Crescimento e nutrição mineral de Urochloa arrecta

The experiment was carried out aiming to analyze dry mass production and distribution, and the content and accumulation of macronutrients in Urochloa arrecta plants cultivated under mineral nutrition standard conditions. Plants grew in seven-liter pots filled with sand substrate, were daily irrigated with nutrient solution, and maintained under greenhouse conditions. Treatments corresponded to assessment periods (21, 35, 49, 63, 77, 91, 105, 119, 133, 147, and 161 days after emergence - DAE) and were arranged in a completely randomized design with four replicates. Plants of U. arrecta showed low accumulation (less than 7% of the maximum accumulation at 161 DAE) of dry mass (5.1 g DM per planta) and of macronutrients (57.7 mg N per planta, 8.9 mg P per planta, 167.8 mg K per planta, 21.3 mg Ca per planta, 14.7 mg Mg per planta, and 9.2 mg S per planta) up to 49 DAE. Such accumulations increased mainly after 91 DAE. Daily accumulation rate was crescent up to 130 DAE (DM and S), 137 DAE (N), 125 DAE (P), 119 DAE (K), 144 DAE (Ca), and 128 DAE (Mg), when there was accumulation of 87.7 g DM per planta, 918.0 mg N per planta, 105.8 mg P per planta, 1,643.9 K per planta, 390.4 mg Ca per planta, 200.0 mg Mg per planta, and 103.5 mg S per planta. K and N were found to have the highest rates and, hence, they were the most demanded and accumulated in the greatest amounts in U. arrecta plant tissues.

A flow cytometry method for testing the susceptibility of Cryptococcus spp. to amphotericin B

Human fungal infections have increased at an alarming rate in recent years, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. Cryptococcosis is the second most prevalent systemic fungal infection worldwide, and the most prevalent systemic infection in immunocompromised individuals, representing more than 70% of cases. The incidence of cryptococcosis is high in people with HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), with recent estimates indicating that there are one million cases of cryptococcal meningitis globally per year in AIDS patients. The aim of this research was to develop a rapid flow cytometric antifungal susceptibility test and to compare the results with the standard methods. A reference strain and clinical isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii were tested for susceptibility to amphotericin B by flow cytometry using propidium iodide as indicator of viability. Flow cytometry (FC) results were compared with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values determined by microdilution. The antifungal activity of amphotericin B ranged from MICs of 0.06 to 2μg/ml for the 11 isolates studied. The same results were found by FC. The FC method allows same-day results, assisting in the selection of appropriate antifungal therapies. These results demonstrate an excellent correlation between FC and the classic methods of testing for susceptibility to antifungal agents. This rapid diagnosis method makes it possible to quickly administer effective therapeutic interventions, often saving lives.

Disseminated cutaneous histoplasmosis in elderly patients. An uncommon presentation

Background: Human fungal infections have increased at an alarming rate in recent years, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. Cryptococcosis is the second most prevalent systemic fungal infection worldwide, and the most prevalent systemic infection in immunocompromised individuals, representing more than 70% of cases. The incidence of cryptococcosis is high in people with HIV/acquired immunodefi- ciency syndrome (AIDS), with recent estimates indicating that there are one million cases of cryptococcal meningitis globally per year in AIDS patients. Aims: The aim of this research was to develop a rapid flow cytometric antifungal susceptibility test and to compare the results with the standard methods. Methods: A reference strain and clinical isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii were tested for susceptibility to amphotericin B by flow cytometry using propidium iodide as indicator of viability. Flow cytometry (FC) results were compared with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values determined by microdilution. Results: The antifungal activity of amphotericin B ranged from MICs of 0.06 to 2 g/ml for the 11 isolates studied. The same results were found by FC. Conclusions: The FC method allows same-day results, assisting in the selection of appropriate antifungal therapies. These results demonstrate an excellent correlation between FC and the classic methods of testing for susceptibility to antifungal agents. This rapid diagnosis method makes it possible to quickly administer effective therapeutic interventions, often saving lives.

