In vitro conservation of Piper aduncum and Piper hispidinervum under slow-growth conditions

The objective of this work was to evaluate in vitro storage of Piper aduncum and P. hispidinervum under slow-growth conditions. Shoots were stored at low temperatures (10, 20 and 25°C), and the culture medium was supplemented with osmotic agents (sucrose and mannitol - at 1, 2 and 3%) and abiscisic acid - ABA (0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 mg L-1). After six-months of storage, shoots were evaluated for survival and regrowth. Low temperature at 20ºC was effective for the in vitro conservation of P. aduncum and P. hispidinervum shoots. In vitro cultures maintained at 20ºC on MS medium showed 100% survival with slow-growth shoots. The presence of mannitol or ABA, in the culture medium, negatively affected shoot growth, which is evidenced by the low rate of recovered shoots.

Simulation of soybean growth and yield under northeastern Amazon climatic conditions

The objective of this work was to parameterize, calibrate, and validate a new version of the soybean growth and yield model developed by Sinclair, under natural field conditions in northeastern Amazon. The meteorological data and the values of soybean growth and leaf area were obtained from an agrometeorological experiment carried out in Paragominas, PA, Brazil, from 2006 to 2009. The climatic conditions during the experiment were very distinct, with a slight reduction in rainfall in 2007, due to the El Niño phenomenon. There was a reduction in the leaf area index (LAI) and in biomass production during this year, which was reproduced by the model. The simulation of the LAI had root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.55 to 0.82 m² m-2, from 2006 to 2009. The simulation of soybean yield for independent data showed a RMSE of 198 kg ha-1, i.e., an overestimation of 3%. The model was calibrated and validated for Amazonian climatic conditions, and can contribute positively to the improvement of the simulations of the impacts of land use change in the Amazon region. The modified version of the Sinclair model is able to adequately simulate leaf area formation, total biomass, and soybean yield, under northeastern Amazon climatic conditions.

Water relations in physic nut according to climatic seasonality, in semiarid conditions

The objective of this work was to determine the effect of climatic seasonality on physic nut (Jatropha curcas), in field, under semiarid climate conditions. Stomatal conductance (g s), transpiration (E), soluble leaf carbohydrates (SLC), free amino acids (FAA) and total proteins (TP) were measured in leaves, in a commercial plantation in Northeast Brazil, during the summer and autumn. Plants showed high g s and E, as well as SLC, FAA and TP contents in the summer, which gradually decreased with the lower temperatures and photosynthetically active radiation during the autumn, despite the higher water availability. Even in conditions of adequate water availability, the combination of low temperatures and reduced light drastically decreased foliar metabolism.

Environmental Conditions Manual, January 2014

Infectious diseases are a continuing threat to all people, regardless of age, gender, lifestyle, ethnic background, or socioeconomic status. They cause illness, suffering and even death, and place an enormous financial burden on society. Although modern advances have controlled some infectious diseases, new ones are constantly emerging. State public health officials rely on local public health agencies, healthcare providers, laboratories and other public health personnel to report the occurrence of notifiable diseases. Without such data, trends cannot be accurately monitored, unusual occurrences of diseases (such as outbreaks) might not be detected or appropriately responded to, and the effectiveness of control and prevention activities cannot be evaluated.

'Royal Gala' apple quality stored under ultralow oxygen concentration and low temperature conditions

The objective of this work was to evaluate the interaction of ultralow oxygen concentrations (ULO) with storage temperatures and carbon dioxide partial pressures and its influence on fruit quality preservation and on the occurrence of physiological disorders in 'Royal Gala' apples. The experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design, with four replicates 25-fruit. ULO conditions (1.0 kPa O2 + 2.0 kPa CO2; 0.8 kPa O2 + 1.5 kPa CO2; 0.8 kPa O2 + 1.0 kPa CO2; 0.6 kPa O2 + 1.5 kPa CO2; and 0.6 kPa O2 + 1.0 kPa CO2) were tested at 0, 0.5 and 1.0°C, in a 5x3 factorial arrangement. Fruit quality and ripening analyses were performed after eight-month storage plus seven days of shelf-life at 20°C. Oxygen partial pressures below 0.8 kPa increased the occurrence of internal breakdown and mealiness. The best ULO condition was 1.0 kPa O2 + plus 2.0 kPa CO2 at 1.0°C. The interaction of ULO conditions and storage temperatures shows the need of increasing O2 partial pressure at higher storage temperatures.

Covariation between eumelanic pigmentation and body mass only under specific conditions.

