Effect of temperature, leaf wetness, and rainfall on the production of Guignardia citricarpa ascospores and on back spot severity on sweet orange

The black spot of citrus (Citrus sp.) is caused by Guignardia citricarpa with ascospore production depending on temperature, leaf wetness, and rainfall. The number of ascospores produced was monitored using a spore trap and climatic factors were recorded using an automated meteorological station of 'Natal' and 'Valencia' sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) orchards in Mogi Guaçu in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, from November 2000 to March 2001. The fruits were bagged to prevent infection and the bags removed from different sets of fruit for one week during each of the 18 weeks of the season in both orchards. Ascospores were produced during the entire experimental period, from spring through summer, primarily after rain events. In both orchards, ascospore production reached a peak in January and February. Ascospore production was related to leaf wetness only in the Natal orange orchard but was not related to total rainfall or temperature in either orchard. Disease was most severe on fruit exposed the 7th, 8th, and 13th weeks after beginning the experiment in both cultivars as well as after the 16th week for 'Natal'. There was a strong relationship between disease severity and total rainfall for both orchards and a weak correlation between temperature and severity in the 'Natal' block only. There was no relationship between severity and leaf wetness or ascospore numbers.

Distributed ControlArchitecture of Power Electronics Building-Block-Based Frequency Converters

The increasing power demand and emerging applications drive the design of electrical power converters into modularization. Despite the wide use of modularized power stage structures, the control schemes that are used are often traditional, in other words, centralized. The flexibility and re-usability of these controllers are typically poor. With a dedicated distributed control scheme, the flexibility and re-usability of the system parts, building blocks, can be increased. Only a few distributed control schemes have been introduced for this purpose, but their breakthrough has not yet taken place. A demand for the further development offlexible control schemes for building-block-based applications clearly exists. The control topology, communication, synchronization, and functionality allocationaspects of building-block-based converters are studied in this doctoral thesis. A distributed control scheme that can be easily adapted to building-block-based power converter designs is developed. The example applications are a parallel and series connection of building blocks. The building block that is used in the implementations of both the applications is a commercial off-the-shelf two-level three-phase frequency converter with a custom-designed controller card. The major challenge with the parallel connection of power stages is the synchronization of the building blocks. The effect of synchronization accuracy on the system performance is studied. The functionality allocation and control scheme design are challenging in the seriesconnected multilevel converters, mainly because of the large number of modules. Various multilevel modulation schemes are analyzed with respect to the implementation, and this information is used to develop a flexible control scheme for modular multilevel inverters.

Late effects of cancer at a young age: Registry-based studies of the health of cancer patients and their off-spring

Modern cancer therapy has resulted in increased survival among patients diagnosed with cancer at a young age. These improvements have led to the investigation of late morbidity and mortality associated with cancer and its treatments. The aim of this study was to evaluate late effects of cancer treated at a young age on the health of patients and their offspring. Utilising the nationwide population-based registries in Finland, we evaluated the risk of hypothyroidism and the probability of parenthood in cancer survivors as well as preterm birth, neonatal outcomes, and the risk of cancer among offspring of patients. The survivor cohort, identified from the Finnish Cancer Registry, consisted of 25,784 cancer patients diag-nosed between ages 0 and 34 in 1953–2004. By linkage to the population register, siblings of these patients were identified for comparison. The prevalence of hypothyroidism was higher among former childhood cancer (aged 0–16) patients than in the general population. The probability of parenthood following early onset cancer was overall significantly reduced compared to siblings. Offspring of female cancer survivors were at an increased risk of preterm birth, this risk being highest among patients diagnosed in childhood and early adulthood (aged 20–34 years). The offspring were not, however, at a significantly increased risk of neonatal death or stillbirth, though they were more likely to need monitoring or intensive care in the neonatal period. The risk of sporadic cancer among offspring of male and female cancer survivors was not elevated in comparison to the general population. The study showed that former cancer patients are at risk of certain adverse endocrine and reproductive health outcomes and should be followed for timely intervention. The offspring of cancer survivors do not appear to be at risk for adverse health outcomes.