Situational and Driver Characteristics Associated With Deervehicle Collisions in Southeastern Michigan

Deer-vehicle collisions (DVCs) create societal impacts throughout the range of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginanus). In Michigan reported DVCs increased by nearly 60% between 1992-2003, with current estimates at more than 65,000 DVCs per year and a mean of $2,300 vehicle damage. To better understand where to direct education and information programs, we used Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) data, 2001-2003, to profile driver characteristics and accident situations of DVCs in Washtenaw, Oakland, and Monroe Counties in Michigan. Each county varies in intensity of land use, human and deer densities, and available deer habitat. Deer density in Washtenaw, Oakland, and Monroe Counties was 49.5, 21.9 and 8.9 per mi2, respectively, and the annual rate of DVCs in these counties was 5.3, 2.6 and 1.8 per 1,000 licensed drivers. Drivers are at particular risk of being involved in DVCs between 6pm- 6am, which includes dawn and dusk commuting hours, and night. Single lane roads and roads with higher posted speed limits provided greater risk to drivers of involvement in a DVC. Middle-aged drivers, particularly males, were at increased risk deer-related collisions. Results from this study will be combined with survey research to determine how best to educate drivers about risk factors that make occurrence of a DVC more likely.

A high-resolution Holocene record on the Southern Brazilian shelf: Paleoenvironmental implications

A high-resolution, multi-proxy record has been used to determine the environmental changes during the Holocene on the southern Brazilian shelf Present oceanographic conditions reveal wind and freshwater input as the determinants of short-term productivity changes in the study area. Magnetic susceptibility and grain-size variations, together with proxies of productivity (organic carbon, carbon accumulation rate, Ba, Sr, and Ca content, Ba/Al, Ba/Ti, and Al/Ti ratios) were analyzed and compared with proxies of redox condition (V/Ti ratio), terrigenous input (Fe/Ca and Ti/Ca ratios), as well as other Element/Ti ratios, to evaluate the paleoceanographic and paleoclimatic changes over the period. The core covers a time interval of about 7650 years, with sedimentation rates varying from 0.025 to 0.250 cm a(-1), which represent time intervals of between 8 and 80 a per sample. There is a clear change in the sedimentation rate at about 2800 B.P. All grain-size and elemental results indicate the occurrence of conspicuous changes between 5200 and 5000 cal. B.P., as well as between 3000 and 2800 cal. B.P. A comparison of the results with the palynological information available from the adjacent continental areas suggests that the sedimentary changes in this last interval may be correlated with the onset of modern climatic conditions in South America, and especially, with the onset of the Plata Plume Water, a water mass that carries cold, less saline waters towards the north. However, minor changes are observed at ca. 1500 B.P. and are correlated with an increase in the atmospheric humidity. Furthermore, a time-series analysis undertaken using several proxies indicated the occurrence of Sub-Milankovitch cycles, which may be compared with those reported worldwide. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved.

Homicide and public security indicator trends in the city of Sao Paulo between 1996 and 2008: a time-series ecological study

The scope of this paper was to analyze the association between homicides and public security indicators in Sao Paulo between 1996 and 2008, after monitoring the unemployment rate and the proportion of youths in the population. A time-series ecological study for 1996 and 2008 was conducted with Sao Paulo as the unit of analysis. Dependent variable: number of deaths by homicide per year. Main independent variables: arrest-incarceration rate, access to firearms, police activity. Data analysis was conducted using Stata. IC 10.0 software. Simple and multivariate negative binomial regression models were created. Deaths by homicide and arrest-incarceration, as well as police activity were significantly associated in simple regression analysis. Access to firearms was not significantly associated to the reduction in the number of deaths by homicide (p>0,05). After adjustment, the associations with both the public security indicators were not significant. In Sao Paulo the role of public security indicators are less important as explanatory factors for a reduction in homicide rates, after adjustment for unemployment rate and a reduction in the proportion of youths. The results reinforce the importance of socioeconomic and demographic factors for a change in the public security scenario in Sao Paulo.

