Lavandula angustifolia Miller: English lavender.

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Denner, Sallie Stoltz

2009-01-01

Folk and traditional therapeutic use of the essential oil of English lavender for pain, infection, relaxation, and sedation dates back centuries. Current research focusing on the inherent synergism of Lavandula angustifolia Miller demonstrates great potential for future applications. Today's investigations may provide the key to eradicating degenerative inflammatory disease, infectious disease, and carcinogenesis.

Taquara bamboo control as an alternative to recovery of the Araucaria Forest Controle de taquaras como alternativa para a recuperação da Floresta com Araucária

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Carlos Roberto Sanquetta

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Native bamboos occur abundantly in forests with predominance of Araucaria angustifolia that were
highly disturbed by anthropogenic causes. The occupation of the competitive space by these plants may indicate that there is a dependency relationship between the establishment of tree seedlings and bamboos in the ecosystem. This study aimed at evaluating the establishment of seedlings of tree species that appeared naturally in an area strongly dominated by bamboos in the understory. An  experiment of mechanical control of bamboos
was established in the municipality of General Carneiro, southern Paraná State, with 1.00 hectare, following the
completely randomized design. The results showed that felling of bamboos may be effective to stimulate the
appearance of many species and also to increase seedling density. Mechanical bamboo control by felling,
combined with its biomass removal and understory thinning, is effective to stimulate seedling establishment of the majority of species in the forest. In general, it can be concluded that response of the forest to management practices is quite quick. Few months after the effect of bamboo control on the regeneration of the tree species might be clearly noticed. This suggests that management practices may be very effective to the restoration of degraded ecosystems.Taquaras ocorrem abundantemente em florestas antropizadas com Araucaria angustifolia. Evidências
levam a crer que existe uma relação de dependência entre a sua presença e o grau de estabelecimento de espécies arbóreas. O objetivo deste trabalho é avaliar o estabelecimento de plântulas espontaneamente regeneradas em áreas com forte presença de taquaras. Foi instalado um experimento no extremo sul do Paraná, com área de um hectare, por delineamento inteiramente casualizado com cinco tratamentos e cinco repetições. Os resultados aos 18 meses revelaram que o corte das taquaras provocou o reaparecimento de

Hidden in plain view: Cryptic diversity in the emblematic Araucaria of New Caledonia.

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Ruhsam, Markus; Clark, Alexandra; Finger, Aline; Wulff, Adrien S; Mill, Robert R; Thomas, Philip I; Gardner, Martin F; Gaudeul, Myriam; Ennos, Richard A; Hollingsworth, Peter M

2016-05-01

Cryptic species represent a conservation challenge, because distributions and threats cannot be accurately assessed until species are recognized and defined. Cryptic species are common in diminutive and morphologically simple organisms, but are rare in charismatic and/or highly visible groups such as conifers. New Caledonia, a small island in the southern Pacific is a hotspot of diversity for the emblematic conifer genus Araucaria (Araucariaceae, Monkey Puzzle trees) where 13 of the 19 recognized species are endemic. We sampled across the entire geographical distribution of two closely related species (Araucaria rulei and A. muelleri) and screened them for genetic variation at 12 nuclear and 14 plastid microsatellites and one plastid minisatellite; a subset of the samples was also examined using leaf morphometrics. The genetic data show that populations of the endangered A. muelleri fall into two clearly distinct genetic groups: one corresponding to montane populations, the other corresponding to trees from lower elevation populations from around the Goro plateau. These Goro plateau populations are more closely related to A. rulei, but are sufficiently genetically and morphological distinct to warrant recognition as a new species. Our study shows the presence of a previously unrecognized species in this flagship group, and that A. muelleri has 30% fewer individuals than previously thought. Combined, this clarification of species diversity and distributions provides important information to aid conservation planning for New Caledonian Araucaria. © 2016 Botanical Society of America.

[Chemical constituents of Swertia angustifolia].

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He, Kang; Cao, Tuan-wu; Wang, Hong-ling; Geng, Chang-an; Zhang, Xue-mei; Chen, Ji-jun

2015-09-01

This present work is to study the chemical constituents of Swertia angustifolia. The whole plants of air-dried Swertia angustifolia was extracted with 90% EtOH. The water extract was suspended in H2O and extracted with petroleum ether, EtOAc and nBuOH, successively. The compounds were isolated and purified by column chromatography from the EtOAc fraction, and identified based on spectral analyses (MS, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR). Fourteen compounds were isolated and characterized as 1, 8-dihydroxy-3, 7-dimethoxyxanthone (1), 1, 8-dihydroxy-3, 5, 7-trimethoxyxanthone (2), 7-hydroxy-3, 8-dimethoxyxanthone-1-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (3), 8-0-[β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1-6) -β-D-glucopyranosyl] -1, 7-dihydroxy-3-methoxyxanthone (4), (+) -syringaresinol (5), ferulic acid (6), trans-coniferyl aldehyde (7), sinapaldehyde (8), trans-coniferyl alcohol (9), 3, 4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (10), 2-hydroxybenzoic acid (11), isophthalic acid (12), 2-furoic acid (13), and 2-methyl-4(3H)-quinazolinone(14). Compounds 2-14 were obtained from this plant for the first time.

Intra-specific genetic relationship analyses of Elaeagnus angustifolia based on RP-HPLC biochemical markers

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2006-01-01

Elaeagnus angustifolia Linn. has various ecological, medicinal and economical uses. An approach was established using RP-HPLC (reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography) to classify and analyse the intra-specific genetic relationships of seventeen populations of E. angustifolia, collected from the Xinjiang areas of China. Chromatograms of alcohol-soluble proteins produced by seventeen populations ofE. angustifolia, were compared. Each chromatogram of alcohol-soluble proteins came from a single seed of one wild plant only. The results showed that when using a Waters Delta Pak. C18, 5 μm particle size reversed phase column (150 mm×3.9 mm), a linear gradient of 25%～60% solvent B with flow rate of 1 ml/min and run time of 67 min, the chromatography yielded optimum separation ofE. angustifolia alcohol-soluble proteins. Representative peaks in each population were chosen according to peak area and occurrence in every seed. The converted data on the elution peaks of each population were different and could be used to represent those populations. GSC (genetic similarity coefficients) of 41% to 62% showed a medium degree of genetic diversity among the populations in these eco-areas. Cluster analysis showed that the seventeen populations ofE. angustifolia could be divided into six clusters at the GSC=0.535 level and indicated the general and unique biochemical markers of these clusters. We suggest that E. angustifolia distribution in these eco-areas could be classified into six variable species. RP-HPLC was shown to be a rapid, repeatable and reliable method for E. angustifolia classification and identification and for analysis of genetic diversity.