DENDROCLIMATOLOGICAL RECONSTRUCTION OF SPRING-SUMMER PRECIPITATION FOR FAZENDA RIO GRANDE, PR, WITH SAMPLES OF Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze

ABSTRACT Samples of Araucaria angustifolia were collected at Fazenda Rio Grande, Paraná, Brazil (25°39'S 49 18'O) in January 2011. The 32 samples from 8 trees were subjected to treatments following dendrochronological techniques. The cores were measured and dated using optical and computational methodology, and then standardized to obtain a growth-ring time series, which considers the 1907-2009 time range and represents Fazenda Rio Grande. Tree-ring indices were analyzed and correlated to temperature and precipitation averages from the 1961-2009 range. This procedure aimed to study and understand the influence of the local climate on the plant growth and if this influence can be quantified. A. angustifolia trees produce visible annual growth rings, and their earlywood and latewood are clearly defined. The present study shows that A. angustifolia is sensitive to climate variables (e.g., low temperatures in wintertime tend to stop the growth rate). The correlation between tree rings and monthly precipitation series showed a common trend, making it possible to estimate the seasonal rainfall behavior for the entire 1907-2009 range.

Evaluation of roof slope and exposure with different roofing materials in reduced models of animal production facilities in spring and summer

The present study was conducted at the Department of Rural Engineering and the Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology of FCAV/Unesp, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil. The objective was to verify the influence of roof slope, exposure and roofing material on the internal temperature of reduced models of animal production facilities. For the development of the research, 48 reduced and dissemble models with dimensions 1.00 × 1.00 × 0.50 m were used. The roof was shed-type, and the models faced to the North or South directions, with 24 models for each side of exposure. Ceramic, galvanized-steel and fibro tiles were used to build the roofs. Slopes varied between 20, 30, 40 and 50% for the ceramic tile and 10, 30, 40 and 50% for the other two. Inside the models, temperature readings were performed at every hour, for 12 months. The results were evaluated in a general linear model in a nested 3 × 4 × 2 factorial arrangement, in which the effects of roofing material and exposure were nested on the factor Slope. Means were compared by the Tukey test at 5% of probability. After analyzing the data, we observed that with the increase in the slope and exposure to the South, there was a drop in the internal temperature within the model at the geographic coordinates of Jaboticabal city (SP/Brazil).

Desiccation time of the spring sorghum as a predecessor crop for summer soybean and autumn bean in a no-tillage system

ABSTRACT Several authors have been questioned the desiccation interval between the coverage plants and sowing plants for the soybean crop. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the desiccation time of the spring sorghum as a predecessor crop for summer soybean and then for autumn bean, focusing on the straw formation for maintenance of the no-tillage system and to evaluate the yield of soybeans and beans grain, as well as analyzing the interference of sorghum straw in these cultures. The experiment was developed in the Teaching and Research Farm of FE/UNESP located in Ilha Solteira/SP where it was used an experimental design of randomized blocks with five treatments and six repetitions. The treatments consisted of five different intervals between sorghum desiccation and soybean sowing (being with D7 - Drying sorghum seven days before the soybean sowing; and successively for D14, D21, D28 and D35). In order to analyze the results, it was used the Tukey test for a 10% level of significance and the statistical program called Sisvar. The "Cober Crop" sorghum exerted influence on soybean yield but this effect was not lasting for the bean crop in succession to the soybeans.

Efficacy of paraspinal anesthetic block in patients with chronic pelvic pain refractory to drug therapy: a randomized clinical trial

PURPOSE: To determine whether paraspinal block reduces pain scores compared to placebo in women with chronic pelvic pain refractory to drug therapy.METHODS: Subjects with chronic pelvic pain due to benign conditions and refractory to drug therapy were invited to participate in a randomized, double blind, superiority trial at a tertiary reference center. Subjects were randomly allocated to receive paraspinal anesthetic block with 1% lidocaine without epinephrine or placebo (control). Lidocaine was injected along the spinal process of the painful segment in the supra- and interspinal ligaments using a 25G X 2" needle. Placebo consisted of introduction of the needle in the same segment without injecting any substance. The main outcome measured was the pain score based on a visual analog scale at T0 (baseline), T1 (within 15 min after the procedure) and T2 (one week after the procedure). Data were statistically analyzed by ANOVA and the 95% confidence interval (95%CI).RESULTS: Mean age was similar for both groups, i.e., 51.2 (paraspinal anesthetic block) and 51.8 years (control). A blind examiner measured the degree of pain according to the visual analog scale from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain imaginable). Based on the visual analog scale, the mean pain scores of the paraspinal anesthetic block group at T0, T1 and T2 were 5.50 (SD=2.92; 95%CI 3.84-7.15), 2.72 (SD=2.10; 95%CI 1.53-3.90), and 4.36 (SD=2.37; 95%CI 1.89-6.82), respectively. The difference between T0 and T1 was statistically significant, with p=0.03.CONCLUSIONS:Paraspinal anesthetic block had a small effect on visual analog scale pain score immediately after the injections, but no sustained benefit after one week. Further studies are needed to determine the efficacy of paraspinal anesthetic block with different lidocaine doses for the treatment of visceral pain of other causes.

