Effect of storage time and conditions on the cotyledon cell wall of the adzuki bean (Vigna angularis)

Two varieties of adzuki grown in Australia, Bloodwood and Erimo, were stored for up to 6 months at three temperatures (10, 20 and 30 degreesC), and two relative humidities (RH; 40 and 65%). The amount of cell wall material increased with time under all storage conditions. This increase was greatest at 30 degreesC and 40% RH. Storage time and conditions did not affect the total pectin levels in the cell wall. Erimo constantly exhibited a higher total pectin level than Bloodwood. The Bloodwood soluble pectin, Ca++ and Mg++ and Erimo Ca++ in the cell wall remained stable during storage, while the Erimo soluble pectin and Mg++ exhibited a slight decrease at 20 and 30 degreesC after 3 months of storage. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Environmental conditions and variation in levels of sun exposure among children in child care

Sun exposure in childhood is I of the risk factors for developing skin cancer, yet little is known about levels of exposure at this age. This is particularly important in countries with high levels of ultraviolet radiation. (UVR) such as Australia. Among 49 children 3 to 5 years of age attending child care centers, UVR exposure was studied under 4 conditions in a repeated measures design; sunny days, cloudy days, teacher's instruction to stay in the shade, and a health professionals instruction to apply sunscreen. Three different data collection methods were employed: (a) completion of questionnaire or diary by parents and researcher, (b) polysulphone dosimeter readings, and (c) observational audits (video recording). Results of this study indicated that more than half the children had been sunburnt (pink or red) and more than a third had experienced painful sunburn (sore or tender) in the last summer. Most wore short sleeve shirts, short skirts or shorts and cap, that do not provide optimal levels of skin protection. However, sunscreen was applied to all exposed parts before the children went out to the playground. Over the period of I hr (9-10 a.m.) the average amount of time children spent in full sun was 22 min. On sunny days there was more variation across children in the amount of sun exposure received. While the potential amount of UVR exposure for young children during the hour they were outside on a sunny day was 1.45 MED (Minimum Erythemal Dose), they received on average 0.35 MED, which is an insufficient amount to result in an erythemal response on fair skin even without the use of sunscreen.

Growth of papaya nodal and rooted shoot cultures as affected by ACC, STS, culture vessel size and incubation conditions

Nodal shoot cultures of 'Clone 003', a selected Australian papaya cultivar, were cultured on modified De Fossard medium supplemented with chemicals that either promote ethylene evolution or inhibit action while in culture. Nodal shoot cultures grown in the presence of 1-aminocyclopropane carboxylic acid (ACC, 1.0 mM) resulted in a significant reduction in percent fresh and dry weights, shoot length, leaf area, petiole length and chlorophyll content, but leaf development was significantly increased. In contrast, nodal cultures grown in the presence of silver thiosulphate (STS, 0.5 mM) significantly produced the highest percentage of fresh and dry weights, shoot length, leaf production, leaf area expansion, petiole length and leaf chlorophyll content. Nodal cultures and rooted whole plantlets placed in medium-sized (125 mL) culture vessels had significantly better growth than those cultures placed in small (70 mL) or in large (250 mL) vessels. Cultures grown in medium-sized vessels had higher fresh and dry weights, longer shoots, more leaves and larger leaf area than those cultures placed in smaller or larger vessels. Similarly, values for said growth parameters and for chlorophyll content of the nodal and rooted whole plantlets were higher when they were incubated under high light intensity of 120 mumol m(-2)s(-1) at a prevailing temperature of either 20+/-1 C or 25+/-1 C.

Neural reflex regulation of arterial pressure in pathophysiological conditions : interplay among the baroreflex, the cardiopulmonary reflexes and the chemoreflex

The maintenance of arterial pressure at levels adequate to perfuse the tissues is a basic requirement for the constancy of the internal environment and survival. The objective of the present review was to provide information about the basic reflex mechanisms that are responsible for the moment-to-moment regulation of the cardiovascular system. We demonstrate that this control is largely provided by the action of arterial and non-arterial reflexes that detect and correct changes in arterial pressure (baroreflex), blood volume or chemical composition (mechano- and chemosensitive cardiopulmonary reflexes), and changes in blood-gas composition (chemoreceptor reflex). The importance of the integration of these cardiovascular reflexes is well understood and it is clear that processing mainly occurs in the nucleus tractus solitarii, although the mechanism is poorly understood. There are several indications that the interactions of baroreflex, chemoreflex and Bezold-Jarisch reflex inputs, and the central nervous system control the activity of autonomic preganglionic neurons through parallel afferent and efferent pathways to achieve cardiovascular homeostasis. It is surprising that so little appears in the literature about the integration of these neural reflexes in cardiovascular function. Thus, our purpose was to review the interplay between peripheral neural reflex mechanisms of arterial blood pressure and blood volume regulation in physiological and pathophysiological states. Special emphasis is placed on the experimental model of arterial hypertension induced by N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) in which the interplay of these three reflexes is demonstrable.