The In Vitro Antimicrobial Effects of Lavandula angustifolia Essential Oil in Combination with Conventional Antimicrobial Agents

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de Rapper, Stephanie; Viljoen, Alvaro

2016-01-01

The paper focuses on the in vitro antimicrobial activity of Lavandula angustifolia Mill. (lavender) essential oil in combination with four commercial antimicrobial agents. Stock solutions of chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, nystatin, and fusidic acid were tested in combination with L. angustifolia essential oil. The antimicrobial activities of the combinations were investigated against the Gram-positive bacterial strain Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538) and Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27858) and Candida albicans (ATCC 10231) was selected to represent the yeasts. The antimicrobial effect was performed using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) microdilution assay. Isobolograms were constructed for varying ratios. The most prominent interaction was noted when L. angustifolia essential oil was combined with chloramphenicol and tested against the pathogen P. aeruginosa (ΣFIC of 0.29). Lavendula angustifolia essential oil was shown in most cases to interact synergistically with conventional antimicrobials when combined in ratios where higher volumes of L. angustifolia essential oil were incorporated into the combination. PMID:27891157

The In Vitro Antimicrobial Effects of Lavandula angustifolia Essential Oil in Combination with Conventional Antimicrobial Agents

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Stephanie de Rapper

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The paper focuses on the in vitro antimicrobial activity of Lavandula angustifolia Mill. (lavender essential oil in combination with four commercial antimicrobial agents. Stock solutions of chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, nystatin, and fusidic acid were tested in combination with L. angustifolia essential oil. The antimicrobial activities of the combinations were investigated against the Gram-positive bacterial strain Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538 and Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27858 and Candida albicans (ATCC 10231 was selected to represent the yeasts. The antimicrobial effect was performed using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC microdilution assay. Isobolograms were constructed for varying ratios. The most prominent interaction was noted when L. angustifolia essential oil was combined with chloramphenicol and tested against the pathogen P. aeruginosa (ΣFIC of 0.29. Lavendula angustifolia essential oil was shown in most cases to interact synergistically with conventional antimicrobials when combined in ratios where higher volumes of L. angustifolia essential oil were incorporated into the combination.

Soil organic matter in fire-affected pastures and in an Araucaria forest in South-Brazilian Leptosols

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Mariana da Luz Potes

2012-05-01

Full Text Available The objective of this work was to evaluate the distribution pattern and composition of soil organic matter (SOM and its physical pools of Leptosols periodically affected by fire over the last 100 years in South Brazil. Soil samples at 0-5, 5-10, and 10-15 cm depths were collected from the following environments: native pasture without burning in the last year and grazed with 0.5 livestock per hectare per year (1NB; native pasture without burning in the last 23 years and grazed with 2.0 livestock per hectare per year (23NB; and an Araucaria forest (AF. Physical fractionation was performed with the 0-5 and 5-10 cm soil layers. Soil C and N stocks were determined in the three depths and in the physical pools, and organic matter was characterized by infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetry. The largest C stocks in all depths and physical pools were found under the AF. The 23NB environment showed the lowest soil C and N stocks at the 5-15 cm depth, which was related to the end of burning and to the higher grazing intensity. The SOM of the occluded light fraction showed a greater chemical recalcitrance in 1NB than in 23NB. Annual pasture burning does not affect soil C stocks up to 15 cm of depth.

Antioxidant activity of alstonia Angustifolia ethanolic leaf extract

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Rahim, Nurhidayah Ab; Zakaria, Noorzafiza; Dzulkarnain, Syarifah Masyitah Habib; Azahar, Nazar Mohd Zabadi Mohd; Abdulla, Mahmood Ameen

2017-10-01

In current study, the ability of the ethanolic extract of Alstonia angustifolia in scavenging free radicals was assessed by using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) radical scavenging assay. The results suggested that the ethanolic extract of A. angustifolia leaves has a notable antioxidant activity. In FRAP assay, it showed that the extract have higher total antioxidant activity with FRAP value is 1868.33 µM/g Fe (ii) dry mass ± 0.15 than the control, quercetin with FRAP value is 1336.9 µM/g Fe (II) dry mass ± 0.12 and ascorbic acid with FRAP value is 1720 µM/g Fe (II) dry mass ± 0.02. For DPPH assay, the IC50 value of the extract is 384.77 while the IC50 value of standards of ascorbic acid and quercetin are 18.07 µg/ml and 39.60 µg/ml, respectively. For H2O2 scavenging assay, the IC50 value for the extract was discovered to be 186.77 µg/ml compared to standard ascorbic acid 466.56 µg/ml. Thus, the study suggests that A. angustifolia ethanolic leaf extract has a good origin of natural antioxidants and might be beneficial in impeding the oxidative stress progression thus averting diseases that related to free radicals.

Comparison of phytosociological parameters among three strata of a fragment of ombrophylous mixed forest

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Sebastião do Amaral Machado

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Phytosociological studies based on sampling have been very common in the last 20 years, however, they are rarely carried out using complete enumeration of trees (census. This research compare the phytossociological parameters between three different strata from a remnant of Ombrophylous Mixed Forest (OMF, which are: OMF Montana, Border OMF Montana and OMF Alluvial. The area of 13.71 was topographically divided in blocks of 50 x 50 meters for a better control of the 100% forest inventory (census. All trees with CBH (circumference measured at 1,30 m above ground ≥ 31,5 centimeters were measured, georeferencied, numbered, painted at DBH and identified at species level. In the strata OMF Montana the species with the highest Value of Coverage (VC was Araucaria angustifolia, with 30.6%, followed by Casearia sylvestris with 25.8%. In the Border OMF Montana the species that succeeded Araucaria angustifolia (29.0% was Gochnatia polymorpha with 27.2% of VC. The third strata, OMF Alluvial, presented as predominant species Schinus terebinthifolius (55,5%, followed by Sebastiania commersoniana (27,7%, both characteristics of alluvial environments. In the three strata there was prevalence of secondary pioneer species, proving that the area is in a secondary stage of ecological succession due to past exploratory process.

Análise florística e estrutural de um fragmento de floresta ombrófila mista montana, situado em Criúva, RS – Brasil

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Rubens Neto Marques Rondon

2002-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper was to know and analyze the floristic composition and describe the structure of the arboreous component of a fragment of Montane Mixed Ombrophylous Forest in Cri úva – State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Were inventoried 673 individuous with DBH ³ 5 cm eight 10 x 100 m plots, distributed into 37 species, 32 genera and 22 families. The Shannon diversity index was 2,768. The families which presented the largest number of individuous were: Araucariaceae, Myrsinaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Anacardiaceae and Rutaceae. The forest canopy is dominated by Araucaria angustifolia and the understory, by species of the families Lauraceae and Myrtaceae. The total density found was 841,25 individuous/ha, the mean DBH was 24,01 cm and the highest VI values, in descending order, were: Araucaria angustifolia, Sebastiania commersoniana , Lithraea brasiliensis, Zanthoxylum rhoifolium and Myrcia sp.. The fragment presents a considerable floristic diversity of species, in spite of the suffered disturbances in the past. For the vegetation to reach the floristic and structural characteristics close to the one of the original vegetation it is necessary to avoid the presence of bovine and equine in the area and explorations of the forest.

