Preoperative somatostatin analogues versus direct transsphenoidal surgery for newly-diagnosed acromegaly patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis using the GRADE system

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry for Differentiation of the Dimorphic Fungal Species Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and Paracoccidioides lutzii

Isolates of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and Paracoccidioides lutzii, previously characterized by molecular techniques, were identified for the first time by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). All isolates were correctly identified, with log score values of >2.0. Thus, MALDI-TOF MS is a new tool for differentiating species of the genus Paracoccidioides.

Finite-difference calculation of donor energy levels in a spherical quantum dot subject to a magnetic field

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Photomorphogenic modulation of water stress in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.): the role of phytochromes A, B1, and B2

Phytochromes are red/far-red light photoreceptors that mediate a variety of photomorphogenic processes in plants, from germination to flowering. In addition, there is evidence that phytochromes are also part of the stress signalling response, especially in response to water deficit stress, which is the major abiotic factor limiting plant growth and crop productivity worldwide. In this study, we used the phyA (far red-insensitive; fri), phyB1 (temporary red-insensitive; tri) and phyB2 mutants of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) to study the roles of these three phytochromes in drought stress responses. Compared to wild type (WT) plants grown under water-deficit stress conditions, the fri, tri, and phyB2 mutants did not exhibit altered dry weights, leaf areas, stomatal densities, or stomatal opening. The stomatal conductance of all three mutants was severely reduced under both fully-hydrated and water-deficit conditions. Although relative water contents did change after drought stress in each mutant, the most significant reduction in water potential during water stress was observed in the fri mutant. However, this mutant returned its water status to WT levels during rehydration. Although the phyB2 mutant lost more water from detached leaves during abscisic acid (ABA) treatment, phyB2 behaved like WT plants, indicating that this mutant was not insensitive to ABA. Overall, these results indicate that the phytochromes phyA, phyB1, and phyB2 modulate drought stress responses in tomato.

Efficiency in Brazil's industrial sectors in terms of energy and sustainable development

This article evaluates the efficiency of Brazil's industrial sectors from 1996 to 2009, taking into account energy consumption and respective contributions to the country's economic and social aspects. This analysis used a mathematical programming method called Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), which enabled, from the SBM model and the window analysis, to evaluate the ability of industries to reduce energy consumption and fossil-fuel CO2 emissions (inputs), as well as to increase the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by sectors, the persons employed and personnel expenses (outputs). The results of this study indicated that the Textile sector is the most efficient industrial sector in Brazil, according to the variables used, followed by these sectors: Foods and Beverages, Chemical, Mining, Paper and Pulp, Nonmetallic and Metallurgical.

Perspectivas para a qualificação profissional no setor sucroalcooleiro

A cultura da cana de açúcar é de relevante importância social e econômica no Estado de São Paulo devido, principalmente à produção de açúcar e biocombustível, movimentando um representativo volume monetário, bem como relevante quantidade de empregos temporários gerados no período de colheita. Analisando a situação, do corte manual versos o corte mecanizado verificamos que ainda é uma atividade frequentemente associada à poluição ambiental pela queima prévia da palha. Neste contexto a mecanização necessariamente deve se dar ao mesmo tempo que a criação de novos postos de trabalho, ou seja, a adoção de novas tecnologias e o estabelecimento de políticas públicas garantidoras do nível de empregos e renda perdidos. Percebe-se necessidade de intervenção governamental no sentido de elaboração de políticas publicas desenvolvidas com apelo regional, a fim de assegurarem meios de sobrevivência. O sistema da cana-de-açúcar é complexo e o objetivo deste trabalho é discutir a recolocação dos cortadores de cana em atividades que lhe proporcionem renda, dignidade e melhor qualidade de vida. Portanto as políticas publicas devem ser planejadas priorizando o desenvolvimento regional tanto na região de destino, quanto nas regiões de origem dos trabalhadores, de forma a diminuir a necessidade de migração, fixando o homem em suas oportunidades assegurando meios de sobrevivência. A iniciativa governamental de qualificação através do PlanSeQ Plano Setorial de Qualificação é muito interessante porém se comparada à necessidade do setor ainda representa pouco pela necessidade da mecanização.