An Investigation into Mechanisms of Loss of Safe Basins in a 2 D.O.F. Nonlinear Oscillator

In this work we consider the transient stability of coupled motions of a 2 D.O.F. nonlinear oscillator that can represent, for example, the motions of a sea vessel under the action of trains of regular lateral waves. Instability is studied as the escape of the system from a safe potential well. The set of initial conditions in phase space that lead to acceptable motions constitutes its safe basin. We investigate the evolution of these safe basins under variation of parameters such as frequency and amplitude of waves, and an internal tuning parameter. Complex nonlinear phenomena are known to play an important role in determining the loss of safe basins as, say, wave amplitude is increased. We therefore investigate those processes, and attempt to classify them in terms of their speed relative to changes in parameter values. "Mechanism basins" are produced depicting regions of parameter space in which rapid or slow losses of safe basin are observed. We propose that a comprehensive understanding of mechanisms of loss of safe basins can be a valuable tool in assessing stability properties of these systems, and we give a conceptual view of how such information could be used.

Thalidomide and pentoxifylline block the renal effects of supernatants of macrophages activated with Crotalus durissus cascavella venom

Because thalidomide and pentoxifylline inhibit the synthesis and release of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), we determined the effect of these drugs on the renal damage induced by supernatants of macrophages activated with Crotalus durissus cascavella venom in order to identify the role of TNF-alpha in the process. Rat peritoneal macrophages were collected with RPMI medium and stimulated in vitro with C.d. cascavella venom (10 µg/ml) in the absence and presence of thalidomide (15 µM) or pentoxifylline (500 µM) for 1 h and washed and kept in culture for 2 h. Supernatant (1 ml) was tested on an isolated perfused rat kidney (N = 6 for each group). The first 30 min of each experiment were used as control. The supernatant was added to the perfusion system. All experiments lasted 120 min. The toxic effect of the preparation of venom-stimulated macrophages on renal parameters was determined. At 120 min, thalidomide (Thalid) and pentoxifylline (Ptx) inhibited (P < 0.05) the increase in perfusion pressure caused by the venom (control = 114.0 ± 1.3; venom = 137.1 ± 1.5; Thalid = 121.0 ± 2.5; Ptx = 121.4 ± 4.0 mmHg), renal vascular resistance (control = 4.5 ± 0.2; venom = 7.3 ± 0.6; Thalid = 4.5 ± 0.9; Ptx = 4.8 ± 0.6 mmHg/ml g-1 min-1), urinary flow (control = 0.23 ± 0.001; venom = 0.44 ± 0.01; Thalid = 0.22 ± 0.007; Ptx = 0.21 ± 0.009 ml g-1 min-1), glomerular filtration rate (control = 0.72 ± 0.06; venom = 1.91 ± 0.11; Thalid = 0.75 ± 0.04; Ptx = 0.77 ± 0.05 ml g-1 min-1) and the decrease in percent tubular sodium transport (control = 77.0 ± 0.9; venom = 73.9 ± 0.66; Thalid = 76.6 ± 1.1; Ptx = 81.8 ± 2.0%), percent tubular chloride transport (control = 77.1 ± 1.2; venom = 71.4 ± 1.1; Thalid = 77.6 ± 1.7; Ptx = 76.8 ± 1.2%), and percent tubular potassium transport (control = 72.7 ± 1.1; venom = 63.0 ± 1.1; Thalid = 72.6 ± 1.0; Ptx = 74.8 ± 1.0%), 30 min before and during the stimulation of macrophages with C.d. cascavella venom. These data suggest the participation of TNF-alpha in the renal effects induced by supernatant of macrophages activated with C.d. cascavella venom.