Identification of the temperature- induced larvicidal efficacy of Agave angustifolia against Aedes, Culex and Anopheles larvae

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Mithilesh eKajla

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Synthetic insecticides are generally employed to control the mosquito population. However, their injudicious over usage and non-biodegradability are associated with many adverse effects on the environment and mosquitoes. The application of environment-friendly mosquitocidals might be an alternate to overcome these issues. In this study, we found that organic or aqueous extracts of Agave angustifolia leaves exhibited a strong larvicidal activity (LD50 28.27 µg/ml against Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus and Anopheles stephensi larvae within a short exposure of 12h. The larvicidal activity of Agave angustifolia is inherited and independent of the plants vegetative growth. Interestingly, the plant larvicidal activity was observed exclusively during the summer season (April-August, when outside temperature is between 30oC to 50oC and it was significantly reduced during winter season (December-February, when the outside temperature falls to ~4oC or lower. Thus, we hypothesized that the larvicidal components of Agave angustifolia might be induced by the manipulation of environmental temperature and should be resistant to the hot conditions. We found that the larvicidal activity of Agave angustifolia was induced when plants were maintained at 37oC in a semi-natural environment against the controls that were growing outside in cold weather. Pre-incubation of Agave angustifolia extract at 100oC for 1h killed 60% larvae in 12h, which gradually increased to 100% mortality after 24h. In addition, the dry powder formulation of Agave angustifolia, also displayed a strong larvicidal activity after a long shelf life. Together, these findings revealed that Agave angustifolia is an excellent source of temperature induced bioactive metabolites that may assist the preparedness for vector control programs competently.

STRUCTURE OF MAIN ARBOREAL SPECIES IN CRUCE CABALLERO PARK AND ITS FLORISTIC SIMILARITY WITH AREAS FROM ARGENTINE AND BRAZIL

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Román Carlos Ríos

2010-08-01

Full Text Available The present work aimed to study the fitossociologic structure and floristic similarity among seasonal and mixed forests of Argentina and Brazil. Cruce Caballero Park with 522 hectares where the method of multiple plots was adopted with (20 x 10 m. In each plot all individual tree of size equal or heigher than 5 cm diameter were registered, being measured the stem diameter and height into three environmental compartments, Haplorthox, Ustorthent and Udorthent. In Haplorthox, Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol. Kuntze prevail at higher stratum and Sorocea bonplandii (Baill. W.C.Burger, Lanj. & Boer, Cabralea canjerana (Vell. Mart., Ocotea lancifolia Mez and Apuleia leiocarpa J.F.Macbr. follow it. In Ustorthent araucaria is absent and Gymnanthes concolor Müll.Arg., Trichilia claussenii C.DC., Apuleia leiocarpa, Pilocarpus pennatifolius Lem. and Sorocea bonplandii prevail. Aracuaria is scarce in Udorthent where Parapiptadenia rigida (Benth. Brenan, Alchornea triplinervia Müll.Arg., Luehea divaricata Mart., Erythrina falcata Benth. and Myrsine gardneriana A.DC. prevail. A comparative analysis shown Cruce Caballero more similar to seasonal forests than mixed araucaria forest from Brazil.

Steroidal saponins from fresh stems of Dracaena angustifolia

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Six new steroidal saponins (1-6), angudracanosides A-F, were isolated from fresh stems of Dracaena angustifolia, together with eight known compounds. The structures of compounds 1-6 were determined by detailed spectroscopic analyses and chemical methods. Antifungal testing of all compounds showed th...

Seed germination of Phillyrea angustifolia L., a species of difficult propagation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mira, Sara; Arnal, Alberto; Pérez-García, Félix

2017-11-01

Aim of study: The purpose was to determine the type of dormancy and the optimal germination conditions of Phillyrea angustifolia (Oleaceae) seeds. Area of study: Germination requirements of P. angustifolia seeds collected from wild plants growing in the province of Ávila (Central Spain) were studied. Materials and methods: Seed water uptake was measured. Seeds with and without an endocarp were germinated at different temperatures, and several treatments were tested. Main results: The lignified endocarp interferes mechanically with the emergence of the radicle, and the treatments that achieved the highest germination percentages were the total removal of the endocarp with pliers (84%) or the immersion in liquid nitrogen for 1 min (97%). Scarification with concentrated sulphuric acid did not significantly increase germination compared to the control seeds, and treatments with dry heat or wet heat were detrimental to seed germination. The optimum temperature for germination was 15 ºC. A pre-sowing treatment of soaking in distilled water for 24 h slightly increased germination speed. Neither cold stratification at 5 ºC nor soaking in a gibberellic acid solution improved seed germination. Research highlights: Phillyrea angustifolia seeds have physiological dormancy – that is, the embryo does not have enough growth potential to overcome the mechanical restriction of the lignified endocarp. The seeds do not exhibit physical dormancy, given their water-permeable lignified endocarp. Our results suggest that the optimum germination protocol for P. angustifolia would be the total removal of the endocarp or immersion in liquid nitrogen for 1 min, followed by immersion in distilled water for 24 h and then seed incubation at 15 ºC in light or darkness.

Mamíferos carnívoros e sua relação com a diversidade de hábitats no Parque Nacional dos Aparados da Serra, sul do Brasil

OpenAIRE

Santos, Maria de Fatima Maciel dos; Pellanda, Mateus; Tomazzoni, Ana Cristina; Hasenack, Heinrich; Hartz, Sandra Maria

2004-01-01

A survey of carnivore mammals was accomplished in Aparados da Serra National Park from February 1998 to March 2000. The park has 10,250 ha and is considered a biodiversity core area of the Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve in the Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The landscape is characterized by relatively well preserved relicts of Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze forest, grasslands and Atlantic Forest, which have contributed for the survival of endangered carnivore mammals. The Nation...

Micropropagation of Guadua angustifolia Kunth (Poaceae) using a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Universidad del Quindio

2016-07-13

Jul 13, 2016 ... develop an application for RITA® for use in the commercial production of G. angustifolia. Key words: Giant .... Data were analyzed using a random block design with 20 replicates ..... Gray D (eds) Plant Tissue Culture Concepts and Laboratory ... A (eds) Current Issues in Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology,.

The effect of acid hydrolysis on the technological functional properties of pinhão (Araucaria brasiliensis starch Efeito da hidrólise ácida nas propriedades funcionais tecnológicas do amido de pinhão (Araucaria brasiliensis

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Roberta Cruz Silveira Thys

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Technological functional properties of native and acid-thinned pinhão (seeds of Araucária angustifolia, Brazilian pine starches were evaluated and compared to those of native and acid-thinned corn starches. The starches were hydrolyzed (3.2 mol.L-1 HCl, 44 ºC, 6 hours and evaluated before and after the hydrolysis reaction in terms of formation, melting point and thermo-reversibility of gel starches, retrogradation (in a 30-day period and measurements every three days, paste freezing and thawing stability (after six freezing and thawing cycles, swelling power, and solubility. The results of light transmittance (% of pastes of native and acid-thinned pinhão starches was higher (lower tendency to retrogradation than that obtained for corn starches after similar storage period. Native pinhão starch (NPS presented lower syneresis than native corn starch (NCS when submitted to freeze-thaw cycles. The acid hydrolysis increased the syneresis of the two native varieties under storage at 5 ºC and after freezing and thawing cycles. The solubility of NPS was lower than that of native corn starch at 25, 50, and 70 ºC. However, for the acid-thinned pinhão starch (APS, this property was significantly higher (p As propriedades funcionais tecnológicas do amido nativo e modificado (hidrólise ácida de pinhão (Araucaria angustifólia foram comparadas às propriedades do amido nativo e ácido hidrolisado de milho. As espécies de amido foram hidrolisadas (3.2 mol.L-1 HCl, 44 ºC, 6 horas e avaliadas, antes e após a reação de hidrólise, de acordo com as análises de formação, fusão e termorreversão do gel, retrogradação (em um período de 30 dias, com medidas a cada 3 dias, estabilidade ao congelamento e descongelamento (após 6 ciclos de congelamento e descongelamento, poder de inchamento e índice de solubilidade. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram que o amido de pinhão apresenta menor tendência à retrogradação quando comparado ao amido

Lavandula angustifolia and Lavandula latifolia Essential Oils from Spain: Aromatic Profile and Bioactivities.

