Calcium treatment of harvested Geraldton waxflower does not enhance postharvest quality

Postharvest flower abscission from cut Geraldton waxflower (Chamelaucium uncinatum) is mostly caused by fungal invasion. Elevated plant tissue calcium concentrations through postharvest application reduces fungal disease severity in various crops. Such results may be explained by strengthening of plant cell walls by calcium. Strengthening provides a structural barrier to fungal hyphae, thereby restricting invasion of plant cells. Postharvest pulsing with calcium solution substantially increased calcium concentrations in waxflower tissues. Ca-45 tracer revealed calcium distribution throughout flowering sprigs, including infection sites such as stylar tissue. However, pulsing waxflower sprigs with calcium did not suppress either disease or flower abscission, nor did it enhance vase life.

Effect of cold wire inclination on temperature fluctuation measurements in a heated jet

Hot-wire anemometers at low operating currents are used as fast response resistance thermometers for the study of heated turbulent flows. Simultaneous measurement of temperature and velocity is generally performed with multi-wire arrays. In order to give good spatial resolution a new layout has been tested which uses an inclined temperature wire positioned parallel to the nearest inclined velocity wire. This leads to an asymmetric wire arrangement relative to the mean flow direction. As expected, a reduction in thermal interference from the velocity wires results when compared with an array containing a temperature wire placed normal to the flow. However, measurement of higher order moments of fluctuating quantities in an axisymmetric jet shows considerable distortion of radial distributions which is traced to alteration of the temperature field sensed by the temperature wire. When inclined velocity sensitive wires contain a temperature component, the latter may be affected by the same phenomenon.

Disrupted hepcidin regulation in HFE-associated haemochromatosis and the liver as a regulator of body iron homoeostasis

Background The mechanisms responsible for disturbed iron homoeostasis in hereditary haemochromatosis are poorly understood. However, results of some studies indicate a link between hepcidin, a liver-derived peptide, and intestinal iron absorption, suggesting that this molecule could play a part in hepatic iron overload. To investigate this possible association, we studied the hepatic expression of the gene for hepcidin (HAMP) and a gene important in iron transport (IREG1) in patients with haemochromatosis, in normal controls, and in Hfe-knockout mice. Methods We extracted total RNA from the liver tissue of 27 patients with HFE-associated haemochromatosis, seven transplant donors (controls), and Hfe-knockout mice. HAMP and IREG1 mRNA concentrations were examined by ribonuclease protection assays and expressed relative to the housekeeping gene GAPD. Findings There was a significant decrease in HAMP expression in untreated patients compared with controls (5.4-fold, 95% CI 3.3-7.5; p

Independent contribution of plaque complexity to myocardial ischemia during Dobutamine stress echocardiography

The influence of complex plaque morphology on the extent of demand-induced ischemia in unselected patients is not well defined. We sought to investigate the functional significance of lesion morphology in patients who underwent coronary angiography and dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE).,Angiography and DSE were performed within a 6-month period (mean 1 +/- 1 month) in 196 patients. Angiographic assessments involved quantification of stenosis severity, assessment of the extent of jeopardized myocardium, and categorization of plaque morphology according to the Ambrose classification. DSE was interpreted by separate investigators with respect to wall motion score index (WMSI) and number of coronary territories involved. A general linear model was constructed to assess,the independent contribution of patient characteristics and angiographic and DSE results with respect to extent of ischemic myocardium. Complex lesion morphology was seen in 62 patients (32%). Patients with complex lesions were more likely to have had prior myocardial infarction (p < 0.001) and be current smokers (p = 0.03). During angiography, they exhibited a trend toward a greater number of diseased vessels, had a greater coronary jeopardy score (p < 0.001) and more frequent collateral flow (p = 0.03). During echocardiography, patients had a higher stress WMSI (p < 0.001) and were more likely to show ischemia in all 3 arterial territories (p < 0.01). On multivariate regression, the coronary artery jeopardy score and the presence of complex plaque morphology were independent predictors of the extent of ischemic myocardium (R 2 = 34%, p < 0.001). Thus, patients with complex plaque morphology are older, more likely to smoke, and more likely to have had prior myocardial. infarction. They exhibit more extensive disease with higher coronary jeopardy scores and a higher resting and peak stress WMSI. Despite these differences, complex plaque morphology remains an independent predictor of the extent of ischemia during stress. (C) 2003 by Excerpta Medica, Inc.