Absorção de micronutrientes em plantas de pimentão submetidas a diferentes lâminas de irrigação

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Lucile Kathryn Delano Papers - Accession 28

The Lucile Kathryn Delano Papers consist of correspondence (1926-1966) relating to Delano’s research and retirement from Winthrop; travel diaries of trips to Spain during the early part of the Spanish Civil War (1936), to Switzerland (1950), and to Russia (1966); a draft of her book Oh Lovely Spain (1973); passports; an account of a trip to Europe in 1932-1933; her dissertation The Sonnet In Lope De Vega’s Comedias (1925); research notes; manuscript for her book Charles De Lannoy; Victor of Pavia; photographs; and newspaper clippings.

Reo-Like Virus in White Shrimp Penaeus vannamei (Crustacea: Decapoda): Co-occurrence with Baculovirus penaei in Experimental Infections

A virus, tentatively identified as reo-like, occurred concurrently with experimentally-induced Baculovirus penaei (BP) infection in cultured white shrimp larvae Penaeus vannamei. Each shrimp with a reo-like viral infection also had a BP infection, but not all BP-infected shrimp had a reo-like infection. Both viruses occurred in the same tissues and occasionally withln the same cell. The reolike virus developed in epithelial cells of the anterior midgut and in reserve- and fibrillar-cells of the hepatopancreas. The paraspherical and non-enveloped reo-like virions (ca. 50 nm diam.) occurred as unordered aggregates in the cell cytoplasm. Their etiology has not been determined. Reo-like virions may have been introduced along with the BP virus, or, were latent and only manifested due to stress induced by the more pathogenic BP virus.

High Plains Ag Lab Rotations Show Fallow Still Works in Western Nebraska

The High Plains Ag Laboratory (HPAL) in Sidney, Nebraska is the dryland research site for the University of Nebraska located in the Panhandle. In addition to the typical small plot agriculture experiment areas, there is a significant dryland production area. There are a total of 718.5 acres in production, divided into 27 individual fields, ranging from the smallest unit at 19.7 acres to the largest at 36.7 acres. Within these fields there are presently seven different crop rotations, each with winter wheat as the base crop, including everything from the traditional wheat-fallow system to a continuous cropping system.

TNF blockers show distinct patterns of immune response to the pandemic influenza A H1N1 vaccine in inflammatory arthritis patients

Methods. One hundred and twenty patients (RA, n = 41; AS, n = 57; PsA, n = 22) on anti-TNF agents (monoclonal, n = 94; soluble receptor, n = 26) were compared with 116 inflammatory arthritis patients under DMARDs and 117 healthy controls. Seroprotection, seroconversion (SC), geometric mean titre, factor increase in geometric mean titre and adverse events were evaluated 21 days after vaccination. Results. After immunization, SC rates (58.2% vs 74.3%, P = 0.017) were significantly lower in SpA patients receiving anti-TNF therapy, whereas no difference was observed in RA patients receiving this therapy compared with healthy controls (P = 0.067). SpA patients receiving mAbs (infliximab/adalimumab) had a significantly lower SC rate compared with healthy controls (51.6% vs 74.3%, P = 0.002) or those on DMARDs (51.6% vs 74.7%, P = 0.005), whereas no difference was observed for patients on etanercept (86.7% vs 74.3%, P = 0.091). Further analysis of non-seroconverting and seroconverting SpA patients revealed that the former group had a higher mean age (P = 0.003), a higher frequency of anti-TNF (P = 0.031) and mAbs (P = 0.001) and a lower frequency of MTX (P = 0.028). In multivariate logistic regression, only older age (P = 0.015) and mAb treatment (P = 0.023) remained significant factors for non-SC in SpA patients. Conclusion. This study revealed a distinct disease pattern of immune response to the pandemic influenza vaccine in inflammatory arthritis patients receiving anti-TNF agents, illustrated by a reduced immunogenicity solely in SpA patients using mAbs. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, ext-link-type="uri" xlink:href="www.clinicaltrials.gov" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01151644.

Influenza A/H1N1 vaccination of patients with SLE: can antimalarial drugs restore diminished response under immunosuppressive therapy?