Science.gov (United States)

Carrasco, Alejandro; Martinez-Gutierrez, Ramiro; Tomas, Virginia; Tudela, Jose

2016-01-01

Compositions of true lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and spike lavender (Lavandula latifolia) essential oils, cultivated and extracted in the Southeast of Spain, were determined by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry detection, obtaining both relative (peak area) and absolute (using standard curves) concentrations. Linalool (37-54 %), linalyl acetate (21-36 %) and (E)-β-caryophyllene (1-3 %) were the most abundant components for L. angustifolia. Linalool (35-51 %), eucalyptol (26-32 %), camphor (10-18 %), α-pinene (1-2 %), α-terpineol (1-2 %) and α-bisabolene (1-2 %) were the most abundant components for L. latifolia. The characterization was completed with enantioselective gas chromatography, in which the determined main molecules were (-)-linalool, (-)-linalyl acetate and (+)-camphor. (S)-(-)-camphene, (R)-(+)-limonene, (1R, 9S)-(-)-(E)-β-caryophyllene and (1R, 4R, 6R, 10S)-(-)-caryophyllene oxide were found in this study as the predominant enantiomers in Spanish L. angustifolia. The characterised essential oils were tested for their antioxidant activity against free radicals ABTS, DPPH, ORAC, chelating, and reducing power. Inhibitory activity on lipoxygenase was observed indicating a possible anti-inflammatory activity, mainly due to linalool, camphor, p-cymene and limonene. These results can be the starting point for a future study of the potential use of L. angustifolia and L. latifolia essential oils as natural cosmetic and natural pharmaceutical ingredients for several skin diseases. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Rooting induction of different Lavandula angustifolia accessions by auxin applicationIndução de enraizamento em diferentes acessos de Lavandula angustifolia por meio de aplicação de auxina

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Claudine Maria de Bona

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Lavandula angustifolia Miller (lavender, considered a hard to root species, is comprised of many varieties and horticultural forms, and genotypes from different provenances may present variance in rooting capacity. The objective of this experiment was to test different concentrations of indol-3-butyric acid (IBA on rooting of eight (G1 to G8 L. angustifolia genotypes from different provenances. Cuttings were treated with different doses (0 to 2000 mg L-1 of IBA. Rooting percentage (RP, root number (RN, and length of the longest root (RL were evaluated. The different accessions presented very diverse response to IBA application. IBA did not exert influence on rooting of G1, G2, and G7; was benefic to G3 until 700 mg L-1; was benefic to G4 and G6; and was prejudicial to G5 and G8; the same IBA dose which promoted better rooting on G3 (700 mg L-1 was toxic to G5; 1500 mg L-1 of IBA promoted better rooting, greater root number and length on G6 but was completely and significantly detrimental to G8. G1 and G3 presented high rooting percentages, in spite of L. angustifolia being considered a hard to root species. G4, G5 and G6, however, presented very poor rooting, compared to the other genotypes. Necessity of auxin application and adequate dose may not be generalized to L. angustifolia different accessions. Its use should be incentivized when the genotype is recalcitrant to root and auxin concentration should be adjusted to it.A Lavandula angustifolia Miller (alfazema, considerada de difícil enraizamento, apresenta muitas variedades e formas horticulturais, e genótipos de diferentes procedências podem apresentar variação na sua capacidade de enraizamento. O objetivo deste experimento foi testar diferentes concentrações de ácido indol butírico (AIB no enraizamento de oito genótipos (G1 a G8 de L. angustifolia de diferentes procedências. Estacas foram tratadas com diferentes doses (0 a 2000 mg L-1 de AIB. Porcentagem de enraizamento (RN, n

The identity of zostera marina var. angustifolia Hornemann (Potamogetonaceae)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hartog, den C.

1972-01-01

Since Hornemann (Fl. Dan. 9, 1816, p. 3, pl. 1501) published the name Zostera marina var. angustifolia together with a very poor drawing and the extremely short diagnosis ‘foliis subenerviis’ several interpretations of the identity of this taxon have been given. Some authors regarded it as a

Lavandula angustifolia essential oil as a novel and promising natural candidate for tick (Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus) control.

Science.gov (United States)

Pirali-Kheirabadi, Khodadad; Teixeira da Silva, Jaime A

2010-10-01

Lavandula angustifolia is a well known herbal medicine with a variety of useful properties, including its acaricidal effect. This experiment was carried out to study the bioacaricidal activity of L. angustifolia essential oil (EO) against engorged Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus (Acari; Ixodidae) females. For this purpose six serial concentrations (0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 6.0 and 8.0% w/v) of L. angustifolia EO were used. There was considerable mortality in concentrations more than 4.0% although there were no differences between 6.0 and 8.0% in all measured criteria. The mortality rate 24 h after inoculation was 73.26 and 100% in groups treated with 4.0 and 8.0% EO, respectively. Lavender EO also reduced tick egg weight in a concentration-dependent manner. The amount of eggs produced varied from 0.12 g (at 0.5% EO) to 0.00 g (at 8.0% EO) but did not differ statistically from the control. L. angustifolia EO caused 100% failure in egg laying at 6.0 and 8.0% whereas this value in the control group was zero. A positive correlation between L. angustifolia EO concentration and tick control, assessed by relative mortality rate and egg-laying weight, was observed by the EO LC/EC(50), which, when calculated using the Probit test, was 2.76-fold higher than the control. Lavender is a promising acaricidal against R. (B.) annulatus in vitro. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hypnotic effect of Coriandrum sativum, Ziziphus jujuba, Lavandula angustifolia and Melissa officinalis extracts in mice

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Hajhashemi, Valiollah; Safaei, Azadeh

2015-01-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate hypnotic effect of Coriandrum sativum, Ziziphus jujuba, Lavandula angustifolia and Melissa officinalis hydroalcoholic extracts in mice to select the most effective ones for a combination formula. Three doses of the extracts (250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg of C. sativum and Z. jujuba and 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg of L. angustifolia and M. officinalis) were orally administered to male Swiss mice (20-25 g) and one hour later pentobarbital (50 mg/kg, i.p.) was injected to induce sleep. Onset of sleep and its duration were measured and compared. Control animals and reference group received vehicle (10 ml/kg, p.o.) and diazepam (3 mg/kg, i.p.), respectively. C. sativum and Z. jujuba failed to change sleep parameters. L. angustifolia at doses of 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg shortened sleep onset by 7.6%, 50% and 51.5% and prolonged sleep duration by 9.9%, 43.1% and 80.2%, respectively. Compared with control group the same doses of M. officinalis also decreased sleep onset by 24.7%, 27.5% and 51.2% and prolonged sleep duration by 37.9%, 68.7% and 131.7% respectively. Combinations of L. angustifolia and M. officinalis extracts showed additive effect and it is suggested that a preparation containing both extracts may be useful for insomnia. PMID:26779267

First report of Armillaria root disease caused by Armillaria tabescens on Araucaria araucana in Veracruz, Mexico

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M.-S. Kim; N. B. Klopfenstein; J. W. Hanna; P. Cannon; R. Medel; A. Lopez

2010-01-01

In September 2007, bark samples were collected from the root collar of a single Araucaria araucana tree that had recently died and was suspected of being killed by Armillaria root disease. Disease symptoms and signs included a thinning crown and fruiting bodies at the tree base over a several-year period before tree death.

