Accelerated aging of ipê seeds under controlled conditions of storage

This research was aimed at studying effects of storage and accelerated aging on germination and profile of storage proteins in Handroanthus albus seeds. These were stored into a cold chamber (± 8 ºC; RH ± 40%) and after periods of 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of storage, were subjected to accelerated aging for 0, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours. Relationships between germination and proteins profile were assessed. Germination test was performed at 25 ºC, under constant light. For protein extraction, 125 mg of seeds were macerated in 2 mL of extraction buffer (1M Tris-HCl; pH 8.8) and applied to SDS-PAGE polyacrylamide gel at 80 V .15 h-1. Twelve month storage, combined with 72 hours accelerated aging have increased germination in approximately 65% when compared to non-aged seeds or to seeds with 24 h of accelerated aging. Besides beneficial effects, degradation and synthesis of different proteins were observed. It was concluded that germination of Handroanthus albus seeds, when not subjected to accelerated aging, is favored by storage in cold chamber during three to six months, or from nine to 12 months when subjected to accelerated aging process. Storage proteins may be associated to those increases, and hence further studies are needed.

Has social justice any legitimacy in Kant's theory of right? The empirical conditions of the legal state as a civil union

This paper aims at shedding light on an obscure point in Kant's theory of the state. It discusses whether Kant's rational theory of the state recognises the fact that certain exceptional social situations, such as the extreme poverty of some parts of the population, could request institutional state support in order to guarantee the attainment of a minimum threshold of civil independence. It has three aims: 1) to show that Kant's Doctrine of Right can offer solutions for the complex relation between economics and politics in our present time; 2) to demonstrate the claim that Kant embraces a pragmatic standpoint when he tackles the social concerns of the state, and so to refute the idea that he argues for an abstract conception of politics; and 3) to suggest that a non-paternalistic theory of rights is not necessarily incompatible with the basic tenets of a welfare state.