Identifying the factors that mediate covariation between an ornament and other phenotypic attributes is important to determine the signaling function of ornaments. Sign and magnitude of a covariation may vary across environments if the expression of the ornament or of its linked genes regulating correlated phenotypes is condition-dependent. I investigated in the barn owl Tyto alba whether sign and magnitude of covariation between body mass and two heritable melanin-based plumage ornaments change with food supply, along the reproductive cycle and from the morning to the evening. Using a dataset of 1,848 measurements of body mass in 336 breeding females, I found that females displaying large black spots were heavier than conspecifics with smaller spots in the afternoon (i.e., a long time after the last feeding) but not in the morning (i.e., a short time after the last feeding). This is consistent with the recently proposed hypothesis that eumelanin-based ornaments are associated with the ability to maintain energy balance between food intake and energy expenditure. Thus, covariation between melanin-based coloration and body mass can be detected only under specific conditions potentially explaining why it has been reported in only ten out of 28 vertebrate species. The proposition that ornamented individuals achieve a higher fitness than drab conspecifics only in specific environments should be tested for other ornaments.

Geochemical compositions of Neogene phosphatic brachiopods: Implications for ancient environmental and marine conditions

Isotopic and trace element compositions of Miocene and Pliocene phosphatic brachiopods (Lingulidae and Discinidae) from southern North Sea, the Central Paratethys and the Atlantic coast of Europe were investigated in order to trace past environmental conditions and marine connections between the northern boreal and the southern subtropical-tropical marine basins. The North Sea genus Glottidia yielded low epsilon(Nd) and high delta O-18(PO4) values through the Mio-Pliocene indicating cold habitat temperature where the local seawater was dominated by the Atlantic Ocean. In contrast, the Middle Miocene Lingulidae and Discinidae of the Paratethys inhabited warm subtropical seawater with the possible influence of the Indian Ocean via the Mediterranean, as supported by their average epsilon(Nd) value of -8.3. The combined geochemical data support a thermal and marine separation of the Paratethys from the North Sea with no direct connection or major exchange of water from the Miocene onwards. The temperature in the Paratethys was very similar to that inferred from brachiopods from the Middle Miocene of western France, but the seawater epsilon(Nd) value here is identical to that of contemporaneous Atlantic Ocean. A Late Miocene lingulid brachiopod from southern Portugal has a high delta O-18(PO4), similar to the specimens investigated from the North Sea, reflecting either a deep water habitat or formation after the onset of major global cooling that resulted in an increased delta O-18 value of seawater. The epsilon(Nd) value of -8.4 for this site is compatible with an influence of Mediterranean outflow. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Conditions et environnement de travail des professionnels en prison: comparaison entre soignants et surveillants

Objectif Le présent travail a consisté à identifier et comparer, au moyen d'un questionnaire auto-administré, les conditions ergonomiques, les nuisances environnementales et les facteurs de stress rencontrés par le personnel soignant (n = 35) et le personnel pénitentiaire (n = 240) travaillant dans les mêmes prisons. Quatre ans ont séparé la remise du questionnaire auprès des surveillants et des soignants, ce qui limite la portée des résultats. Malgré cela, la comparaison des données fournies montre des tendances intéressantes. Résultats Sur un plan ergonomique, les soignants rencontrent une plus faible pénibilité que les surveillants. Sur un plan environnemental, les soignants sont gênés par un nombre moins important de nuisances que les surveillants, ces derniers étant exposés à des conditions très diverses de travail (divisions de haute sécurité, ateliers de production, domaines agricoles). Par contre, concernant les facteurs de stress, les soignants éprouvent des tensions dans des proportions presque identiques aux surveillants, suite aux interventions d'urgences, à la surcharge de travail, aux relations avec les détenus et à la mauvaise ambiance au travail. En outre, les soignants et surveillants paraissent souffrir différemment d'éléments d'organisation tels que le sentiment de travailler sous pression, le manque d'écoute et le manque de considération. Enfin les soignants signalent un risque de violence plus élevé ainsi qu'un manque de reconnaissance plus important que les surveillants. Conclusion Les surveillants doivent continuer à faire l'objet d'un suivi attentif des services de santé au travail. En ce qui concerne les soignants, l'accent doit être mis sur l'amélioration de leur organisation interne de travail en approfondissant, entre autres, la question du manque de reconnaissance, le sentiment de travail sous pression, ainsi qu'en poursuivant les efforts sur la formation à la lutte contre la violence. [Auteurs]

Growth of champa fruit under agroecological conditions of Miraflores, Boyacá, Colombia