Therapeutic Effects of Cassia angustifolia in a Cadmium Induced Hepatotoxicity Assay Conducted in Male Albino Rats

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Muhammad Tahir Haidry

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The present study aims to investigate the therapeutic effects of Senna plant (Cassia angustifolia L. in a cadmium-induced hepatotoxicity assay by evaluating the activity of alanine transaminase (ALT, aspartate transaminase (AST, alkaline phosphatase (ALP and total protein (TP in the albino rats’ serum. A total of 30 white albino rats were taken and divided into three groups; each group comprising ten rats. The group A was taken as a control group; group B was given cadmium chloride concentration of 5 mg/kg (body weight for 42 days; and group C was given cadmium chloride 5 mg/kg body weight for first 21 days and then extract of C. angustifolia 100 mg/kg (body weight was given for remaining 21 days. The analysis were performed twice i.e., on 21stst day and 42nd day. Results illustrated that the concentration of cadmium was significantly elevated (P<0.05 at the levels of serum biochemical markers namely ALT, AST, ALP which lowered the protein levels in albino rats. Moreover, treatment with the standard extracts of C. angustifolia observed to reverse the effects of the cadmium significantly (P<0.05. It is concluded that the C. angustifolia had hepatoprotective effects and therapeutic potential against the cadmium-induced hepatotoxicity in albino rats.

Plantas lenhosas da Floresta Ombrófila Mista do Parque Municipal das Araucárias – Guarapuava (PR / Woody plants of the Mixed Ombrophylous Forest the Araucaria Municipal Park - Guarapuava (PR

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Juliano Cordeiro

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Foi realizado o levantamento florístico das espécies lenhosas da uma área de 41 ha de Floresta Ombrófila Mista (FOM do Parque Municipal das Araucárias, localizado em Guarapuava (PR com coordenadas geográficas 25º 20’ 44” e 25º 21’ 35” de latitude Sul e 51º 27’ 31” e 51º 28’ 16” de longitude Oeste. O patamar altimétrico do Parque fica em torno dos 1070 m.s.n.m., o predomínio é relevo suave ondulado e solo do tipo Latossolo Bruno Ácrico Húmico. O levantamento foi realizado de mar/04 a out/08 com média de uma visita a cada vinte dias. Foram identificadas 107 espécies, pertencentes a 77 gêneros e 41 famílias botânicas, distribuídos nas formas biológicas de microfanerófitos (n=44, mesofanerófitos (n=39, nanofanerófitos (n=15, lianas (n=8 e megafanerófito (n=1. As famílias que apresentaram maior diversidade foram: Solanaceae com 12 espécies, Myrtaceae com nove, Fabaceae com oito, Bignoniaceae com seis, Asteraceae com cinco. Estas famílias agruparam 37,4% das espécies, enquanto que as outras 38 famílias responderam por 62,6% da diversidade. Aproximadamente 60,5% das famílias são representadas por apenas uma espécie cada. Considerando o critério a frequência Allophylus edulis (A. St.-Hil., A. Juss & Cambess. Hieron. ex Niederl., Casearia decandra Jacq., Cedrela fissilis Vell., Cinnamodendron dinisii Schwacke, Jacaranda puberula Cham., Matayba elaeagnoides Radlk., Ocotea porosa (Nees & Mart. Barroso, Ocotea puberula (Rich. Nees, Ocotea pulchella (Nees Mez, Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi, Vernonanthura discolor (Spreng. H. Rob. e Zanthoxylum rhoifolium Lam. podem ser consideradas espécies companheiras da Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol. Kuntze na florística da FOM. Os dados quanto ao total de espécies da FOM ainda são incompletos. Faz-se necessário que levantamentos sejam direcionados aos escassos remanescentes que restam e que o critério amostral estenda-se sobre todas as formas biol

Phytodesalinization potential of Typha angustifolia, Juncus maritimus, and Eleocharis palustris for removal of de-icing salts from runoff water.

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Guesdon, Gaëlle; de Santiago-Martín, Ana; Galvez-Cloutier, Rosa

2016-10-01

Typha angustifolia, Juncus maritimus, and Eleocharis palustris were evaluated for de-icing salt removal from runoff water. Plants were exposed to a range of de-icing salt levels (0.2, 0.7, 4, 8, and 13 dS m(-1)) in laboratory-scale subsurface constructed wetlands (CWs) for 2 months under greenhouse conditions. Effluent characteristics, plant height, biomass, and Cl and Na removal rates and uptake were monitored. More water volume was retained in CWs of T. angustifolia (∼60 %) than of J. maritimus and E. palustris (∼37.5 %), which accounted for the electrical conductivity increase in effluents (1.3-1.9-fold). Based on the NaCl removal rate, T. angustifolia showed the greatest phytodesalinization ability (31-60 %) with the highest removal at the lowest salt levels (0.2-0.7 dS m(-1)), followed by J. maritimus (22-36 %) without differences in removal among levels, and E. palustris (3-26 %) presenting a removal rate highly decreased with increasing salt levels. Plant height and biomass were stimulated at low de-icing salt levels, but, at higher levels, T. angustifolia and E. palustris growth was inhibited (tolerance index ∼67 and 10 %, respectively, in the worst cases). Salt amounts in aboveground biomass in g m(-2) differed among levels and ranged as follows: 13.6-29.1 (Cl), 4.2-9.3 (Na; T. angustifolia); 7.0-12.0 (Cl), 2.7-6.4 (Na; J. maritimus); and 0.9-7.6 (Cl), 0.3-1.6 (Na; E. palustris). Chloride and Na translocation decreased with de-icing salt increase in T. angustifolia, while no significant differences were found in J. maritimus, which is interesting for harvesting purposes.

Análise florística e estrutura fitossociológica de um fragmento de Floresta Ombrófila Mista no município de Sertão - RSFloristic analysis and phytosociological structure of a Mixed Ombrophylous Forest

OpenAIRE

Piroli, Edson Luis; Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho - UNESP; Nascimento, André Rosalvo Terra; Universidade Federal de Uberlândia - UFU

2009-01-01

Neste trabalho foram estudadas a composição florística e estrutura fitossociológica de um fragmento de Floresta Ombrófila Mista no município de Sertão, RS, com área aproximada de 700 ha. A análise estrutural destaca Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze, como espécie dominante, principalmente na periferia do fragmento apresentando um número relativamente menor de indivíduos no interior da floresta. Abstract This paper appraises the study of the floristic composition and phytosociological st...