Cost-effectiveness of conventional and modified supervised toothbrushing in preventing caries in permanent molars among 5-year-old children

The cost-effectiveness of a modified supervised toothbrushing program was compared to a conventional program. A total of 284 five-year-old children presenting at least one permanent molar with emerged/sound occlusal surface participated. In the control group, oral health education and dental plaque dying followed by toothbrushing with fluoride dentifrice was carried outfour times per year. With the test group, children also underwent professional cross-brushing on surfaces of first permanent molar rendered by a dental assistant five times per year. Enamel/dentin caries were recorded on buccal, occlusal and lingual surfaces of permanent molars for a period of 18 months. The incidence density (ID) ratio was estimated using Poisson's regression model. The ID was 50% lower among boys in the test group (p = 0.016). The cost of the modified program was US$ 1.79 per capita. The marginal cost-effectiveness ratio among boys was US$ 6.30 per avoided carie. The modified supervised toothbrushing program was shown to be cost-effective in the case of boys.

Spatial analysis of leprosy incidence and associated socioeconomic factors

OBJECTIVE: To identify clusters of the major occurrences of leprosy and their associated socioeconomic and demographic factors. METHODS: Cases of leprosy that occurred between 1998 and 2007 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto (southeastern Brazil) were geocodified and the incidence rates were calculated by census tract. A socioeconomic classification score was obtained using principal component analysis of socioeconomic variables. Thematic maps to visualize the spatial distribution of the incidence of leprosy with respect to socioeconomic levels and demographic density were constructed using geostatistics. RESULTS: While the incidence rate for the entire city was 10.4 cases per 100,000 inhabitants annually between 1998 and 2007, the incidence rates of individual census tracts were heterogeneous, with values that ranged from 0 to 26.9 cases per 100,000 inhabitants per year. Areas with a high leprosy incidence were associated with lower socioeconomic levels. There were identified clusters of leprosy cases, however there was no association between disease incidence and demographic density. There was a disparity between the places where the majority of ill people lived and the location of healthcare services. CONCLUSIONS: The spatial analysis techniques utilized identified the poorer neighborhoods of the city as the areas with the highest risk for the disease. These data show that health departments must prioritize politico-administrative policies to minimize the effects of social inequality and improve the standards of living, hygiene, and education of the population in order to reduce the incidence of leprosy.

Suicide rates and trends in Sao Paulo, Brazil, according to gender, age and demographic aspects: a joinpoint regression analysis

Objective: To evaluate suicide rates and trends in Sao Paulo by sex, age-strata, and methods. Methods: Data was collected from State registry from 1996 to 2009. Population was estimated using the National Census. We utilized joinpoint regression analysis to explore temporal trends. We also evaluated marital status, ethnicity, birthplace and methods for suicide. Results: In the period analyzed, 6,002 suicides were accrued with a rate of 4.6 per 100,000 (7.5 in men and 2.0 in women); the male-to-female ratio was around 3.7. Trends for men presented a significant decline of 5.3% per year from 1996 to 2002, and a significant increase of 2.5% from 2002 onwards. Women did not present significant changes. For men, the elderly (> 65 years) had a significant reduction of 2.3% per year, while younger men (25-44 years) presented a significant increase of 8.6% from 2004 onwards. Women did not present significant trend changes according to age. Leading suicide methods were hanging and poisoning for men and women, respectively. Other analyses showed an increased suicide risk ratio for singles and foreigners. Conclusions: Specific epidemiological trends for suicide in the city of Sao Paulo that warrant further investigation were identified. High-risk groups - such as immigrants - could benefit from targeted strategies of suicide prevention.

Lung function monitoring in patients with duchenne muscular dystrophy on steroid therapy

Background Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a sex-linked inherited muscle disease characterized by a progressive loss in muscle strength and respiratory muscle involvement. After 12 years of age, lung function declines at a rate of 6 % to 10.7 % per year in patients with DMD. Steroid therapy has been proposed to delay the loss of motor function and also the respiratory involvement. Method In 21 patients with DMD aged between seven and 16 years, the forced vital capacity (FVC) and the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) were evaluated at three different times during a period of two years. Results We observed in this period of evaluation the maintenance of the FVC and the FEV1 in this group of patients independently of chronological age, age at onset of steroid therapy, and walking capacity. Conclusion The steroid therapy has the potential to stabilize or delay the loss of lung function in DMD patients even if they are non-ambulant or older than 10 years, and in those in whom the medication was started after 7 years of age.