The contribution of the European Union to global climate change governance: explaining the conditions for EU actorness

Como organização regional, o papel da União Europeia na governança global do clima enfrenta obstáculos que não se aplicam a nenhuma outra parte da Convenção-Quadro das Nações Unidas sobre a Mudança do Clima (CQNUMC) e do Protocolo de Quioto. Avaliando essa singularidade, este artigo fornece uma analise teórica e empírica de como os elementos de actorness (reconhecimento, capacidade, oportunidade e coesão) definem a participação da UE no regime internacional de mudanças climáticas.

Political conditions for successful inflation stabilization: comparing Brazil and Argentina

This study tries to understand how Brazil and Argentina, two countries with chronically high inflation, achieved permanent stabilization by looking at political factors necessary for stabilization. It suggests that, although state autonomy or political unity may contribute to successful price stabilization, reconciling the interests of different stakeholders and thereby building a broad political support base is more essential for stabilization to succeed. Political skills of the leaders and compensatory policies may help raise such support and they are more crucial where other political conditions are less favorable. Also, rapid improvement in the economy is important for sustained political support, and thus, for successful stabilization.

Effect of the Impact Conditions on the Mechanical Properties of Injection-Molded Parts

This work focused on the study of the impact event on molded parts in the framework of automotive components. The influence of the impact conditions and processing parameters on the mechanical behavior of talc-filled polypropylene specimens was analyzed. The specimens were lateral-gate discs produced by injection molding, and the mechanical characterization was performed through instrumented falling weight impact tests concomitantly assisted with high-speed videography. Results analyzed using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) method have shown that from the considered parameters, only the dart diameter and test temperature have significant influence on the falling weight impact properties. Higher dart diameter leads to higher peak force and peak energy results. Conversely, higher levels of test temperatures lead to lower values of peak force and peak energy. By means of high-speed videography, a more brittle fracture was observed for experiments with higher levels of test velocity and dart diameter and lower levels of test temperature. The injection-molding process conditions assessed in this study have an influence on the impact response of moldings, mainly on the deformation capabilities of the moldings.

ASSÉDIO MORAL OU PSICOLÓGICO NO DIREITO CONSTITUCIONAL PORTUGUÊS

1 O direio constitucional português ao trabalho: introdução; 1.1 Alguns direitos e deveres constitucionais no contexto do Direito constitucional do trabalho português; 2 Algumas ideias sobre o assédio moral ou psicológico; 3 Conclusão.Resumo – Abstract: tanto o assédio moral, como uma das suas espécies, o assédio sexual, tornaram-se numa espécie de ilícito, quer em termos civis, quer, por exemplo, em termos criminais, que cada vez se torna mais comum no local de trabalho e/ou estudo, e com graves consequências para os mais básicos direitos fundamentais individuais e colectivos. Determinados direitos, liberdades e garantias passam a estar em perigo ou não bastasse a sua consagração constitucional apenas teórica.

Poderá ser a criminalização do assédio moral e/ou mobbing, rectius no trabalho, respeitadora dos princípios constitucionais da necessidade, adequação, proporcionalidade e intervenção mínima penais? - A lesão dos direitos fundamentais constitucionais dos trabalhadores: o caso português1

Resumo: O direito constitucional português ao trabalho: introdução § Algumas ideias sobre o assédio moral ou psicológico: as principais vítimas, as diferenças do bullying (e/ou intimidação ou tiranizar), os fundamentos, o seu estudo § O contexto do ordenamento jurídico português: algumas consequências do assédio moral § O direito geral à personalidade § A distinção entre o assédio moral e outras figuras § O assédio sexual faz parte do assédio moral em sentido amplo § Dentro do problema do “assédio moral”, da “liberdade moral” e, nomeadamente, dos crimes contra a liberdade sexual e autodeterminação sexual, algumas notas, de Direito penal, sobre a “coação sexual”: responsabilidade penal § O assédio moral no ordenamento jurídico português e, designadamente, no contexto do Direito do trabalho § O assédio moral como doença profissional, a hipótese de ocorrer suicídio e a eventual responsabilidade civil § Conclusão § “Ideia final” § Abstract: The Portuguese constitucional law to the work (labour): introduction § Some ideas on the moral or psychological siege (general mobbing): the main victims, the differences of bullying (and/or intimidation or “the labour tyrant”), the beddings, its study § The context of the Portuguese legal system § The context of the Portuguese legal system: some effects of the moral siege (general mobbing) § The general right to the personality § The distinction between the moral siege (general mobbing) and other figures § The sexual siege (sexual harassement or sexual mobbing) is part of the moral siege(general mobbing) in ample direction § Inside of the problem of the “moral siege” (general mobbing), “moral freedom” e, nominated, of the crimes against the sexual freedom and sexual self-determination, some notes, of Criminal law, on the “sexual coercion”: criminal liability § The moral siege (general mobbing) in Portuguese legal system and, appointedly, in the context of the Law of the work (labour law) § The moral siege (general mobbing) as ocupational disease, the hypothesis to occur suicide and the eventual civil liability § Conclusion § “Final Idea”