ITS and trnH-psbA as Efficient DNA Barcodes to Identify Threatened Commercial Woody Angiosperms from Southern Brazilian Atlantic Rainforests.

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Bolson, Mônica; Smidt, Eric de Camargo; Brotto, Marcelo Leandro; Silva-Pereira, Viviane

2015-01-01

The Araucaria Forests in southern Brazil are part of the Atlantic Rainforest, a key hotspot for global biodiversity. This habitat has experienced extensive losses of vegetation cover due to commercial logging and the intense use of wood resources for construction and furniture manufacturing. The absence of precise taxonomic tools for identifying Araucaria Forest tree species motivated us to test the ability of DNA barcoding to distinguish species exploited for wood resources and its suitability for use as an alternative testing technique for the inspection of illegal timber shipments. We tested three cpDNA regions (matK, trnH-psbA, and rbcL) and nrITS according to criteria determined by The Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL). The efficiency of each marker and selected marker combinations were evaluated for 30 commercially valuable woody species in multiple populations, with a special focus on Lauraceae species. Inter- and intraspecific distances, species discrimination rates, and ability to recover species-specific clusters were evaluated. Among the regions and different combinations, ITS was the most efficient for identifying species based on the 'best close match' test; similarly, the trnH-psbA + ITS combination also demonstrated satisfactory results. When combining trnH-psbA + ITS, Maximum Likelihood analysis demonstrated a more resolved topology for internal branches, with 91% of species-specific clusters. DNA barcoding was found to be a practical and rapid method for identifying major threatened woody angiosperms from Araucaria Forests such as Lauraceae species, presenting a high confidence for recognizing members of Ocotea. These molecular tools can assist in screening those botanical families that are most targeted by the timber industry in southern Brazil and detecting certain species protected by Brazilian legislation and could be a useful tool for monitoring wood exploitation.

ITS and trnH-psbA as Efficient DNA Barcodes to Identify Threatened Commercial Woody Angiosperms from Southern Brazilian Atlantic Rainforests.

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Mônica Bolson

Full Text Available The Araucaria Forests in southern Brazil are part of the Atlantic Rainforest, a key hotspot for global biodiversity. This habitat has experienced extensive losses of vegetation cover due to commercial logging and the intense use of wood resources for construction and furniture manufacturing. The absence of precise taxonomic tools for identifying Araucaria Forest tree species motivated us to test the ability of DNA barcoding to distinguish species exploited for wood resources and its suitability for use as an alternative testing technique for the inspection of illegal timber shipments. We tested three cpDNA regions (matK, trnH-psbA, and rbcL and nrITS according to criteria determined by The Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL. The efficiency of each marker and selected marker combinations were evaluated for 30 commercially valuable woody species in multiple populations, with a special focus on Lauraceae species. Inter- and intraspecific distances, species discrimination rates, and ability to recover species-specific clusters were evaluated. Among the regions and different combinations, ITS was the most efficient for identifying species based on the 'best close match' test; similarly, the trnH-psbA + ITS combination also demonstrated satisfactory results. When combining trnH-psbA + ITS, Maximum Likelihood analysis demonstrated a more resolved topology for internal branches, with 91% of species-specific clusters. DNA barcoding was found to be a practical and rapid method for identifying major threatened woody angiosperms from Araucaria Forests such as Lauraceae species, presenting a high confidence for recognizing members of Ocotea. These molecular tools can assist in screening those botanical families that are most targeted by the timber industry in southern Brazil and detecting certain species protected by Brazilian legislation and could be a useful tool for monitoring wood exploitation.

QUALIDADE SANITÁRIA E FISIOLÓGICA DE SEMENTES DE ARAUCÁRIA DURANTE ARMAZENAMENTO

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Hagata Siqueira Hennipman

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Araucaria angustifolia is a species of ecological and social-economic importance in the southern Brazil region, but it is at risk of extinction. Its seeds are classified as recalcitrant, requiring storage under controlled temperature and humidity to obtain greater longevity. Another aspect is the seed health quality, which is impaired by high seed moisture content that causes fungus proliferation and may reduce germination and seedling quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physiological and sanitary quality of araucaria seeds treated with 0.5, 1 and 3 % of sodium hypochlorite (NaClO and stored at different periods (2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 months. The seed quality was evaluated by germination, vigor and seed health tests. The disinfection of seeds, regardless of the concentration used, temporarily delayed the seed germinations, but did not negatively affect seedling emergence. After 12 months of storage, the seeds showed infection by Schizophyllum commune , which caused the reduction of the germination. The seeds treated with NaClO showed lower fungal incidence, especially Schizophyllum commune , ensuring the seed health quality during storage for 12 months. The treatment with NaClO positively favors the physiological quality of Araucaria seeds that will be stored for a period exceeding four months.

componente vegetal

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Fabio Moscovich

2005-01-01

Full Text Available In order to determine environmental impact, indicators based on vegetation characteristics that would generate the forestry monoculture with the adjacent native forest, 32 sample unit were installed in an area of LIPSIA private enterprise, Esperanza Department, Misiones with those characteristics. The plots of 100 m2 were distributed systematically every 25 meters. The vegetation was divided in stratum: superior (DBH ≥ 10 cm, middle (1,6 cm ≤ DBH > 10 cm and inferior (DBH< cm. There were installed 10 plots in a logged native forest, 10 plots in a 18 years old Pinus elliottii Engelm. with approximately 400 trees/ha., 6 plots in a 10 – 25 years old Araucaria angustifolia (Bertd. Kuntze limiting area with approximately 900 trees/ha., and 6 plots located in this plantation. In the studied area were identified 150 vegetation species. In the inferior stratum there were found differences as function of various floristic diversity indexes. In all the cases the native forest showed larger diversity than plantations, followed by Pinus elliottii, Araucaria plantation and Araucaria limiting area. All the studied forest fitted to a logarithmical series of species distributions, that would indicate the incidence of a environmental factor in this distribution.

Muscarinic receptors, nitric oxide formation and cyclooxygenase pathway involved in tracheal smooth muscle relaxant effect of hydro-ethanolic extract of Lavandula angustifolia flowers.

