Adjustment of Mineral Elements in the Culture Medium for the Micropropagation of Three Vriesea Bromeliads from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest: The Importance of Calcium

Many different species of Bromeliaceae are endangered and their conservation requires specific knowledge of their growth habits and propagation. In vitro culture of bromeliads is an important method for efficient clonal propagation and ill vitro seed g,germination can be used to maintain genetic variability. The present work aims to evaluate the in vitro growth and nutrient concentration in leaves of the epiphyte bromeliads Vriesea friburguensis Mez, Vriesea hieroglyphica (Carriere) E. Morren, and Vriesea unilateralis Mez, which exhibit slow rates of growth in vivo and in vitro. Initially, we compared the endogenous mineral composition of bromeliad plantlets grown in half-strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium and the mineral composition considered adequate in the literature. This approach suggested that calcium (Ca) is a critical nutrient and this was considered for new media formulation. Three new culture media were defined in which the main changes to half-strength MS medium were an increase in Ca, magnesium, sulfur, copper, and chloride and a decrease in iron, maintaining the nitrate: ammonium rate at approximate to 2:1. The main difference among the three new media formulated was Ca concentration, which varied from 1.5 mm in half-strength MS to 3.0, 6.0, and 12 mm in M2, M3, and M4 media, respectively. Consistently, all three species exhibited significantly higher fresh and dry weight on M4, the newly defined medium with the highest level of Ca (12 mm). Leaf nitrogen, potassium, zinc, magnesium and boron concentrations increased as Ca concentration in the medium increased from 1.5 to 12 mm.

Universal exhibitions and the cinema: history and culture

The objective of this article is to examine the presence of cinema in World Fairs between the 1893 World`s Columbian Exposition in Chicago and 1939 (the New York World`s Fair). As an integral part of a visual culture constructed by these spaces to celebrate capitalism, the trajectory of cinema is identified with these world fairs due to its ability to entertain and, at the same time, to educate. Cinema was established as a means of mass communication during the First World War and afterwards would participate more actively in the symbolic disputes of a world about to enter the second global conflict. It would reach a broader public, becoming the main `showcase` in which nations projected virtues to be celebrated. The new striking visual spectacle assumed, within this context, greater emphasis through films idealized as true cinematographic monuments.

Alkaline-sulfite chemithermomechanical pulping of Eucalyptus grandis biotreated by Ceriporiopsis subvermispora under varied culture conditions

The effect of different culture conditions have been evaluated concerning the extracellular enzyme activities of the white-rot fungus Ceriporiopsis subvermispora growing on Eucalyptus grandis wood. The consequence of the varied fungal pretreatment on a subsequent chemithermomechanical pulping (CTMP) was addressed. In all cultures, manganese peroxidase (MnP) and xylanase were the predominant extracellular enzymes. The biopulping efficiency was evaluated based on the amount of fiber bundles obtained after the first fiberizing step and the fibrillation levels of refined pulps. It was found that the MnP levels in the cultures correlated positively with the biopulping benefits. On the other hand, xylanase and total oxalate levels did not vary significantly. Accordingly, it was not possible to determine whether MnP accomplishes the effect alone or depends on synergic action of other extracellular agents. Pulp strength and fiber size distribution were also evaluated. The average fiber length of CTMP pulps prepared from untreated wood chips was 623 mu m. Analogous values were observed for most of the biopulps; however, significant amounts of shorter fibers were found in the biopulp prepared from wood chips biotreated in cultures supplemented with glucose plus corn-steep liquor. Despite evidence of reduced average fiber length, biopulps prepared from these wood chips presented the highest improvement in tensile indexes (+28% at 23 degrees Schopper-Riegler).

Chemical composition and sensory analysis of cheese whey-based beverages using kefir grains as starter culture

P>The aim of the present work was to evaluate the use of the kefir grains as a starter culture for tradicional milk kefir beverage and for cheese whey-based beverages production. Fermentation was performed by inoculating kefir grains in milk (ML), cheese whey (CW) and deproteinised cheese whey (DCW). Erlenmeyers containing kefir grains and different substrates were statically incubated for 72 h at 25 degrees C. Lactose, ethanol, lactic acid, acetic acid, acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, isoamyl alcohol, isobutanol, 1-propanol, isopentyl alcohol and 1-hexanol were identified and quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography and GC-FID. The results showed that kefir grains were able to utilise lactose in 60 h from ML and 72 h from CW and DCW and produce similar amounts of ethanol (similar to 12 g L-1), lactic acid (similar to 6 g L-1) and acetic acid (similar to 1.5 g L-1) to those obtained during milk fermentation. Based on the chemical characteristics and acceptance in the sensory analysis, the kefir grains showed potential to be used for developing cheese whey-based beverages.