The objective of this work was to analyze the growth of champa fruit (Campomanesia lineatifolia) as a function of growing-degree days (GDD) in the municipality of Miraflores, in Boyacá, Colombia. Thirty trees were selected at random, and 100 flowers in full bloom were marked in each tree. From the 26th day after flowering until harvest, 10 samples were taken every 15 days to determine the fruit parameters and growth rate. Temperature was recorded to calculate the GDD. From flowering until harvest, 1,489.1 GDD were accumulated over 145 days. Dry and fresh matter mass of pulp, seed, and total fruit were fitted to a logistic growth model, and three growth stages (S1, S2 and S3) were defined. In the S1, growth was slow, and the relative growth remained nearly stable, whereas the absolute growth rate (AGR) increased slowly. In the S2, maximum growth was observed. In the S3, which corresponds to maturation, dry mass increased gradually, and the AGR decreased, while the fresh pulp and total mass did not cease to increase. The polar and equatorial diameters increased linearly, while the volume followed an exponential model. Champa fruit show a simple sigmoid growth curve.

Rice yield estimation based on weather conditions and on technological level of production systems in Brazil

The objective of this work was to evaluate an estimation system for rice yield in Brazil, based on simple agrometeorological models and on the technological level of production systems. This estimation system incorporates the conceptual basis proposed by Doorenbos & Kassam for potential and attainable yields with empirical adjusts for maximum yield and crop sensitivity to water deficit, considering five categories of rice yield. Rice yield was estimated from 2000/2001 to 2007/2008, and compared to IBGE yield data. Regression analyses between model estimates and data from IBGE surveys resulted in significant coefficients of determination, with less dispersion in the South than in the North and Northeast regions of the country. Index of model efficiency (E1') ranged from 0.01 in the lower yield classes to 0.45 in higher ones, and mean absolute error ranged from 58 to 250 kg ha‑1, respectively.

Simulating maize yield in sub‑tropical conditions of southern Brazil using Glam model

The objective of this work was to evaluate the feasibility of simulating maize yield in a sub‑tropical region of southern Brazil using the general large area model (Glam). A 16‑year time series of daily weather data were used. The model was adjusted and tested as an alternative for simulating maize yield at small and large spatial scales. Simulated and observed grain yields were highly correlated (r above 0.8; p<0.01) at large scales (greater than 100,000 km²), with variable and mostly lower correlations (r from 0.65 to 0.87; p<0.1) at small spatial scales (lower than 10,000 km²). Large area models can contribute to monitoring or forecasting regional patterns of variability in maize production in the region, providing a basis for agricultural decision making, and Glam‑Maize is one of the alternatives.

Daily energy expenditure in free-living conditions in obese and non-obese children: comparison of doubly labelled water (2H2(18)O) method and heart-rate monitoring.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the heart-rate monitoring with the doubly labelled water (2H2(18)O) method to estimate total daily energy expenditure in obese and non-obese children. DESIGN: Cross sectional study of obese and normal weight children. SUBJECTS: 13 prepubertal children: six obese (4M, 2F, 9.1 +/- 1.5 years, 47.3 +/- 9.7 kg) and seven non-obese (3M, 4F, 9.3 +/- 0.6 years, 31.8 +/- 3.2 kg). MEASUREMENTS: Total daily energy expenditure was assessed by means of the doubly labelled water method (TEEDLW) and of heart-rate monitoring (TEEHR). RESULTS: TEEHR was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than TEEDLW in obese children (9.47 +/- 0.84 MJ/d vs 8.99 +/- 0.63 MJ/d) whereas it was not different in non-obese children (8.43 +/- 2.02 MJ/d vs 8.42 +/- 2.30 MJ/d, P = NS). The difference of TEE assessed by HR monitoring in the obese group averaged 6.2 +/- 4.7%. At the individual level, the degree of agreement (difference between TEEHR and TEEDLW +/- 2s.d.) was low both in obese (-0.36, 1.32 MJ/d) and in non-obese children (-1.30, 1.34 MJ/d). At the group level, the agreement between the two methods was good in nonobese children (95% c.i. for the bias:-0.59, 0.63 MJ/d) but not in obese children (0.04, 0.92 MJ/d). Duration of sleep and energy expenditure during resting and physical activity were not significantly different in the two groups. Patterns of heart-rate (or derived energy expenditure) during the day-time were similar in obese and non-obese children. CONCLUSION: The HR monitoring technique provides an estimation of TEE close to that assessed by the DLW method in non-obese prepubertal children. In comparison with DLW, the HR monitoring method yields a greater TEE value in obese children.