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Naghdi, Farzaneh; Gholamnezhad, Zahra; Boskabady, Mohammad Hossein; Bakhshesh, Morteza

2018-06-01

Lavandula angustifolia (L. angustifolia) Mill. (Common name Lavender) is used in traditional and folk medicines for the treatment of various diseases including respiratory disorders worldwide. The relaxant effect of the plant on the smooth muscle of some tissues was shown previously. The present study has investigated the role of different receptors and pathways in the relaxant effect of L. angustifolia on tracheal smooth muscle. Cumulative concentrations of the hydro-ethanolic extract of L. angustifolia flowers (0.5, 1, 2 and 4 mg/ml) were added on pre-contracted tracheal smooth muscle by methacholine (10 μM) or KCl (60 mM) on non-preincubated or preincubated tissues with atropine, chlorpheniramine, propranolol, diltiazem, glibenclamide, indomethacin, ω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) and papaverine. The results compared with of theophylline (0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 mM) as positive control and saline (1 ml) as negative control. The extract showed concentration-dependent relaxant effects in non-preincubated tracheal smooth muscle contracted by KCl and methacholine (p effect ofL. angustifolia was not significantly different between non-preincubated and preincubated tissues with chlorpheniramine, propranolol, diltiazem, glibenclamide, and papaverine. However, two higher concentrations of L. angustifolia in preincubated tissues with L-NAME (p effects than non-preincubated tissues. The EC 50 values of L. angustifolia in tissues preincubated with indomethacin was significantly higher than non-preincubated trachea (p effects of three first concentrations of the extract on KCl and methacholine-induced muscle contraction were significantly lower than those of theophylline (p effect ofL. angustifolia that was lower than the effect of theophylline. The possible mechanisms of relaxant effect of this plant on tracheal smooth muscle are muscarinic receptors blockade, inhibition of cyclooxygenase pathways and/or involvement of nitric oxide production

Flash-flood impacts cause changes in wood anatomy of Alnus glutinosa, Fraxinus angustifolia and Quercus pyrenaica.

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Ballesteros, J A; Stoffel, M; Bollschweiler, M; Bodoque, J M; Díez-Herrero, A

2010-06-01

Flash floods may influence the development of trees growing on channel bars and floodplains. In this study, we analyze and quantify anatomical reactions to wounding in diffuse-porous (Alnus glutinosa L.) and ring-porous (Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl. and Quercus pyrenaica Willd.) trees in a Mediterranean environment. A total of 54 cross-sections and wedges were collected from trees that had been injured by past flash floods. From each of the samples, micro-sections were prepared at a tangential distance of 1.5 cm from the injury to determine wounding-related changes in radial width, tangential width and lumen of earlywood vessels, and fibers and parenchyma cells (FPC). In diffuse-porous A. glutinosa, the lumen area of vessels shows a significant (non-parametric test, P-value <0.05) decrease by almost 39% after wounding. For ring-porous F. angustifolia and Q. pyrenaica, significant decreases in vessel lumen area are observed as well by 59 and 42%, respectively. Radial width of vessels was generally more sensitive to the decrease than tangential width, but statistically significant values were only observed in F. angustifolia. Changes in the dimensions of earlywood FPC largely differed between species. While in ring-porous F. angustifolia and Q. pyrenaica the lumen of FPC dropped by 22 and 34% after wounding, we observed an increase in FPC lumen area in diffuse-porous A. glutinosa of approximately 35%. Our data clearly show that A. glutinosa represents a valuable species for flash-flood research in vulnerable Mediterranean environments. For this species, it will be possible in the future to gather information on past flash floods with non-destructive sampling based on increment cores. In ring-porous F. angustifolia and Q. pyrenaica, flash floods leave less drastic, yet still recognizable, signatures of flash-flood activity through significant changes in vessel lumen area. In contrast, the use of changes in FPC dimensions appears less feasible for the determination of

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis Modulates Antioxidant Response and Ion Distribution in Salt-Stressed Elaeagnus angustifolia Seedlings.

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Chang, Wei; Sui, Xin; Fan, Xiao-Xu; Jia, Ting-Ting; Song, Fu-Qiang

2018-01-01

Elaeagnus angustifolia L. is a drought-resistant species. Arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis is considered to be a bio-ameliorator of saline soils that can improve salinity tolerance in plants. The present study investigated the effects of inoculation with the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus irregularis on the biomass, antioxidant enzyme activities, and root, stem, and leaf ion accumulation of E. angustifolia seedlings grown during salt stress conditions. Salt-stressed mycorrhizal seedlings produced greater root, stem, and leaf biomass than the uninoculated stressed seedlings. In addition, the seedlings colonized by R. irregularis showed notably higher activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) in the leaves of the mycorrhizal seedlings in response to salinity compared to those of the non-mycorrhizal seedlings. Mycorrhizal seedlings not only significantly increased their ability to acquire K + , Ca 2+ , and Mg 2+ , but also maintained higher K + :Na + ratios in the leaves and lower Ca 2+ :Mg 2+ ratios than non-mycorrhizal seedlings during salt stress. These results suggest that the salt tolerance of E. angustifolia seedlings could be enhanced by R. irregularis. The arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis could be a promising method to restore and utilize salt-alkaline land in northern China.

Microsatellite Markers for Russian Olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia; Elaeagnaceae

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John F. Gaskin

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Premise of the study: Microsatellite markers were developed for the plant species Elaeagnus angustifolia to assist in future investigations of genetic variability in its native and invasive ranges and the precise origins of the United States/Canada invasion. Methods and Results: Eleven polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed. The number of alleles observed for each locus ranged from three to 11. Conclusions: These microsatellites have sufficient potential variability to define population structure and origins of the Russian olive invasion.

First records of three species of Oxycraspedus Kuschel (Coleóptera: Belidae in Argentina and use of a predictive model to compare their potential distribution with the range of their host-plant, Araucaria araucana Primera cita de las tres especies de Oxycraspedus Kuschel (Coleóptera: Belidae en Argentina y uso de un modelo predictivo para comparar su distribución potencial con el rango de su planta huésped, la Araucaria araucana

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M.S. FERRER

2007-09-01

Full Text Available The first records of the three known species of Oxycraspedus Kuschel (Belidae: Oxycoryninae in Argentina are reported, and added to their known distribution in Chile. These weevils are of interest because of their association with the pehuén or monkey puzzle tree, Araucaria araucana, a species of conservation concern. Their distribution data are of value for the protection of biodiversity in natural areas of Patagonia. The potential distribution of Oxycraspedus, as predicted by a model using bioclimatic variables, is coincident as expected, with the geographic range of the araucaria host-plantSe reportan por primera vez en Argentina las tres especies de Oxycraspedus Kuschel (Belidae: Oxycoryninae y se añaden a su distribución en Chile. Estos gorgojos son de interés debido a su asociación con el pehuén Araucaria araucana, una especie de gran interés en temas de conservación. Los datos sobre su distribución son valiosos para proteger la biodiversidad en áreas de la Patagonia. La distribución potencial de Oxycraspedus predicha por un modelo a partir de variables bioclimáticas, es coincidente, como se esperaba, con el rango geográfico de su planta huésped, la araucaria

The effect of aqueous Elaeagnus angustifolia extract on acute non-inflammatory diarrhea in 1-5 year old children

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Khoshdel Abofazl

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Acute diarrhea is one of the most important causes of global childhood mortality and morbidity. The most common complication of acute diarrhea is dehydration. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of aqueous Elaeagnus angustifolia extract in controlling non-inflammatory diarrhea in a hospital setting. Methods: In this case–controlled randomized double blind clinical trial 80 children in age range of 1-5 years were admitted in pediatric ward with diagnosis of non-inflammatory diarrhea. The patients were randomly divided into two equal groups of 40 cases. The subject in the first group received aqueous Elaeagnus angustifolia extract, 1.2 ml/Kg single dose for 4 days duration and the second group (control group 1.2 cm/Kg distilled water single dose for 4 days duration. Data analysis were performed by Chi-square and t-tests, using SPSS software. Results: The groups were similar regarding gender, mean age, and frequency, and consistency of defecation (p> 0.05. Although the children seemed better in regard to frequency and consistency of defecation, however the results showed that aqueous extract of Elaeagnus angustifolia was not significantly effective in the treatment of non-inflammatory diarrhea. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrated that the use of aqueous extract of Elaeagnus angustifolia was not effective in the treatment of non-inflammatory diarrhea in children.