Intravenous regional block is similar to sympathetic ganglion block for pain management in patients with complex regional pain syndrome type I

Sympathetic ganglion block (SGB) or intravenous regional block (IVRB) has been recommended for pain management in patients with complex regional pain syndrome type I (CRPS-I). Forty-five patients were initially selected but only 43 were accepted for the study. The present study evaluated the efficacy of IVRB produced by combining 70 mg lidocaine with 30 µg clonidine (14 patients, 1 male/13 females, age range: 27-50 years) versus SGB produced by the injection of 70 mg lidocaine alone (14 patients, 1 male/13 females, age range: 27-54 years) or combined with 30 µg clonidine (15 patients, 1 male/14 females, age range: 25-50 years) into the stellate ganglion for pain management in patients with upper extremity CRPS-I. Each procedure was repeated five times at 7-day intervals, and pain intensity and duration were measured using a visual analog scale immediately before each procedure. A progressive and significant reduction in pain scores and a significant increase in the duration of analgesia were observed in all groups following the first three blocks, but no further improvement was obtained following the last two blocks. Drowsiness, the most frequent side effect, and dry mouth occurred only in patients submitted to SGB with lidocaine combined with clonidine. The three methods were similar regarding changes in pain intensity and duration of analgesia. However, IVRB seems to be preferable to SGB due to its easier execution and lower risk of undesirable effects.

Percutaneous sciatic nerve block with tramadol induces analgesia and motor blockade in two animal pain models

Local anesthetic efficacy of tramadol has been reported following intradermal application. Our aim was to investigate the effect of perineural tramadol as the sole analgesic in two pain models. Male Wistar rats (280-380 g; N = 5/group) were used in these experiments. A neurostimulation-guided sciatic nerve block was performed and 2% lidocaine or tramadol (1.25 and 5 mg) was perineurally injected in two different animal pain models. In the flinching behavior test, the number of flinches was evaluated and in the plantar incision model, mechanical and heat thresholds were measured. Motor effects of lidocaine and tramadol were quantified and a motor block score elaborated. Tramadol, 1.25 mg, completely blocked the first and reduced the second phase of the flinching behavior test. In the plantar incision model, tramadol (1.25 mg) increased both paw withdrawal latency in response to radiant heat (8.3 ± 1.1, 12.7 ± 1.8, 8.4 ± 0.8, and 11.1 ± 3.3 s) and mechanical threshold in response to von Frey filaments (459 ± 82.8, 447.5 ± 91.7, 320.1 ± 120, 126.43 ± 92.8 mN) at 5, 15, 30, and 60 min, respectively. Sham block or contralateral sciatic nerve block did not differ from perineural saline injection throughout the study in either model. The effect of tramadol was not antagonized by intraperitoneal naloxone. High dose tramadol (5 mg) blocked motor function as well as 2% lidocaine. In conclusion, tramadol blocks nociception and motor function in vivo similar to local anesthetics.

Manipulation of a quasi-natural cell block for high-efficiency transplantation of adherent somatic cells

Recent advances have raised hope that transplantation of adherent somatic cells could provide dramatic new therapies for various diseases. However, current methods for transplanting adherent somatic cells are not efficient enough for therapeutic applications. Here, we report the development of a novel method to generate quasi-natural cell blocks for high-efficiency transplantation of adherent somatic cells. The blocks were created by providing a unique environment in which cultured cells generated their own extracellular matrix. Initially, stromal cells isolated from mice were expanded in vitro in liquid cell culture medium followed by transferring the cells into a hydrogel shell. After incubation for 1 day with mechanical agitation, the encapsulated cell mass was perforated with a thin needle and then incubated for an additional 6 days to form a quasi-natural cell block. Allograft transplantation of the cell block into C57BL/6 mice resulted in perfect adaptation of the allograft and complete integration into the tissue of the recipient. This method could be widely applied for repairing damaged cells or tissues, stem cell transplantation, ex vivo gene therapy, or plastic surgery.

