Estabelecimento de meio de cultura e quantificação da germinação de grãos de pólen de cultivares de marmeleiros

Visando a dar suporte aos trabalhos de melhoramento genético do marmeleiro (Cydoniaoblonga Mill.), voltados para a seleção de cultivares altamente produtivas, aptas a serem cultivadas em regiões subtropicais e produtoras de doces de qualidade superior, objetivou-se ajustar o meio de cultura básico para a germinação de grãos de pólen de diferentes cultivares dessa espécie e quantificar o número de estames, número de grãos de pólen por antera e por flor. O pólen utilizado foi da cultivar Portugal, obtido de anteras provenientes de flores em estádio de balão. Em seguida, com auxílio de um pincel, os grãos de pólen foram espalhados sobre a superfície de placas de Petri, contendo 20 mL de meio de cultura, de acordo com os seguintes experimentos: 1) concentrações de ágar (4; 6; 8 e 10 g L-1) e valores de pH (3,5; 4,5; 5,5 e 6,5); 2) concentrações de sacarose (0; 30; 60 e 90 g L-1); 3) concentrações de nitrato de cálcio (0; 200; 400 e 800 mg L-1); 4) concentrações de ácido bórico (0; 400; 800 e 1.200 mg L-1); e 5) tempo de emissão do tubo polínico (0; 1; 2; 3; 4; 5 e 6 horas após a inoculação), os quais foram montados de forma sequencial. Após, avaliou-se a taxa de germinação dos grãos de pólen das 27 cultivares (Alaranjado, Alongado, Apple, BA29, Bereckzy, Champion, Cheldow, Constantinopla, CTS 207, Dangers, De Patras, De Vranja, Dulot, Fuller, Mendoza INTA 37, Kiakami, Lajeado, Meeck Profilic, Meliforme, Pineapple, Portugal, Provence, Radaelli, Rea's Mamouth, Smyrna, Van Deman e Zuquerineta), além do número de estames, número de grãos de pólen por antera e por flor. Realizando-se as leituras da porcentagem de germinação após cinco horas de incubação, conclui-se que o meio de cultura para a germinação de grãos de pólen do marmeleiro deve ser acrescido de 68 g L-1 de sacarose e 366 mg L-1 de ácido bórico, sendo o pH aferido para 5,8 e o meio solidificado com 10 g L-1 de ágar. Foram constatadas diferenças entre as cultivares quanto à quantidade de grãos de pólen e à capacidade germinativa dos mesmos, que variou de 37,83% a 82,23% entre as cultivares. Os grãos de pólen da cultivar Alaranjado apresentaram maior porcentagem de germinação, além da maior quantidade de grãos de pólen por flor.

Hierarchical linear models in Psychiatry: A bibliometric study

Development of research methods requires a systematic review of their status. This study focuses on the use of Hierarchical Linear Modeling methods in psychiatric research. Evaluation includes 207 documents published until 2007, included and indexed in the ISI Web of Knowledge databases; analyses focuses on the 194 articles in the sample. Bibliometric methods are used to describe the publications patterns. Results indicate a growing interest in applying the models and an establishment of methods after 2000. Both Lotka"s and Bradford"s distributions are adjusted to the data.

EVOLIS : UN CADRE CONCEPTUEL POUR L'ÉTUDE DE L'ÉVOLUTION DES SYSTÈMES D'INFORMATION

Dans cette thèse, nous étudions les évolutions des systèmes d'information. Nous nous intéressons plus particulièrement à l'étude des facteurs déclencheurs d'évolution, ce qu'ils représentent et comment ils permettent d'en apprendre d'avantage sur le cycle de vie des systèmes d'information. Pour ce faire, nous avons développé un cadre conceptuel pour l'étude des évolutions qui tient compte non seulement des facteurs déclencheurs d'évolution, mais également de la nature des activités entreprises pour évoluer. Nous avons suivi une approche Design Science pour la conception de ce cadre conceptuel. Selon cette approche, nous avons développé itérativement le cadre conceptuel en l'instanciant puis en l'évaluant afin de raffiner sa conception. Ceci nous a permis de faire plusieurs contributions tant pratiques que théoriques. La première contribution théorique de cette recherche est l'identification de 4 facteurs principaux déclenchant les évolutions. Ces facteurs sont des éléments issus de domaines généralement étudiés séparément. Le cadre conceptuel les rassemble dans un même outil pour l'étude des évolutions. Une autre contribution théorique est l'étude du cycle de vie des systèmes selon ces facteurs. En effet, l'utilisation répétée du cadre conceptuel pour la qualification des évolutions met en lumière les principales motivations des évolutions lors de chaque étape du cycle de vie. En comparant les évolutions de plusieurs systèmes, il devient possible de mettre en évidence des modèles spécifiques d'évolution des systèmes. Concernant les contributions pratiques, la principale concerne le pilotage de l'évolution. Pour un gestionnaire de système d'information, l'application du cadre conceptuel permet de connaître précisément l'allocation réelle des ressources pour une évolution ainsi que la localisation du système dans son cycle de vie. Le cadre conceptuel peut donc aider les gestionnaires dans la planification et la stratégie d'évolution du système. Les modèles d'évolution, identifiés suite à l'application du cadre conceptuel, sont également une aide précieuse pour définir la stratégie de pilotage et les activités à entreprendre lors de la planification des évolutions. Finalement, le cadre conceptuel a fourni les bases nécessaires à l'élaboration d'un tableau de bord pour le suivi du cycle de vie et le pilotage de l'évolution des systèmes d'information.

