pre-induction osmotic stress (culturing cells in medium with either 0.35 M sodium chloride or 1.0 M sorbitol for 4h prior to induction) led to an increase in cell growth with sorbitol and resulted in a significant increase in GPDH productivity with sodium chloride in 24h of induction approximately fivefold greater than under standard conditions (without pre-induction). (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Efeito da temperatura de estocagem de leveduras de panificação sobre a atividade da glicerol-3-fosfato desidrogenase

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

AT1-receptor mediated vascular damage in myocardium, kidneys and liver in rats

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

Avaliação ultra-estrutural dos efeitos tóxicos da mitomicina C no epitélio ciliar de olhos de coelhos normais com e sem tratamento hipotensor ocular prévio

OBJETIVO: Avaliar o epitélio ciliar interno (ECI) do corpo ciliar após aplicação de mitomicina C (MMC) sob retalho escleral, em animais tratados com dois tipos de inibidores da produção do humor aquoso. MÉTODOS: Foram estudados ambos os olhos de 16 coelhos divididos em 4 grupos experimentais. Foi realizado retalho escleral em todos os olhos dos animais, mas apenas os olhos direitos (OD) receberam MMC. No grupo 1 (G1) não houve tratamento prévio. Nos grupos G2 e G4 foi administrada acetazolamida e nos grupos G3 e G4 maleato de timolol. O ECI foi examinado à microscopia eletrônica de transmissão (MET). Os olhos esquerdos formaram os grupos controle. RESULTADOS: em todos os grupos exceto no G1 OE, foram observadas: retração das células e/ou alargamento entre invaginações, mitocôndrias com rarefação, vesículas claras e corpos densos. A membrana limitante interna estava espessada, descontínua ou descolada em todos grupos exceto G1 OE e G2 OE. Foi observada liberação de material citoplasmático apenas nos grupos tratados com inibidores da produção de humor aquoso. CONCLUSÕES: 1- MMC, acetazolamida e maleato de timolol causaram alterações morfológicas no epitélio ciliar mesmo usados isoladamente. 2- A associação MMC e acetazolamida causou mais alterações do que a acetazolamida isoladamente, mas não mais do que a MMC isoladamente. 3- Nas demais associações as alterações foram semelhantes.