Suicide rates and trends in São Paulo, Brazil, according to gender, age and demographic aspects: a joinpoint regression analysis

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate suicide rates and trends in São Paulo by sex, age-strata, and methods. METHODS: Data was collected from State registry from 1996 to 2009. Population was estimated using the National Census. We utilized joinpoint regression analysis to explore temporal trends. We also evaluated marital status, ethnicity, birthplace and methods for suicide. RESULTS: In the period analyzed, 6,002 suicides were accrued with a rate of 4.6 per 100,000 (7.5 in men and 2.0 in women); the male-to-female ratio was around 3.7. Trends for men presented a significant decline of 5.3% per year from 1996 to 2002, and a significant increase of 2.5% from 2002 onwards. Women did not present significant changes. For men, the elderly (> 65 years) had a significant reduction of 2.3% per year, while younger men (25-44 years) presented a significant increase of 8.6% from 2004 onwards. Women did not present significant trend changes according to age. Leading suicide methods were hanging and poisoning for men and women, respectively. Other analyses showed an increased suicide risk ratio for singles and foreigners. CONCLUSIONS: Specific epidemiological trends for suicide in the city of São Paulo that warrant further investigation were identified. High-risk groups - such as immigrants - could benefit from targeted strategies of suicide prevention.

Processi di biorefining per l'estrazione di secondary chemical building blocks da sottoprotti dell'agro-industria

Phenol and cresols represent a good example of primary chemical building blocks of which 2.8 million tons are currently produced in Europe each year. Currently, these primary phenolic building blocks are produced by refining processes from fossil hydrocarbons: 5% of the world-wide production comes from coal (which contains 0.2% of phenols) through the distillation of the tar residue after the production of coke, while 95% of current world production of phenol is produced by the distillation and cracking of crude oil. In nature phenolic compounds are present in terrestrial higher plants and ferns in several different chemical structures while they are essentially absent in lower organisms and in animals. Biomass (which contain 3-8% of phenols) represents a substantial source of secondary chemical building blocks presently underexploited. These phenolic derivatives are currently used in tens thousand of tons to produce high cost products such as food additives and flavours (i.e. vanillin), fine chemicals (i.e. non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen or flurbiprofen) and polymers (i.e. poly p-vinylphenol, a photosensitive polymer for electronic and optoelectronic applications). European agrifood waste represents a low cost abundant raw material (250 millions tons per year) which does not subtract land use and processing resources from necessary sustainable food production. The class of phenolic compounds is essentially constituted by simple phenols, phenolic acids, hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, flavonoids and lignans. As in the case of coke production, the removal of the phenolic contents from biomass upgrades also the residual biomass. Focusing on the phenolic component of agrifood wastes, huge processing and marketing opportunities open since phenols are used as chemical intermediates for a large number of applications, ranging from pharmaceuticals, agricultural chemicals, food ingredients etc. Following this approach we developed a biorefining process to recover the phenolic fraction of wheat bran based on enzymatic commercial biocatalysts in completely water based process, and polymeric resins with the aim of substituting secondary chemical building blocks with the same compounds naturally present in biomass. We characterized several industrial enzymatic product for their ability to hydrolize the different molecular features that are present in wheat bran cell walls structures, focusing on the hydrolysis of polysaccharidic chains and phenolics cross links. This industrial biocatalysts were tested on wheat bran and the optimized process allowed to liquefy up to the 60 % of the treated matter. The enzymatic treatment was also able to solubilise up to the 30 % of the alkali extractable ferulic acid. An extraction process of the phenolic fraction of the hydrolyzed wheat bran based on an adsorbtion/desorption process on styrene-polyvinyl benzene weak cation-exchange resin Amberlite IRA 95 was developed. The efficiency of the resin was tested on different model system containing ferulic acid and the adsorption and desorption working parameters optimized for the crude enzymatic hydrolyzed wheat bran. The extraction process developed had an overall yield of the 82% and allowed to obtain concentrated extracts containing up to 3000 ppm of ferulic acid. The crude enzymatic hydrolyzed wheat bran and the concentrated extract were finally used as substrate in a bioconversion process of ferulic acid into vanillin through resting cells fermentation. The bioconversion process had a yields in vanillin of 60-70% within 5-6 hours of fermentation. Our findings are the first step on the way to demonstrating the economical feasibility for the recovery of biophenols from agrifood wastes through a whole crop approach in a sustainable biorefining process.