The risk factors for fractures and trabecular bone-score value in patients with endogenous Cushing's syndrome.

In a cohort study of 182 consecutive patients with active endogenous Cushing's syndrome, the only predictor of fracture occurrence after adjustment for age, gender bone mineral density (BMD) and trabecular bone score (TBS) was 24-h urinary free cortisol (24hUFC) levels with a threshold of 1472 nmol/24 h (odds ratio, 3.00 (95 % confidence interval (CI), 1.52-5.92); p = 0.002). INTRODUCTION: The aim was to estimate the risk factors for fracture in subjects with endogenous Cushing's syndrome (CS) and to evaluate the value of the TBS in these patients. METHODS: All enrolled patients with CS (n = 182) were interviewed in relation to low-traumatic fractures and underwent lateral X-ray imaging from T4 to L5. BMD measurements were performed using a DXA Prodigy device (GEHC Lunar, Madison, Wisconsin, USA). The TBS was derived retrospectively from existing BMD scans, blinded to clinical outcome, using TBS iNsight software v2.1 (Medimaps, Merignac, France). Urinary free cortisol (24hUFC) was measured by immunochemiluminescence assay (reference range, 60-413 nmol/24 h). RESULTS: Among enrolled patients with CS (149 females; 33 males; mean age, 37.8 years (95 % confidence interval, 34.2-39.1); 24hUFC, 2370 nmol/24 h (2087-2632), fractures were confirmed in 81 (44.5 %) patients, with 70 suffering from vertebral fractures, which were multiple in 53 cases; 24 patients reported non-vertebral fractures. The mean spine TBS was 1.207 (1.187-1.228), and TBS Z-score was -1.86 (-2.07 to -1.65); area under the curve (AUC) was used to predict fracture (mean spine TBS) = 0.548 (95 % CI, 0.454-0.641)). In the final regression model, the only predictor of fracture occurrence was 24hUFC levels (p = 0.001), with an increase of 1.041 (95 % CI, 1.019-1.063), calculated for every 100 nmol/24-h cortisol elevation (AUC (24hUFC) = 0.705 (95 % CI, 0.629-0.782)). CONCLUSIONS: Young patients with CS have a low TBS. However, the only predictor of low traumatic fracture is the severity of the disease itself, indicated by high 24hUFC levels.

Influence of transport and time on blood variables commonly measured for the athlete biological passport.

Some recent studies have characterized the stability of blood variables commonly measured for the Athlete Biological Passport. The aim of this study was to characterize the impact of different shipments conditions and the quality of the results returned by the haematological analyzer. Twenty-two healthy male subjects provided five EDTA tubes each. Four shipment conditions (24, 36, 48, 72 h) under refrigerated conditions were tested and compared to a set of samples left in the laboratory also under refrigerated conditions (group control). All measurements were conducted using two Sysmex XT-2000i analyzers. Haemoglobin concentration, reticulocytes percentage, and OFF-score numerical data were the same for samples analyzed just after collection and after a shipment under refrigerated conditions up to 72 h. Detailed information reported especially by the differential (DIFF) channel scatterplot of the Sysmex XT-2000i indicated that there were signs of blood deterioration, but were not of relevance for the variables used in the Athlete Biological Passport. As long as the cold chain is guaranteed, the time delay between the collection and the analyses of blood variables can be extended. Copyright© 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Comparison of standardized uptake values measured on 18F-NaF PET/CT scans using three different tube current intensities

Objective: To analyze standardized uptake values (SUVs) using three different tube current intensities for attenuation correction on 18FNaF PET/CT scans. Materials and Methods: A total of 254 18F-NaF PET/CT studies were analyzed using 10, 20 and 30 mAs. The SUVs were calculated in volumes of interest (VOIs) drawn on three skeletal regions, namely, right proximal humeral diaphysis (RH), right proximal femoral diaphysis (RF), and first lumbar vertebra (LV1) in a total of 712 VOIs. The analyses covered 675 regions classified as normal (236 RH, 232 RF, and 207 LV1). Results: Mean SUV for each skeletal region was 3.8, 5.4 and 14.4 for RH, RF, and LV1, respectively. As the studies were grouped according to mAs value, the mean SUV values were 3.8, 3.9 and 3.7 for 10, 20 and 30 mAs, respectively, in the RH region; 5.4, 5.5 and 5.4 for 10, 20 and 30 mAs, respectively, in the RF region; 13.8, 14.9 and 14.5 for 10, 20 and 30 mAs, respectively, in the LV1 region. Conclusion: The three tube current values yielded similar results for SUV calculation.