Minimally processed guava fruits (Psidium guajava L.)

'Paluma' guavas, after internal quality evaluation using magnetic resonance tomography, were used to produce fresh-cut product. Fruits were peeled or not, cut in halves and seed removed, and they were packaged in polystyrene trays covered with PVC film or in a PET container with a lid. These packages were stored for 12 days at 5 degrees C, 10 degrees C and ambient temperature (22.6 degrees C). Tomography evaluation verified that impacts produced internal bruising with loss of cellular integrity and liquefication of the placenta tissues. Compression was more evident on the pericarp and cutting promoted superficial deformation. Storage temperature affected the weight loss, with fruit packaged in the polystyrene tray having a greater weight loss. The peeling did not influence weight loss. Product stored at 5 degrees C and 10 degrees C for 8 days had low microbial growth (< 10(3) UFC.g(-1)) and no coliforms. Rapid spoilage and a short shelf life (3-4 days) occurred when the product was stored at ambient temperature. Peeling reduced ascorbic acid concentration and total soluble solids. Use of calcium to protect fresh-cut products was not efficient. Calcium absorption capacity of 'Pedro Sato' guava was tested using Ca-45. Fruits treated with 2% CaCl2, with or without the radioisotope, were divided in four layers (epicarp, mesocarp, endocarp and seed) and analyzed for the total and Ca-45 calcium. It was observed that the applied calcium remained in superficial layers of fruits, which was confirmed by autoradiography. Internal layers did not contain Ca-45, indicating that calcium was not distributed into different parts of the fruit.

Phosphorus bioavailability in diets for growing horses

A study of phosphorus (P) metabolism was carried out using 12 month old Brasileiro de Hipismo breed of horses to determine the P bioavailability available from feeds commonly fed to horses in Brazil. Five different diets were formulated to contain approximately equivalent levels of crude protein and digestible energy, as well as to supply at least 22 g P/horse/day (NRC, 1989). All 5 diets contained 40% Bermuda coastal hay plus 60% concentrate. The 5 different concentrates contained: C1 (corn+ cottonseed meal) C2 (corn grain+soybean meal) C3 (corn+sugarcane yeast), C4 (oat+cottonseed meal), and C5 (oat+soybean meal). The radioisotope (32)p was injected with 30 NIB. Blood, feces and urine were collected for 7 days to evaluate endogenous fecal P and true absorption. Analysis of variance of P intake showed differences due to dietary effects (P < 0.05). Concentrate C3 had the lowest intake (79.68 mg/ kg BW). All of the diets produced positive P retention. Absolute values for P concentrations in plasma, urine, feces and endogenous feces did not vary between diets. Values for endogenous fecal P were independent of the level of P intake, so the correlation between P intake and P endogenous was not significant. P bioavailability values were 50.75; 40.98; 43.50; 51.03 and 57.68% for diets C1 through C5, respectively. However, differences in P bioavailability were found (P < 0.05) between diets. Diets C2 and C3 had lower P bioavailability than the other diets. The P bioavailability of all dietary treatments in this study exceeded NRC (1989) postulations of 35% true P absorption in diets not supplemented with inorganic P. The results of this study indicate that inorganic P supplementation is not needed for growing yearlings fed common Brazilian feeds. Considering the high cost of P supplementation and the risk of environmental P contamination, inorganic phosphorus supplementation for growing yearlings may not be required. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Some possible evolutionary scenarios suggested by Cl-36 measurements in Guarani aquifer groundwaters

The Guarani aquifer underlies 1.2 M km(2) in the Parana sedimentary basin of South America and is an important source of water for industry, agriculture, and domestic supplies. To determine the sustainability of this aquifer we need to understand the dynamics of the groundwater system. This paper describes the first Cl-36 measurements on aquifer groundwaters and some measurements on South American rainwaters, thought to be indicative of the recharge water. The results are compared to previous work in the region, including other radioisotope analyses. A simple model is developed, incorporating radioactive decay, allowing scenarios to be developed for mixing different waters at different mixing rates. Thus, mixing scenarios consistent with other hydrogeological and hydrogeochemical data could be assessed. A model that mixes fresh recharging waters with formational waters, that contain elevated chloride levels, but low (in situ) Cl-36 levels, can explain most of the results presented here. The expectation that rainwater samples would provide a good end-member for modelling recharge proved problematic, however. As a consequence, it is suggested that either: the recharge waters are not sourced from the same locations as the rains; that the current rainfall and fallout conditions were significantly different in the past; or that the low levels of chloride in rainfall may have allowed some contamination of the samples by old (Cl-36-free) chloride during the recharge process. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phosphorus utilization by corn as affected by green manure, nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers

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

TL, OSL and C-14 dating results of the sediments and bricks from mummified nuns' grave

Este artigo apresenta os resultados de datação por TL e OSL de solos, e fragmentos de tijolos de um túmulo, que foi ocupado por duas freiras mumificadas encontradas no Mosteiro da Luz, localizado no Estado de São Paulo, Brasil. As idades encontradas por TL e OSL foram comparadas às obtidas a partir de C-14 dos colágenos contidos em amostras de osso das múmias. A maioria das idades obtidas são do século XVIII. A espectroscopia de radiação-gama foi utilizada para avaliar concentrações de radioisótopos naturais nas amostras e para calcular as taxas de dose anual que resultaram em 3,0 a 5,3 Gy/kano. As concentrações radioativas são próximas daquelas obtidas através de Análise por Ativação de Nêutrons. Os conteúdos de elementos U, Th e Ce são superiores aos encontrados na maioria dos sedimentos.