Echtzeitsuche nach Neutrinoausbrüchen von Supernovae mit dem AMANDA-II-Detektor

Der AMANDA-II Detektor ist primär für den richtungsaufgelösten Nachweis hochenergetischer Neutrinos konzipiert. Trotzdem können auch niederenergetische Neutrinoausbrüche, wie sie von Supernovae erwartet werden, mit hoher Signifikanz nachgewiesen werden, sofern sie innerhalb der Milchstraße stattfinden. Die experimentelle Signatur im Detektor ist ein kollektiver Anstieg der Rauschraten aller optischen Module. Zur Abschätzung der Stärke des erwarteten Signals wurden theoretische Modelle und Simulationen zu Supernovae und experimentelle Daten der Supernova SN1987A studiert. Außerdem wurden die Sensitivitäten der optischen Module neu bestimmt. Dazu mussten für den Fall des südpolaren Eises die Energieverluste geladener Teilchen untersucht und eine Simulation der Propagation von Photonen entwickelt werden. Schließlich konnte das im Kamiokande-II Detektor gemessene Signal auf die Verhältnisse des AMANDA-II Detektors skaliert werden. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurde ein Algorithmus zur Echtzeit-Suche nach Signalen von Supernovae als Teilmodul der Datennahme implementiert. Dieser beinhaltet diverse Verbesserungen gegenüber der zuvor von der AMANDA-Kollaboration verwendeten Version. Aufgrund einer Optimierung auf Rechengeschwindigkeit können nun mehrere Echtzeit-Suchen mit verschiedenen Analyse-Zeitbasen im Rahmen der Datennahme simultan laufen. Die Disqualifikation optischer Module mit ungeeignetem Verhalten geschieht in Echtzeit. Allerdings muss das Verhalten der Module zu diesem Zweck anhand von gepufferten Daten beurteilt werden. Dadurch kann die Analyse der Daten der qualifizierten Module nicht ohne eine Verzögerung von etwa 5 Minuten geschehen. Im Falle einer erkannten Supernova werden die Daten für die Zeitdauer mehrerer Minuten zur späteren Auswertung in 10 Millisekunden-Intervallen archiviert. Da die Daten des Rauschverhaltens der optischen Module ansonsten in Intervallen von 500 ms zur Verfgung stehen, ist die Zeitbasis der Analyse in Einheiten von 500 ms frei wählbar. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurden drei Analysen dieser Art am Südpol aktiviert: Eine mit der Zeitbasis der Datennahme von 500 ms, eine mit der Zeitbasis 4 s und eine mit der Zeitbasis 10 s. Dadurch wird die Sensitivität für Signale maximiert, die eine charakteristische exponentielle Zerfallszeit von 3 s aufweisen und gleichzeitig eine gute Sensitivität über einen weiten Bereich exponentieller Zerfallszeiten gewahrt. Anhand von Daten der Jahre 2000 bis 2003 wurden diese Analysen ausführlich untersucht. Während die Ergebnisse der Analyse mit t = 500 ms nicht vollständig nachvollziehbare Ergebnisse produzierte, konnten die Resultate der beiden Analysen mit den längeren Zeitbasen durch Simulationen reproduziert und entsprechend gut verstanden werden. Auf der Grundlage der gemessenen Daten wurden die erwarteten Signale von Supernovae simuliert. Aus einem Vergleich zwischen dieser Simulation den gemessenen Daten der Jahre 2000 bis 2003 und der Simulation des erwarteten statistischen Untergrunds kann mit einem Konfidenz-Niveau von mindestens 90 % gefolgert werden, dass in der Milchstraße nicht mehr als 3.2 Supernovae pro Jahr stattfinden. Zur Identifikation einer Supernova wird ein Ratenanstieg mit einer Signifikanz von mindestens 7.4 Standardabweichungen verlangt. Die Anzahl erwarteter Ereignisse aus dem statistischen Untergrund beträgt auf diesem Niveau weniger als ein Millionstel. Dennoch wurde ein solches Ereignis gemessen. Mit der gewählten Signifikanzschwelle werden 74 % aller möglichen Vorläufer-Sterne von Supernovae in der Galaxis überwacht. In Kombination mit dem letzten von der AMANDA-Kollaboration veröffentlicheten Ergebnis ergibt sich sogar eine obere Grenze von nur 2.6 Supernovae pro Jahr. Im Rahmen der Echtzeit-Analyse wird für die kollektive Ratenüberhöhung eine Signifikanz von mindestens 5.5 Standardabweichungen verlangt, bevor eine Meldung über die Detektion eines Supernova-Kandidaten verschickt wird. Damit liegt der überwachte Anteil Sterne der Galaxis bei 81 %, aber auch die Frequenz falscher Alarme steigt auf bei etwa 2 Ereignissen pro Woche. Die Alarm-Meldungen werden über ein Iridium-Modem in die nördliche Hemisphäre übertragen, und sollen schon bald zu SNEWS beitragen, dem weltweiten Netzwerk zur Früherkennung von Supernovae.