High-yield kraft pulping of Eucalyptus grandis Hill ex Maiden biotreated by Ceriporiopsis subvermispora under two different culture conditions

In the present study, it was evaluated how two different culture conditions for the biotreatment of Eucalyptus grandis by Ceriporiopsis subvermispora affect a subsequent high-yield kraft pulping process. Under the varied culture conditions investigated, different extracellular enzyme activities were observed. Manganese-peroxidase (MnP) secretion was 3.7 times higher in cultures supplemented with glucose plus corn-steep liquor (glucose/CSL) as compared to non-supplemented (NS) cultures. The biotreated samples underwent diverse levels of wood component degradation as losses of weight and lignin were increased in glucose/CSL cultures. Mass balances for lignin removal during kraft pulping showed that delignification was facilitated when both biotreated wood samples were cooked. Delignification efficiency did not correlate positively with MnP levels in the cultures. On the other hand, biopulps from NS and glucose/CSL cultures saved 27% and 38% beating time to achieve 288 Schopper-Riegler freeness during refining, respectively. Biopulps disposed of decreased tensile and tear resistances, thus easier refining of the biokraft pulps seems to be a consequence of less resistant fiber walls. Improved beatability of biopulps was tentatively related to short fibers and fines formation during refining. We suggest that to some extent polysaccharide depolymerization occurred during the biotreatment, which also resulted in diminished pulp yields in the case of glucose/CSL cultures.

Synthesis of PID controllers for a class of time delay systems

In this paper we use the Hermite-Biehler theorem to establish results on the design of proportional plus integral plus derivative (PID) controllers for a class of time delay systems. Using the property of interlacing at high frequencies of the class of systems considered and linear programming we obtain the set of all stabilizing PID controllers. As far as we know, previous results on the synthesis of PID controllers rely on the solution of transcendental equations. This paper also extends previous results on the synthesis of proportional controllers for a class of delay systems Of retarded type to a larger class of delay systems. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

SYNCHRONIZATION OF A CLASS OF SECOND-ORDER NONLINEAR SYSTEMS

The asymptotic behavior of a class of coupled second-order nonlinear dynamical systems is studied in this paper. Using very mild assumptions on the vector-field, conditions on the coupling parameters that guarantee synchronization are provided. The proposed result does not require solutions to be ultimately bounded in order to prove synchronization, therefore it can be used to study coupled systems that do not globally synchronize, including synchronization of unbounded solutions. In this case, estimates of the synchronization region are obtained. Synchronization of two-coupled nonlinear pendulums and two-coupled Duffing systems are studied to illustrate the application of the proposed theory.

A Class of Channels Resulting in Ill-Convergence for CMA in Decision Feedback Equalizers

This paper analyzes the convergence of the constant modulus algorithm (CMA) in a decision feedback equalizer using only a feedback filter. Several works had already observed that the CMA presented a better performance than decision directed algorithm in the adaptation of the decision feedback equalizer, but theoretical analysis always showed to be difficult specially due to the analytical difficulties presented by the constant modulus criterion. In this paper, we surmount such obstacle by using a recent result concerning the CM analysis, first obtained in a linear finite impulse response context with the objective of comparing its solutions to the ones obtained through the Wiener criterion. The theoretical analysis presented here confirms the robustness of the CMA when applied to the adaptation of the decision feedback equalizer and also defines a class of channels for which the algorithm will suffer from ill-convergence when initialized at the origin.

