Causes of resistant hypertension detected by a standardized algorithm

Resistant hypertension (RH) is characterized by blood pressure above 140 × 90 mm Hg, despite the use, in appropriate doses, of three antihypertensive drug classes, including a diuretic, or the need of four classes to control blood pressure. Resistant hypertension patients are under a greater risk of presenting secondary causes of hypertension and may be benefited by therapeutical approach for this diagnosis. However, the RH is currently little studied, and more knowledge of this clinical condition is necessary. In addition, few studies had evaluated this issue in emergent countries. Therefore, we proposed the analysis of specific causes of RH by using a standardized protocol in Brazilian patients diagnosed in a center for the evaluation and treatment of hypertension. The management of these patients was conducted with the application of a preformulated protocol which aimed at the identification of the causes of resistant hypertension in each patient through management standardization. The data obtained suggest that among patients with resistant hypertension there is a higher prevalence of secondary hypertension, than that observed in general hypertensive ones and a higher prevalence of sleep apnea as well. But there are a predominance of obesity, noncompliance with diet, and frequent use of hypertensive drugs. These latter factors are likely approachable at primary level health care, since that detailed anamneses directed to the causes of resistant hypertension are applied. © 2012 Livia Beatriz Santos Limonta et al.

Estimating hardness of eucalyptus wood with a portable hardness tester

More than 80% of the 29600 km of the Brazilian railroad mesh employs wooden sleepers. The problem of hard availability of native wood for this purpose leads to the alternative use of reforestation species to produce sleepers. Considering the great difficulty to, in field condition, evaluate characteristics that are of major importance to define its suitability to sleeper production the Research Group on Forest Products from FCA/UNESP - Brazil had developed equipment for field evaluation of hardness in wood - Portable Hardness Tester. This paper reports the functional validation tests, performed with different species of Eucalyptus. Results revealed the equipment great functionality, easy-to-use characteristics and applicability to Eucalyptus wood. Moderate to strong relationships between laboratory and validated values of hardness were found. The best validation model was obtained using the data provided by the experimental dispositive 3 (R2=0.74 and SSE= 7.71 kJ/m2) while the experimental dispositive 1 gave the worse validation (R2=0.55 and SSE= 13.46 kJ/m2).

Perdas qualitativas na colheita mecanizada de sementes de soja

The study aimed to assess the physical and physiological characteristics of soybean seeds collected in grain tank and the outlet of the discharge tube of the harvester, depending on the year and the forward speed of the harvester. The experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial 2 x 2 x 2 tested two harvesters of different years, two displacement's speeds and two locations of sample collection, totaling eight treatments with four replications. The harvest of soybean cv. COODETEC 217, was performed with two tangential harvesters, aged three and four years, with 900 rpm rotation of the cylinder, operating at forward speeds of 4 ± 0.5 km h-1 and 7 ± 0.5 km h-1. Seed samples (approximately 3 kg) were withdrawn at the grain tank and the outlet of the discharge tube of the harvester and subjected to determinations of water content in field and laboratory. Subsequently, we evaluated purity, mechanical damage, germination and seed vigor. The younger harvester had a higher percentage of pure seed and lowest percentage of inert material. The increase in forward speed provides the higher the bands percentage and reduction of percentages of pure seed and inert material. The percentage of inert material was higher for seeds collected in the discharge pipe. The speed increase has positively influenced the emergence in sand for the harvester oldest (4 years) and negatively to the harvester youngest (3 years). At lower speeds the youngest harvester higher percentage of germination in sand.

Danos do complexo broca-podridão à produtividade e à qualidade da cana-de-açúcar fertirrigada com doses de nitrogênio

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of nitrogen-fertigation on the damage caused by the borer-rot complex to the productivity and quality of fertigated sugarcane. The experiment was carried out in field, using a randomized complete block design, with four replicates and five N doses (0, 50 100, 150, and 200 kg ha-1) applied through drip irrigation. The following variables were determined: number of holes caused by Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae); number of internodes infected with red rot; incidence percentage of red rot; stalk productivity; and sugar content. In laboratory, the attractiveness and the consumption of culm fragments by fourth instar caterpillars, in trials with or without choice, were evaluated. Nitrogen fertigation increased the incidence of D. saccharalis and red rot. The number of holes produced by the larvae was correlated with the occurrence of red rot. Sugar percentage reduced with the increase in the number of red rot affected internodes. Nitrogen doses did not affect the attractiveness of sugarcane culm fragments; however, higher N doses increased the consumption of these fragments by D. saccharalis caterpillars. Despite the damages to quality, nitrogen fertilization expressively enhanced the productivity of stalks and sugar.