Timing per l'inserimento in lista dei pazienti affetti da fibrosi cistica che necessitano di trapianto polmonare: casistica di un centro regionale di riferimento

Timing of waiting list entrance for patients with cystic fibrosis in need of pulmonary transplant: the experience of a regional referral centre Objective: Evaluation of parameters that can predict a rapid decay of general conditions of patients affected by Cystic Fibrosis (CF) with no specific criteria to be candidate to pulmonary transplant. Material and methods: Fifteen patients with CF who died for complications and 8 who underwent lung transplantation in the 2000-2010 decade, were enrolled. Clinical data 2 years before the event (body max index, FEV1%, number of EV antibiotic treatments per year, colonization with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), pseudomonas aeruginosa mucosus, burkholderia cepacia, pulmonary allergic aspergilosis) were compared among the 2 groups. Results: Mean FEV1% was significantly higher and mean number of antibiotic treatment was lower in deceased than in the transplanted patients (p<0.002 and p<0.001 respectively). Although in patients who died there were no including criteria to enter the transplant list 2 years before the exitus, suggestive findings such as low BMI (17.3), high incidence of hepatic pathology (33.3%), diabetes (50%), and infections with MRSA infection (25%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (83.3%) and burkholderia cepacia (8.3%) were found with no statistical difference with transplanted patients, suggesting those patients were at risk of severe prognosis. In patients who died, females were double than males. Conclusion: While evaluating patients with CF, negative prognostic factors such as the ones investigated in this study, should be considered to select individuals with high mortality risk who need stricter therapeutical approach and follow up. Inclusion of those patients in the transplant waiting list should be taken into account.

I drammi per musica di Giacomo Antonio Perti per il teatro della Villa medicea di Pratolino (1700-01; 1707-10)

L’attività nel teatro della Villa medicea di Pratolino, presso Firenze, giunse al culmine nel primo decennio del ’700, quando il principe Ferdinando de’ Medici commissionò e vi fece rappresentare, una per anno, opere in musica di Alessandro Scarlatti e di Giacomo Antonio Perti. Benché le partiture siano perdute, sopravvive un’ingente quantità di materiale documentario, in massima parte inedito, il quale dà un eccezionale resoconto sul mecenatismo del Principe e sul funzionamento della macchina teatrale. La dissertazione si concentra sulle sei opere poste in musica da Perti ("Lucio Vero", 1700, in collaborazione con Martino Bitti; "Astianatte", 1701; "Dionisio re di Portogallo", 1707; "Ginevra principessa di Scozia", 1708; "Berenice regina d’Egitto", 1709; "Rodelinda regina de’ Longobardi", 1710), sui rapporti del compositore col Principe, col librettista Antonio Salvi, col rivale Scarlatti, coi cantanti e con la corte medicea, sullo stile da lui perseguito e – per quanto è dato sapere o lecito ipotizzare – sulla fisionomia dei suoi lavori (strutture e risorse letterarie, teatrali e musicali).