Otero Junior College

As sementes são as precursoras da geração seguinte na vida das plantas. O seu potencial germinativo é determinado pelas propriedades internas e externas, mas estes atributos sofrem danos com frequência pelos fatores de natureza biótica. Os fungos são os seus principais agentes causadores de danos, influenciando no insucesso para o alcance do resultado desejado num experimento ou numa produção de mudas para um determinado fim. Perante o conteúdo exposto e com o intuito de aumentar as disponibilidades das referências bibliográficas, objetivou-se realizar uma análise sobre a microbiota associada às sementes de espécies arbóreas nativas do Ceará, assim como testes de índice de velocidade de germinação (IVG) em sementes não incubadas e incubadas em câmara úmida. O trabalho foi realizado na cidade de Redenção-CE, durante o mês de novembro de 2018 a julho de 2019. Os experimentos foram conduzidos na Unidade de Produção de Mudas-Auroras e no laboratório de fisiologia vegetal da Universidade da Integração Internacional da Lusofonia Afro-Brasileira-UNILAB. Após 5 dias (120 horas) da incubação, todos os tratamentos apresentaram colônias de fungos. Dentre eles, o gênero Aspergillus spp. foi encontrado em todas as sementes, enquanto Curvularia spp. apenas nas sementes de Jacarandá. As sementes não incubadas apresentaram maiores percentagens de germinação em relação às sementes incubadas. O armazenamento de sementes em menor período e em boas condições do ambiente é de extrema importância.

<p>Este manual describe simples ensayos para evaluar la condición del patrimonio construido y de monumentos culturales. Los ensayos fueron seleccionados por su sencillez y su disponibilidad generalizada, especialmente en países donde pocas instituciones se encargan de la conservación de edificios o monumentos, y donde hay pocos laboratorios capaces de hacer los análisis necesarios.</p> <p>Muchos ensayos se pueden realizar sin la necesidad de un laboratorio de conservación completo. Estos incluyen microscopía, ensayos con tiras reactivas, ensayos con cinta Scotch, absorción con el tubo RILEM, transmisión de vapor de agua y tres ensayos que se pueden realizar en secuencia: coeficiente de absorción capilar de agua, inmersión total y curvas de evaporación.</p> Algunos de estos ensayos ayudan en la examinación de los materiales de construcción, en la caracterización de sales y otros problemas de su condición, para determinar métodos y materiales apropiados para su conservación y restauración.

Abstract Herbivory is a common ecological function among extant lepidosaurs, but little is known about the origin of this feeding strategy within Lepidosauria. Here we describe a sphenodontian (Lepidosauria) from the Late Triassic of western North America,Trullidens purgatoriin. gen. n. sp., that reveals new aspects of the earliest radiation of herbivorous lepidosaurs. This taxon is represented by an isolated lower jaw with robust structure bearing transversely widened dentition and extensive wear facets, suggesting a masticatory apparatus specialized for herbivory. An unusual ‘incisor-like’ tooth is present at the anterior end of the jaw; a unique feature among lepidosaurs, this tooth is convergent with the incisors of extant rodents and lagomorphs. Phylogenetic analyses support the placement of this taxon within opisthodontian sphenodontians, a group sharing derived cranio-dental morphologies specialized for herbivory. The new taxon was recovered in a recently discovered and unnamed series of Upper Triassic strata in southeastern Colorado, USA, exposed in Canyons incised by the Purgatoire River and its tributaries. These strata comprise a dominantly red-bed sequence of conglomerates, sandstones, and siltstones deposited in a fluvio-lacustrine setting, preserving a Late Triassic biota of invertebrate and vertebrate ichnofossils, plant macrofossils, bony fish, temnospondyl amphibians, and reptiles. We use aetosaur osteoderms as biostratigraphic links to the nearby Chinle Formation of Arizona, USA, establishing a middle Norian age for these strata. The presence of an opisthodontian from western equatorial Pangaea in the Norian Stage reveals a near-global radiation of this clade across the Pangaean supercontinent during the Late Triassic.UUID:http://zoobank.org/A737c03f-863a-488e-a860-5cc914548774.