Double generalized linear model for tissue culture proportion data: a Bayesian perspective

Joint generalized linear models and double generalized linear models (DGLMs) were designed to model outcomes for which the variability can be explained using factors and/or covariates. When such factors operate, the usual normal regression models, which inherently exhibit constant variance, will under-represent variation in the data and hence may lead to erroneous inferences. For count and proportion data, such noise factors can generate a so-called overdispersion effect, and the use of binomial and Poisson models underestimates the variability and, consequently, incorrectly indicate significant effects. In this manuscript, we propose a DGLM from a Bayesian perspective, focusing on the case of proportion data, where the overdispersion can be modeled using a random effect that depends on some noise factors. The posterior joint density function was sampled using Monte Carlo Markov Chain algorithms, allowing inferences over the model parameters. An application to a data set on apple tissue culture is presented, for which it is shown that the Bayesian approach is quite feasible, even when limited prior information is available, thereby generating valuable insight for the researcher about its experimental results.

Molecular and morphological markers for rapid distinction between 2 Colletotrichum species

Endophytic microorganisms reside asymptomatically within plants and are a source of new bioactive products for use in medicine, agriculture, and industry. Colletotrichum (teleomorph Glomerella) is a fungus widely cited in the literature as a producer of antimicrobial substances. Identification at the species level, however, has been a problem in this type of study. Several authors have reported the presence of endophytic fungi from the medicinal plant Maytenus ilicifolia (espinheira-santa) in Brazil that has antimicrobial activity against various pathogens. Therefore, Colletotrichum strains were isolated from M. ilicifolia and identified based on morphology, RAPD markers, sequence data of the internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS-1 and ITS-2), the 5.8S gene, and species-specific PCR. The analyses suggested the presence of 2 species, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Colletotrichum boninense. Two morphological markers were characterized to allow C. gloeosporioides and C. boninense to be distinguished quickly and accurately. The molecular diagnosis of C. boninense was confirmed by using Coll and ITS4 primers. This species of Colletotrichum is reported for the first time in M. ilicifolia.

CLIMATOLOGICAL HYDRIC BALANCE, EFFECTIVE SOIL WATER STORAGE AND TRANSPIRATION IN COFFEE CULTURE

The climatic water balance is one of the most used tools to assess, indirectly the amount of water present in the soil is capable of meeting the water needs of the plant. This study analyzed the climatologic hydric balance, the effective soil water storage and coffee plant transpiration in dry regimen cultivation. Daily climatologic hydric balance was calculated for coffee from January 2003 to May 2006. It was concluded that even in the most rainy months of the year, there is a hydric deficit in coffee plants grown in a dry regimen; effective soil water storage varied greatly through the years evaluated, and September was the most critical month, when this value remained below 30%; relative transpiration can not be taken as the single evaluation method for yield losses of coffee, grown in a dry regimen.

Culture-Independent Assessment of Rhizobiales-Related Alphaproteobacteria and the Diversity of Methylobacterium in the Rhizosphere and Rhizoplane of Transgenic Eucalyptus

The rhizosphere is an ecosystem exploited by a variety of organisms involved in plant health and environmental sustainability. Abiotic factors influence microorganism-plant interactions, but the microbial community is also affected by expression of heterologous genes from host plants. In the present work, we assessed the community shifts of Alphaproteobacteria phylogenetically related to the Rhizobiales order (Rhizobiales-like community) in rhizoplane and rhizosphere soils of wild-type and transgenic eucalyptus. A greenhouse experiment was performed and the bacterial communities associated with two wild-type (WT17 and WT18) and four transgenic (TR-9, TR-15, TR-22, and TR-23) eucalyptus plant lines were evaluated. The culture-independent approach consisted of the quantification, by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), of a targeted subset of Alphaproteobacteria and the assessment of its diversity using PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and 16S rRNA gene clone libraries. Real-time quantification revealed a lesser density of the targeted community in TR-9 and TR-15 plants and diversity analysis by principal components analysis, based on PCR-DGGE, revealed differences between bacterial communities, not only between transgenic and nontransgenic plants, but also among wild-type plants. The comparison between clone libraries obtained from the transgenic plant TR-15 and wild-type WT17 revealed distinct bacterial communities associated with these plants. In addition, a culturable approach was used to quantify the Methylobacterium spp. in the samples where the identification of isolates, based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, showed similarities to the species Methylobacterium nodulans, Methylobacterium isbiliense, Methylobacterium variable, Methylobacterium fujisawaense, and Methylobacterium radiotolerans. Colonies classified into this genus were not isolated from the rhizosphere but brought in culture from rhizoplane samples, except for one line of the transgenic plants (TR-15). In general, the data suggested that, in most cases, shifts in bacterial communities due to cultivation of transgenic plants are similar to those observed when different wild-type cultivars are compared, although shifts directly correlated to transgenic plant cultivation may be found.