Abortion and background radiation in Brazil

It is well known that radiation causes mutation, and that mutations are generally deleterious. They can lead to disease, malformation and death. It is further known that we live in a radioactive world. The air, the soil, the water, the food, all are somewhat radioactive. Natural radiation is not uniformly distributed throughout the earth's crust. There are some areas, especially in Brazil and India, where the levels of background radiation are several times higher than generally obtains. We have undertaken a specially prepared house-to-house genetic-epidemiologic, retrospective survey in a large Brazilian area with levels of natural radiation ranging from 7 (normal) to 133 (high) micro-roentgens per hour. In all, 24 different localities were surveyed during a period of 10 months by a trained team of nurses and social assistants. Our total sample consists of more than 8,000 couples who have had almost 44,000 pregnancy terminations. Our results do not disprove that natural radiation is one of the causes of socalled spontaneous mutations. They only show that, under the conditions of this study, no detectable effect on abortion was found. Our results also attest to the importance of extraneous variables in the analysis of morbidity and mortality data.

Effects of unilateral decortication on β-adrenergic receptors in the remaining cortex and in the hypothalamus of female rats

Many experiments have been performed to evaluate the physiological role of catecholaminergic mechanisms of gonadotropin release. The purpose of the present study was to determine the concentration of β-adrenoreceptors in the remaining (right) cerebral cortex and in right and left hypothalamic halves of hemi-decorticated female rats which exhibited elevated plasma gonadotropin levels as observed previously. The density of β-receptors was measured using a high-affinity β-adrenergic ligand, iodocyanopindolol (ICYP). Scatchard estimates were obtained for maximum binding (B(max) fmol/mg of tissues) from pooled cerebral cortical and hypothalamic tissue of animals under several experimental conditions after hemi-decortication and sham operation. There was an increase in β-adrenoreceptor density in the remaining (right) cerebral cortex at all times examined in hemi-decorticate in comparison with the sham-operated animals (7 days, +10.9%; 21 days, +8.4%; 90 days, +22%; and 90 days plus ovariectomy, +34.8%). The number of β-adrenoreceptors in the right hypothalamic half in hemi-decorticates decreased at 21 days (-42.20%) and then increased at 90 days (+76.63%) and 90 days plus ovariectomy (+51.75%) when compared with the left hypothalamic half. At the same time there were no significant changes in the sham-operated animals when comparing the receptor density in the right and left hypothalamic halves, respectively. Thus, our results suggest a direct adrenergic pathway by which the left cortex can influence the right cortex and a crossed pathway to the contralateral hypothalamus changing adrenergic activity which can alter the β-adrenergic receptor binding capacity in the hypothalamus.

Autoradiographic investigation of effects of high-dose colchicine on dentinogenesis in rat incisors

Twelve female Wistar rats received 1.5 mg/kg of colchicine (CLC) intravenously. Control animals were similarly injected with isotonic saline solution. The animals were killed 5 h, 24 h, 3 days and 7 days after injection. Ninety minutes prior to sacrifice, all animals received an intraperitoneal injection of 3H-proline. Autoradiograms of maxillary incisors showed that CLC increased the retention of the labeled precursor in the odontoblasts. It was also shown that the odontoblasts in the different sectors of the rat incisor present different sensitivities to the CLC action.

Phenomenological tests for the freezing of the QCD running coupling constant

We discuss phenomenological tests for the frozen infrared behavior of the running coupling constant and gluon propagators found in some solutions of Schwinger-Dyson equations of the gluonic sector of QCD. We verify that several observables can be used in order to select the different expressions of αs found in the literature. We test the effect of the nonperturbative coupling in the τ-lepton decay rate into nonstrange hadrons, in the ρ vector meson helicity density matrix that are produced in the χc2 → ρρ decay, in the photon to pion transition form factor, and compute the cross-sections for elastic proton-proton scattering and exclusive ρ production in deep inelastic scattering. These quantities depend on the infrared behavior of the coupling constant at different levels, we discuss the reasons for this dependence and argue that the existent and future data can be used to test the approximations performed to solve the Schwinger-Dyson equations and they already seem to select one specific infrared behavior of the coupling.

Minimally processed guava Fruits (Psidium guaiava L.)

'Paluma' guavas, after internal quality evaluation using magnetic resonance tomography, were used to produce fresh-cut product. Fruits were peeled or not, cut in halves and seed removed, and they were packaged in polystyrene trays covered with PVC film or in a PET container with a lid. These packages were stored for 12 days at 5°C, 10°C and ambient temperature (22.6°C). Tomography evaluation verified that impacts produced internal bruising with loss of cellular integrity and liquefication of the placenta tissues. Compression was more evident on the pericarp and cutting promoted superficial deformation. Storage temperature affected the weight loss, with fruit packaged in the polystyrene tray having a greater weight loss. The peeling did not influence weight loss. Product stored at 5°C and 10°C for 8 days had low microbial growth (<103 UFC.g-1) and no coliforms. Rapid spoilage and a short shelf life (3-4 days) occurred when the product was stored at ambient temperature. Peeling reduced ascorbic acid concentration and total soluble solids. Use of calcium to protect fresh-cut products was not efficient. Calcium absorption capacity of 'Pedro Sato' guava was tested using 45Ca. Fruits treated with 2% CaCl2, with or without the radioisotope, were divided in four layers (epicarp, mesocarp, endocarp and seed) and analyzed for the total and 45Ca calcium. It was observed that the applied calcium remained in superficial layers of45fruits, which was confirmed by autoradiography. Internal layers did not contain 45Ca, indicating that calcium was not distributed into different parts of the fruit.