Objective: The current study aimed to evaluate the relation between leptin and serum lipids, and to explore whether alcohol consumption modifies the effect of leptin on lipids. Method: We conducted a Mendelian randomization analysis to the baseline data for 3,780 participants of the Framingham Heart Study Generation III cohort. A genetic risk score (GRS) for leptin was generated by summing leptin increasing alleles of 3 single-nucleotide polymorphisms, weighted by their corresponding effect sizes on leptin reported by Kilpelainen et al. For those taking lipid lowering medications, total cholesterol (TC) was adjusted as TC/0.8, and low density lipoprotein (LDL) was imputed by replacing the adjusted TC into the Friedewald equation. Leptin and triglycerides (TG) were log transformed. Associations between the GRS and leptin, leptin and imputed lipids, and GRS and imputed lipids were assessed, respectively, by multivariate linear regression models, controlling for age and sex in basic model and additionally controlling for education, smoking, drinking, and physical activity in the fully adjusted model. Interactions between the GRS and alcohol drinking was evaluated by adding an interaction term, GRS*drinking, in the fully adjusted model. Sensitivity analyses were performed among those not taking lipid or glucose lowering medications. Result: In univariate analyses, the GRS was significantly associated with leptin (Beta=1.44, P =4.55E-4), but not with age ( P =0.33), sex ( P =0.62), education ( P =0.37), smoking ( P =0.59), drinking ( P =0.42), or physical activity ( P =0.80). Leptin was significantly associated with age and sex adjusted LDL (Beta=7.29, P =5.95E-38), high density lipoprotein (HDL) (Beta=-4.30, P =4.35E-62), TG (Beta=0.22, P =1.05E-119), and TC (Beta=8.06, P =1.72E-36). The GRS for leptin was associated with HDL (Beta=-16.72, P =0.01), but not LDL (Beta=2.64, P =0.85), TG (Beta=-0.35, P =0.16), or TC (Beta=-23.34, P =0.15), in partially adjusted model. In the fully adjusted model, association between the GRS and HDL was still significant (Beta=-16.70, P =0.01). When stratified by drinking status, the GRS for leptin was significantly associated with reduced LDL (Beta=-99.26, P =0.02), TG (Beta=-2.4, P =0.002), and TC (Beta=-156.10, P =0.001) among non-current drinkers, and reduced HDL (Beta=-19.98, P =0.005) among current drinkers, adjusting for age and sex. After further adjustment, these associations were still significant. In the fully adjusted model, significant interactions between the GRS and alcohol drinking were identified for LDL ( P =0.02), TG ( P =0.005), and TC ( P =0.008). Sensitivity analyses among those not taking lipid or glucose lowering medications revealed similar associations. Conclusion: Out study provided evidence for a causal relationship between leptin and lipids, and an interaction effect of alcohol drinking on leptin and lipids associations.

The aim of this paper is to analyze China's strategy in relation to the euro. The first section summarizes China's active support to the single currency since its creation up to the first phase of the current Eurozone debt crisis. It shows how China has used a two-pronged approach. It has developed a public campaign in favor of the euro, especially when the market sentiment has been bearish on the single currency, and it has continued to be an active player in the European sovereign debt markets. The second part explains why China has been so supportive. Beijing wants to move away from dollar hegemony and thus it favors a tripolar monetary system based on the US dollar, the euro and the Chinese renminbi (RMB). With this aim, and despite the crisis, China has continued to diversify its foreign reserves into the euro making it by now ‘too important to fail’, not only because China holds roughly $1 trillion in euro-denominated assets, but also because for China the Eurozone is a crucial market and an important strategic counterweight to US dominance in world affairs. Finally, the third part focuses on how by the end of 2011 China switches to a more cautious approach due to the difficulty involved in rescuing the Eurozone. Domestic pressures, public outcry in Europe against being saved by China, the unwillingness of the European leaders to enter into strategic bargaining and Germany's strategy to use sovereign bond spreads as a market mechanism to create ‘more Europe’ have convinced policy-makers in Beijing to keep a lower profile while making sure the value of the euro remains stable.

ABSTRACT.Therapeutic options for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), the most common and lethal neuromuscular disorder in children, remain elusive. Oxidative damage is implicated as a pertinent factor involved in its pathogenesis. Protandim® is an over-the-counter supplement with the ability to induce antioxidant enzymes. In this study we investigated whether Protandim® provided benefit using surrogate markers and functional measures in the dystrophin-deficient (mdx) mouse model of DMD. Male 3-week-old mdx mice were randomized into two treatment groups: control (receiving standard rodent chow) and Protandim®-supplemented standard rodent chow. The diets were continued for 6-week and 6-month studies. The endpoints included the oxidative stress marker thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), plasma osteopontin (OPN), plasma paraoxonase (PON1) activity, H&E histology, gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of leg muscle and motor functional measurements. The Protandim® chow diet in mdx mice for 6 months was safe and well tolerated. After 6 months of Protandim®, a 48% average decrease in plasma TBARS was seen; 0.92 nmol/mg protein in controls versus 0.48 nmol/mg protein in the Protandim® group (p = .006). At 6 months, plasma OPN was decreased by 57% (p = .001) in the Protandim®-treated mice. Protandim® increased the plasma antioxidant enzyme PON1 activity by 35% (p = .018). After 6 months, the mdx mice with Protandim® showed 38% less MRI signal abnormality (p = .07) than mice on control diet. In this 6-month mdx mouse study, Protandim® did not significantly alter motor function nor histological criteria.

There are unresolved issues regarding the security of liver transplantation with non-heart-beating donors (NHBDs). Recently, an increased incidence of biliary complications, mainly intrahepatic ischemic-type biliary strictures, has been described after controlled NHBDs. We studied the incidence and risk factors for biliary complications among uncontrolled NHBDs recipients compared with a large population of HBD recipients. Overall, 16.8% of patients in the HBD group and 41.7% of patients in the NHBD group suffered any type of biliary complication (P=0.66). However, the incidence of nonanastomotic biliary strictures was significantly greater in the NHBD group (P<0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that independent risk factors for nonanastomotic strictures were hepatic artery thrombosis (relative risk; 98.7) and receiving a liver from a NHBD (relative risk; 47.1). If this type of donors is accepted as a source of liver organs, the high incidence of biliary complications should be considered and efforts should be made to decrease ischemic injury.