Evapotranspiration and crop coefficients of seedless watermelon

The research was developed in Fortaleza, CE (latitude 3 degrees 43`S, longitude of 38 degrees 32`W and altitude of 19.5 m). It aimed to determine the Evapotranspiration and the crop coefficients for the different stadiums of seedless watermelon (Citrullus lanatus, Schrad), using the water balance method in drainage lysimeter. The experimental unit consisted of four located drainage lysimeter in an area of 600 m(2). The culture Evapotranspiration (ETc) was determined by the method of the water balance, in a volume of soil control with depth of 0.45 m, whose humidity was monitored by tensiometers. The reference Evapotranspiration (ETo) was estimated by the method of the class A pan. The crop coefficients were obtained from the rate between ETc and ETo in the different stages. The ETc presented growing values from the vegetative stage to the fruiting stage, dropping straight away in the mature stage. The maximum value of kc was observed in the fruiting stage.

A phospholipase A(2) from Bothrops asper snake venom activates neutrophils in culture: Expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and PGE(2) biosynthesis

In this study, the production of prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) and up-regulation in cyclooxygenase (COX) pathway induced by a phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)), myotoxin-III (MT-III), purified from Bothrops asper snake venom, in isolated neutrophils were investigated. The arachidonic acid (AA) production and the participation of intracellular PLA(2)s (cytosolic PLA(2) and Ca(2+)-independent PLA(2)) in these events were also evaluated. MT-III induced COX-2, but not COX-1 gene and protein expression in neutrophils and increased PGE(2) levels. Pretreatment of neutrophils with COX-2 and COX-1 inhibitors reduced PGE(2) production induced by MT-III. Arachidonyl trifluoromethyl ketone (AACOCF(3)), an intracellular PLA(2) inhibitor, but not bromoenol lactone (BEL), an iPLA(2) inhibitor, suppressed the MT-III-induced AA and PGE(2) release. In conclusion, MT-III directly stimulates neutrophils inducing COX-2 mRNA and protein expression followed by production of PGE(2). COX-2 isoform is preeminent over COX-1 for production of PGE(2) stimulated by MT-III. PGE(2) and AA release by MT-III probably is related to cPLA(2) activation. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Increased class A scavenger receptor and glomerular lipid precede mesangial matrix expansion in the bGH mouse model

Objective: Elevated neutral lipid content and mRNA expression of class A scavenger receptor (SRA) have been found in the renal cortex of the bovine growth hormone (bGH) mouse model of progressive glomerulosclerosis (GS). We hypothesize that the increased expression of SRA precedes glomerular scarring in this model. Design: Real time RT-PCR and immunofluorescence were employed to measure SRA and collagen types I and IV in the bGH transgenic and control mice at 5 and 12 weeks (wk) of age to determine the chronology of change in SRA expression in relation to glomerular scarring. Alternative mechanisms for increasing glomerular lipid were assessed by measuring mRNA expression levels of low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDL-r), 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR), and ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1). In addition, the involvement of macrophages in early GS was assessed by CD68 mRNA expression in kidney cortex. Results: Both mRNA and protein levels of SRA were significantly increased in 5-wk bGH compared with control mice, whereas the expression of collagen I and IV was unaltered. Unchanged levels of LDL-r and HMGR mRNA indicate that neither regulated cholesterol uptake via LDL-r nor the cholesterol synthetic pathway played a role in the early lipid increase. The finding of increased ABCA1 expression was an indicator of excess intracellular lipid in the renal cortex of bGH mice at 5 wk. CD68 expression in bGH did not differ significantly from that of controls at 5 wk suggesting that cortical macrophage infiltration was not increased in bGH mice at this time point. Conclusion: An early increase in SRA mRNA and protein expression in the bGH kidney precedes glomerular scarring and is independent of macrophage influx. Published by Elsevier Ltd. on behalf of Growth Hormone Research Society.