Response of rice cultivars to nitrogen in upland conditions

Against the background of a growing world population, rice (Oryza sativa L.) consumption is expected to grow faster than its production. Therefore, an appropriate question would be: how to increase productivity in the short-term? In this respect, it becomes important the implementation of modern agricultural production systems, such as upland rice with supplemental sprinkler irrigation. Additional information is needed to maximize the available resources, with special attention given to research on the use of nitrogen. This study aimed to evaluate the agronomic performance of commercial rice cultivars with different plant characteristics in upland conditions with supplemental sprinkler irrigation, when subjected to nitrogen in topdress application at the R1 stage (panicle differentiation). The experiment was arranged in a randomized block with split plot design, with 65 treatments, consisting of the combination of 13 cultivars in the plots, and five nitrogen levels in the subplots (0, 40, 80, 120 and 160 kg ha-1), with four replications. Genetic variability was detected among rice cultivars and the agronomic performance in response to the applied nitrogen. The topdressing application of nitrogen increases, in general, the production components and grain yield in rice. Cultivars BRS Primavera, Caiapó and IAC 202 stood out for grain yield, followed by Baldo, Carnaroli, BRS Curinga and IAC 500 with lower yields.

Selection of full-sib families of Panicum maximum Jacq under low light conditions

The silvopastoral system is a viable technological alternative to extensive cattle grazing, however, for it to be successful, forage grass genotypes adapted to reduced light need to be identified. The objective of this study was to select progenies of Panicum maximum tolerant to low light conditions for use in breeding programs and to study the genetic control and performance of some traits associated with shade tolerance. Six full-sib progenies were evaluated in full sun, 50% and 70% of light reduction in pots and subjected to cuttings. Progeny genotypic values ​​(GV) increased with light reduction in relation to plant height (H) and specific leaf area (SLA). The traits total dry mass accumulation (DM) and leaf dry mass accumulation (LDM) had GV higher in 50% shade and intermediate in 70% shade. The GV of tiller number (TIL) and root dry mass accumulation (RDM) decreased with light reduction. The highest positive correlations were obtained for the traits H and RDM with SLA and DM; the highest negative correlations were between TIL and SLA and RDM, and H and LDM. The progenies showed higher tolerance to 50% light reduction and, among them, two stood out and will be used in breeding programs. It was also found that it is not necessary to evaluate some traits under all light conditions. All traits had high broad sense heritability and high genotypic correlation between progenies in all light intensities. There is genetic difference among the progenies regarding the response to different light intensities, which will allow selection for shade tolerance

Assedio moral e assedio sexual: faces do poder perverso nas organizações

Este artigo analisa duas faces do poder perverso nas organizações modernas: o assédio moral e o sexual. No momento em que as empresas buscam uma orientação mais ética e a melhoria do ambiente de trabalho, a discussão desses temas se faz prioridade. O texto apresenta, ainda, resultados de pesquisas realizadas na França e no Brasil.

Percurso semântico do assédio moral na trajetória profissional de mulheres gerentes

O artigo tem o objetivo de evidenciar comportamentos de assédio moral na trajetória profissional de 12 mulheres gerentes de empresas privadas de Minas Gerais que se consideravam assediadas, relacionando­os às categorias de Hirigoyen (2002a e 2002b). A coleta dos dados foi realizada por meio de histórias de vida com investigação participativa e os dados foram interpretados por meio da análise de discurso. Essa estratégia metodológica possibilitou observar que as relações de poder que permeiam o ambiente organizacional trazem uma possibilidade de (re)leitura antiga do que se denomina hoje assédio moral. Grande parte das entrevistadas continua sofrendo assédios, sendo talvez até mais expostas ao fenômeno por estarem em um terreno de domínio masculino, o que pode remeter aos fatores culturais brasileiros.