Objective. To assess the efficacy and safety of pandemic 2009 influenza A (H1N1) in SLE under different therapeutic regimens. Methods. A total of 555 SLE patients and 170 healthy controls were vaccinated with a single dose of a non-adjuvanted preparation. According to current therapy, patients were initially classified as SLE No Therapy (n = 75) and SLE with Therapy (n = 480). Subsequent evaluations included groups under monotherapy: chloroquine (CQ) (n = 105), prednisone (PRED) epsilon 20 mg (n = 76), immunosuppressor (IS) (n = 95) and those with a combination of these drugs. Anti-H1N1 titres and seroconversion (SC) rate were evaluated at entry and 21 days post-vaccination. Results. The SLE with Therapy group had lower SC compared with healthy controls (59.0 vs 80.0%; P < 0.0001), whereas the SLE No Therapy group had equivalent SC (72 vs 80.0%; P = 0.18) compared with healthy controls. Further comparison revealed that the SC of SLE No Therapy (72%) was similar to the CQ group (69.5%; P = 0.75), but it was significantly reduced in PRED epsilon 20 mg (53.9%; P = 0.028), IS (55.7%; P = 0.035) and PRED epsilon 20 mg + IS (45.4%; P = 0.038). The concomitant use of CQ in each of these later regimens was associated with SC responses comparable with SLE No Therapy group (72%): PRED epsilon 20 mg + CQ (71.4%; P = 1.00), IS + CQ (65.2%; P = 0.54) and PRED epsilon 20 mg + IS + CQ (57.4%; P = 0.09). Conclusion. Pandemic influenza A H1N1/2009 vaccine response is diminished in SLE under immunosuppressive therapy and antimalarials seems to restore this immunogenicity.

A NEO-KALECKIAN MODEL OF PROFIT SHARING, CAPACITY UTILIZATION AND ECONOMIC GROWTH

This paper sets forth a Neo-Kaleckian model of capacity utilization and growth with distribution featuring a profit-sharing arrangement. While a given proportion of firms compensate workers with only a base wage, the remaining proportion do so with a base wage and a share of profits. Consistent with the empirical evidence, workers hired by profit-sharing firms have a higher productivity than their counterparts in base-wage firms. While a higher profit-sharing coefficient raises capacity utilization and growth irrespective of the distribution of compensation strategies across firms, a higher frequency of profit-sharing firms does likewise only if the profit-sharing coefficient is sufficiently high.

Dynamics of free and H-3-labelled glutamine concentrations during zygotic and somatic embryogenesis of Feijoa [Acca sellowiana (O. Berg.) Burret]

Amino acids play fundamental roles in plant morphogenesis. Among sources of organic nitrogen (N), glutamine has frequently been used during the establishment and maintenance of cell and tissue cultures. The aim of this study was analyse endogenous levels of glutamine during somatic and zygotic embryogenesis of Acca sellowiana (Feijoa or pineapple guava). The in vitro absorption of H-3-labelled glutamine was investigated. Zygotic embryos and embryogenic cultures (EC) were evaluated at 30 d and 70 d after explant inoculation onto the medium. Endogenous levels of glutamine were similar during zygotic and somatic embryogenesis, and showed a gradual decline until day-24 in culture. The highest rates of H-3-labelled glutamine uptake were observed during the first 2 h of incubation, resulting in values of 6.29 mu mol g(-1) fresh weight (FW) for zygotic embryos, 14.43 mu mol g(-1) FW for EC after 30 d, and 13.85 mu mol g(-1) FW for EC after 70 d. These results showed that the decreased levels of glutamine observed during the initial phase of development may be related to de novo protein synthesis and mobilisation during embryo maturation. The absorption of glutamine in the first 2 h of incubation also emphasises its involvement as an important source of N during morphogenesis of somatic and zygotic embryos.

The revision of the Brazilian Forest Act: increased deforestation or a historic step towards balancing agricultural development and nature conservation?

Almost two-thirds of the Brazilian territory still has prevalence of natural vegetation. Although not all pristine, much of these areas have high conservation value. 170 million hectare (Mha) of the natural vegetation is located within Federal and State protected areas. Most of the remaining 367 Mha is on private agriculture lands, where the Forest Act is the most important legal framework for conservation. In July 2010, the Brazilian parliament began the analysis of a substitutive legislation for the Forest Act. The main motivations for the revision is that, on the one hand, it has been found ineffective in protecting natural vegetation, and on the other hand, it is perceived as a barrier against development in the agriculture sector. The substitutive Forest Act, as it presently stands, does not represent a balance between existing standpoints and objectives; it may drive development towards either more private protection through market-driven compensation actions, or increased deforestation and less nature protection/restoration. This article uses outcomes from modeling analyses to discuss weaknesses of the substitutive Forest Act and to suggest possible improvements. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.