Influence of specimen size, tray inclination and air flow rate on the emission of gases from biomass combustion

Experiments of biomass combustion were performed to determine whether specimen size, tray inclination, or combustion air flow rate was the factor that most affects the emission of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and methane. The chosen biomass was Eucalyptus citriodora, a very abundant species in Brazil, utilized in many industrial applications, including combustion for energy generation. Analyses by gas chromatograph and specific online instruments were used to determine the concentrations of the main emitted gases, and the following figures were found for the emission factors: 1400 ± 101 g kg-1 of CO2, 50 ± 13 g kg-1 of CO, and 3.2 ± 0.5 g kg-1 of CH4, which agree with values published in the literature for biomass from the Amazon rainforest. Statistical analysis of the experiments determined that specimen size most significantly affected the emission of gases, especially CO2 and CO. •Statistical analysis to determine effects on emission factors.•CO2, CO, CH4 emission factors determined for combustion of Eucalyptus.•Laboratory results agreed with data for Amazonian biomass combustion in field tests.•Combustion behavior under flaming and smoldering was analyzed. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Influência do ambiente no desenvolvimento de colônias iniciais de formigas cortadeiras (Atta sexdens rubropilosa)

Annually, mature colonies of Atta ants produce winged males and females, where leave the colony in which they were produced to form new colonies and thus continue the species perpetuation. The foundation of Atta spp. colonies always involves high queen effort, solely responsible for growing the fungus and the care with itself and its offspring. During the foundation there is consumption of body reserves. This study investigated how the environment influences the development of newly founded colonies of leaf cutting ant, Atta sexdens rubropilosa. Therefore, it was compared field colonies collected five months after the nuptial flight and colonies maintained in the laboratory since the nuptial flight. It was analyzed the weight and size of the population (number of workers, larvae, pupae and eggs), the workers size, the volume and weight of the fungus garden and queen effort for the nest foundation (lipid content and weight of queens). In comparison to the field colonies, the laboratory colonies showed higher values in the weight and size of population, the volume and weight of the fungus garden. Measures of workers by class size did not vary between colonies from field and laboratory. The queen effort for nest foundation was higher in field colonies, which showed a lower percentage of fat and lower weight compared to laboratory colonies. These results show that the environment has a strong influence on the colonies development during the foundation, as well as on the physiological status of the queens, and therefore the survival, development and success of the colony, it is a reflection of the queen efforts and of the environment conditions.

A PCR/RFLP methodology to identify non-Amazonian Brazilian deer species

Due to the necessity of using noninvasive samples to study animals as elusive as the deer that occur in Brazil, we realized it was important to develop a PCR/RFLP protocol to assist in identifying such samples. Thus we developed a protocol in which a fragment of the cytochrome b gene is digested with two enzymes: SspI, which distinguishes species of the genus Mazama from Blastocerus dichotomus and Ozotoceros bezoarticus, and TAQα1 which permits differentiation between the species B. dichotomus and O. bezoarticus. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

Chameleonic inflation

We attempt to incorporate inflation into a string theory realization of the chameleon mechanism. Previously, it was found that the volume modulus, stabilized by the supersymmetric potential used by Kachru, Kallosh, Linde and Trivedi (KKLT) and with the right choice of parameters, can generically work as a chameleon. In this paper, we ask whether inflation can be realized in the same model. We find that we need a large extra dimensions set-up, as well as a semi-phenomenological deformation of the Kähler potential in the quantum region. We also find that an additional KKLT term is required so that there are now two pieces to the potential, one which drives inflation in the early universe, and one which is responsible for chameleon screening at late times. These two pieces of the potential are separated by a large flat desert in field space. The scalar field must dynamically traverse this desert between the end of inflation and today, and we find that this can indeed occur under the right conditions. © 2013 SISSA, Trieste, Italy.

Lodos de esgoto, escória de aciaria e lama cal na cultura da soja sob sistema plantio direto em latossolo vermelho

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Teste de envelhecimento acelerado em sementes de ervilha forrageira

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Eficácia do herbicida mesotrione aplicado no sistema de cana crua

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Alterações bioquímicas, morfofisiológicas e produtivas em genótipos de arroz em dois regimes hídricos

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Agricultura) - FCA

Utilização agropecuária do sorgo de guiné e efeitos na cultura da soja e atributos químicos do solo

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Agricultura) - FCA

DGPS em Rede: desenvolvimento e implantação via internet utilizando a Rede GNSS do Estado de São Paulo

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Relação entre parâmetros fisiológicos aeróbios e anaeróbios com o desempenho de ciclistas

Pós-graduação em Fisioterapia - FCT