Essential oil of Lippia alba and its main constituent citral block the excitability of rat sciatic nerves

Lippia alba is empirically used for infusions, teas, macerates, and hydroalcoholic extracts because of its antispasmodic, analgesic, sedative, and anxiolytic effects. Citral is a mixture of trans-geranial and cis-neral and is the main constituent of L. alba essential oil and possesses analgesic, anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, and sedative effects. The present study evaluated the effects of the essential oil of L. alba (EOLa) and citral on compound action potentials (CAPs) in Wistar rat sciatic nerves. Both drugs inhibited CAP in a concentration-dependent manner. The calculated half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of peak-to-peak amplitude were 53.2 µg/mL and 35.00 µg/mL (or 230 µM) for EOLa and citral, respectively. Peak-to-peak amplitude of the CAP was significantly reduced by 30 µg/mL EOLa and 10 µg/mL citral. EOLa and citral (at 60 and 30 µg/mL, values close to their respective IC50 for CAP blockade) significantly increased chronaxy and rheobase. The conduction velocity of the first and second CAP components was statistically reduced to ∼86% of control with 10 µg/mL EOLa and ∼90% of control with 3 µg/mL citral. This study showed that EOLa inhibited nerve excitability and this effect can be explained by the presence of citral in its composition. Both EOLa and citral showed inhibitory actions at lower concentrations compared with other essential oils and constituents with local anesthetic activity. In conclusion, these data demonstrate that EOLa and citral are promising agents in the development of new drugs with local anesthetic activity.

Genetic variability for synthesis of bioactive compounds in peppers (Capsicum annuum) from Brazil

AbstractThe objective of this study was to evaluate the genetic variability for synthesis of bioactive compounds in pepper (Capsicum annuum, Solanaceae). Total phenolics, anthocyanins, carotenoids and antioxidant activity were evaluated in 14 accessions of Capsicum annuum from the Capsicum Genebank of Embrapa Temperate Agriculture (Pelotas – RS, Brazil). Thirty plants of each accession were cultivated in the field during spring and summer. The experimental design was a complete randomized block with 14 treatments (accessions) and three replications. The laboratory evaluations followed the same experimental design to field, but with two repetitions more. Seeds were discarded and opposite longitudinal portions of fruits were manually prepared for chemical analyzes. The data obtained showed high genetic variability for phenolics, anthocyanins, carotenoids and antioxidant activity. The P39, P77, P119, P143 and P302 accessions exhibited the highest levels of antioxidants, which are strongly indicated to be used in breeding programs of Capsicum peppers.

The solutions and tunneling properties for a linear potential and an inverted harmonic oscillator in an infinite well

In this work we look at two different 1-dimensional quantum systems. The potentials for these systems are a linear potential in an infinite well and an inverted harmonic oscillator in an infinite well. We will solve the Schrödinger equation for both of these systems and get the energy eigenvalues and eigenfunctions. The solutions are obtained by using the boundary conditions and numerical methods. The motivation for our study comes from experimental background. For the linear potential we have two different boundary conditions. The first one is the so called normal boundary condition in which the wave function goes to zero on the edge of the well. The second condition is called derivative boundary condition in which the derivative of the wave function goes to zero on the edge of the well. The actual solutions are Airy functions. In the case of the inverted oscillator the solutions are parabolic cylinder functions and they are solved only using the normal boundary condition. Both of the potentials are compared with the particle in a box solutions. We will also present figures and tables from which we can see how the solutions look like. The similarities and differences with the particle in a box solution are also shown visually. The figures and calculations are done using mathematical software. We will also compare the linear potential to a case where the infinite wall is only on the left side. For this case we will also show graphical information of the different properties. With the inverted harmonic oscillator we will take a closer look at the quantum mechanical tunneling. We present some of the history of the quantum tunneling theory, its developers and finally we show the Feynman path integral theory. This theory enables us to get the instanton solutions. The instanton solutions are a way to look at the tunneling properties of the quantum system. The results are compared with the solutions of the double-well potential which is very similar to our case as a quantum system. The solutions are obtained using the same methods which makes the comparison relatively easy. All in all we consider and go through some of the stages of the quantum theory. We also look at the different ways to interpret the theory. We also present the special functions that are needed in our solutions, and look at the properties and different relations to other special functions. It is essential to notice that it is possible to use different mathematical formalisms to get the desired result. The quantum theory has been built for over one hundred years and it has different approaches. Different aspects make it possible to look at different things.