Comparison of the in vitro neuromuscular activity of venom from three Australian snakes (Hoplocephalus stephensi, Austrelaps superbus and Notechis scutatus): Efficacy of tiger snake antivenom

1. Tiger snake antivenom, raised against Notechis scutatus venom, is indicated not only for the treatment of envenomation by this snake, but also that of the copperhead (Austrelaps superbus ) and Stephen's banded snake (Hoplocephalus stephensi ). The present study compared the neuromuscular pharmacology of venom from these snakes and the in vitro efficacy of tiger snake antivenom. 2. In chick biventer cervicis muscle and mouse phrenic nerve diaphragm preparations, all venoms (3-10 mug/mL) produced inhibition of indirect twitches. In the biventer muscle, venoms (10 mug/mL) inhibited responses to acetylcholine (1 mmol/L) and carbachol (20 mumol/L), but not KCl (40 mmol/L). The prior (10 min) administration of 1 unit/mL antivenom markedly attenuated the neurotoxic effects of A. superbus and N. scutatus venoms (10 mug/mL), but was less effective against H. stephensi venom (10 mug/mL); 5 units/mL antivenom attenuated the neurotoxic activity of all venoms. 3. Administration of 5 units/mL antivenom at t(90) partially reversed, over a period of 3 h, the inhibition of twitches produced by N. scutatus (10 mug/mL; 41% recovery), A. superbus (10 mug/mL; 25% recovery) and H. stephensi (10 mug/mL; 50% recovery) venoms. All venoms (10-100 mug/mL) also displayed signs of in vitro myotoxicity. 4. The results of the present study indicate that all three venoms contain neurotoxic activity that is effectively attenuated by tiger snake antivenom.

Presta????o de contas: conv??nio entre MDS e prefeitura municipal

O estudo de caso trata da presta????o de contas, por uma prefeitura municipal, da aplica????o de recursos provenientes de um conv??nio com o Minist??rio de Desenvolvimento Social e Combate ?? Fome (MDS). A presta????o de contas foi aprovada e o texto apresenta a rela????o das atividades e gastos efetuados e observa????es feitas durante a avalia????o realizada pelo MDS. Este ?? um caso fict??cio usado em um curso de gest??o de conv??nios e de contratos de repasse de recursos

Conhecimento organizacional em escolas de governo: um estudo comparado

Como reflexo de uma tend??ncia que tem ganhado import??ncia crescente nas organiza????es p??blicas, privadas e n??o governamentais do Brasil e do mundo, a tem??tica gest??o do conhecimento motivou a realiza????o desta pesquisa, cujo foco imediato ?? fornecer subs??dios para auxiliar organiza????es p??blicas como escolas de governo em seus processos de desenvolvimento de conhecimento organizacional. Este conhecimento ?? criado mediante a intera????o dos conhecimentos t??cito e expl??cito. A intera????o entre eles pode ser verificada por meio de quatro convers??es, as quais formam um ciclo do conhecimento organizacional: a socializa????o, a externaliza????o, a combina????o e a internaliza????o. O estudo em quest??o visa apresentar um conjunto de crit??rios representantes do ciclo de desenvolvimento do conhecimento organizacional e, mediante an??lise comparada entre sete escolas de governo internacionais e uma nacional, a Funda????o Escola Nacional de Administra????o P??blica (Enap), elaborar o desenho de uma estrutura organizacional que maximize o desenvolvimento do conhecimento organizacional em escolas de governo.

C??rculo de controle de qualidade

Criada na d??cada de 40 para extrair min??rio de ferro dos dep??sitos do interior do Estado de Minas Gerais, aos poucos a Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD) expandiu suas atividades e ??reas de atua????o, de forma que hoje ?? a maior companhia exportadora de ferro, al??m de atuar na extra????o e beneficiamento de bauxita, ouro e outros minerais abundantes no Brasil. Com o prop??sito de elevar o rendimento das minas e a economicidade global do sistema, a CVRD adotou o processo de aglomera????o de min??rio por pelotiza????o e implantou seis usinas de pelotiza????o na ??rea de Tubar??o, no Estado do Esp??rito Santo. As usinas de pelotiza????o produzem pelotas de min??rio de ferro de alta qualidade. A pelotiza????o ?? um processo de aglomera????o da parcela ultrafina de min??rio ??? com o recurso de um processamento t??rmico ??? em esferas de di??metro adequado, com caracter??sticas de qualidade que permitam a sua aplica????o direta nos fornos sider??rgicos. A moagem ?? parte desse processo. Quando os moinhos est??o em opera????o normal, s??o programadas paradas para inspe????o do revestimento. Se h?? desgaste, programam-se paradas para trocar as barras de revestimento desgastadas

M??dulo 1 - gest??o de contratos de TI: curso Gest??o de Contratos de Tecnologia da Informa????o (GCTI)

Esse documento trata de:gest??o de contratos; legisla????o aplicada; elementos necess??rios para uma boa gest??o contratual; modelo de contrata????o; elementos do modelo (atores); elementos do modelo (artefatos;) elementos do modelo (processos e atividades); atividades do processo de inicia????o contratual; plano de inser????o

M??dulo 2 - monitoramento da execu????o contratual: curso Gest??o de Contratos de Tecnologia da Informa????o (GCTI)

Esse documento trata de: ordem de servi??o ou de fornecimento de bens; atividades e atores do monitoramento; recebimento provis??rio; recebimento definitivo; comando da SLTI/MP; responsabilidade por danos; responsabilidade por encargos; subcontrata????o; controle do material empregado; registro de ocorr??ncias; fiscaliza????o das obriga????es trabalhistas