Evaluation on bioactivities of total flavonoids from Lavandula angustifolia.

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Zhao, Jun; Xu, Fang; Huang, Hua; Ji, Tengfei; Li, Chenyang; Tan, Wei; Chen, Yan; Ma, Long

2015-07-01

Lavandula angustifolia was used to treat flus and fevers, joint swelling and pain in Uighur medicine. This study aimed to investigate antioxidant, antit anti-inflammatory and antalgic noids content (530.1mg/g rutin/g dry extract) with stronger DPPH scavenging abilities and reduciactivities of total flavonoids from Lavandula angustifolia (LTF). Results indicated that LTF possesses the highest total flavong power. Some flavonoids separated from LTF, and their DPPH scavenging abilities as follows: rosmarinic acid (2, near to Vit C) >luteolin (3) >apigenin (4) >luteolin 7-O-β-D-glucoside (5) >apigenin 7-O-β-D-glucoside (6) >luteolin 7-O-β-D-glucuronide (7). LTF significantly decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) level in D-galactose induced aging model compared to the control group (P<0.05), as well as significantly increased plasma superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities (P<0.05). Moreover, 17.4, 34.8 and 69.6 mg/kg doses of LTF were exhibited significant analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities in a dose dependent manner (P<0.05). Cytotoxicity of LTF on Bel-7402 and Hela cell lines were showed by MTT assay also. These results verified traditional usage of this plant and suggested also that LTF is worth developing and studying further.

Morphological variability of Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl in the north-western Balkans

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Kristjan Jarni

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl is a species native in the north-western Balkans, where it has a divided range. Most of its range is located in flood-prone riparian sites in the Pannonian plain but the species is also found on humid sites along some rivers in the Submediterranean region. We analysed morphologic variation within and between five populations (14 trees/population located in the Subpannonian and Submediterranean region of Slovenia. Thirty two characters were assessed on ca. 80 leaves from each tree which were divided depending on exposure to sunlight (sun and shade leaves, and 8 traits on each fruit (ca. 50 fruits/tree. A hierarchically designed experiment using analysis of variance confirmed the significant contribution of all the analysed hierarchical levels of variation to the total variation. The results show that the differences between the trees in a single population are the greatest factor of variability of leaves, followed by differences between populations and differences which are the result of variation in exposure to sunlight. Leaves in shade positions are typically larger than those in sunny positions, and they have broader and shorter-pointed leaflets; in this feature they are very similar to the leaves of F. excelsior. Stepwise discriminant analysis showed that the traits which refer to the leaflet number and length are the best differentiating traits between individual populations. The Submediterranean population Dragonja stands out with the smallest leaves and the population Lijak from the same region is the most similar to Dragonja for most morphological traits. In general, phenotypic differences between the Subpannonian and the Submediterranean populations of F. angustifolia are minor and indistinct. Based on the differences ascertained by the study, we can only confirm the presence of F. angustifolia subsp. oxycarpa (Bieb. ex Willd. Franco et Rocha Alfonso in this part of its natural range.

guadua Angustifolia Kunth

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JAIRO ALEXANDER OSORIO S.

2005-01-01

Full Text Available La carga a compresión evaluada al límite de proporcionalidad en elementos cortos de Guadua angustifolia kunth fue relacionada con algunos parámetros físicos tales como el diámetro externo e interno, espesor de la pared, densidad aparente, número de entrenudos y contenido de humedad. Los elementos de Guadua fueron sometidos a compresión según las normas ISO-TC 165 dadas por el INBAR (1999. Los resultados estadísticos mostraron que para predecir el comportamiento de la carga en el límite de proporcionalidad de elementos cortos de Guadua, los parámetros de mayor incidencia son el diámetro externo (De y el espesor total de la pared (e, para los cuales se obtuvo una correlación con un nivel de confianza del 95%. Un valor de 27,15 MPa con un coeficiente de variación del 16% fue encontrado para el esfuerzo a compresión evaluado al límite de proporcionalidad. Además se estableció un modelo aproximado para la densidad aparente de la Guadua según el contenido de humedad.

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis Modulates Antioxidant Response and Ion Distribution in Salt-Stressed Elaeagnus angustifolia Seedlings

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Wei Chang

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Elaeagnus angustifolia L. is a drought-resistant species. Arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis is considered to be a bio-ameliorator of saline soils that can improve salinity tolerance in plants. The present study investigated the effects of inoculation with the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus irregularis on the biomass, antioxidant enzyme activities, and root, stem, and leaf ion accumulation of E. angustifolia seedlings grown during salt stress conditions. Salt-stressed mycorrhizal seedlings produced greater root, stem, and leaf biomass than the uninoculated stressed seedlings. In addition, the seedlings colonized by R. irregularis showed notably higher activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD, catalase (CAT, and ascorbate peroxidase (APX in the leaves of the mycorrhizal seedlings in response to salinity compared to those of the non-mycorrhizal seedlings. Mycorrhizal seedlings not only significantly increased their ability to acquire K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+, but also maintained higher K+:Na+ ratios in the leaves and lower Ca2+:Mg2+ ratios than non-mycorrhizal seedlings during salt stress. These results suggest that the salt tolerance of E. angustifolia seedlings could be enhanced by R. irregularis. The arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis could be a promising method to restore and utilize salt-alkaline land in northern China.

Coriandrum sativum and Lavandula angustifolia Essential Oils: Chemical Composition and Activity on Central Nervous System.

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Caputo, Lucia; Souza, Lucéia Fátima; Alloisio, Susanna; Cornara, Laura; De Feo, Vincenzo

2016-11-30

The aims of this study are to determine the chemical composition of Lavandula angustifolia Mill. and Coriandrum sativum L. essential oils, to evaluate their cytotoxic effects in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells, to investigate whether an alteration of adenylate cyclase 1 (ADCY1) and of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) expression can take part in the molecular mechanisms of the essential oils, and to study their possible neuronal electrophysiological effects. The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation, and studied by GC and GC-MS. In the oils from L. angustifolia and C. sativum , linalool was the main component (33.1% and 67.8%, respectively). SH-SY5Y cells were incubated with different concentrations of essential oils and of linalool. Cell viability and effects on ADCY1 and ERK expression were analyzed using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide MTT and Western blotting, respectively. Variation in cellular electrophysiology was studied in primary cultures of rat cortical neurons with a multi-electrode array (MEA)-based approach. The essential oils and linalool revealed different cytotoxic activities. Linalool inhibited ADCY1 and ERK expression. Neuronal networks subjected to L. angustifolia and C. sativum essential oils showed a concentration-dependent inhibition of spontaneous electrical activity.

Floristic-functional variation of tree component along an altitudinal gradient in araucaria forest areas, in Southern Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Soboleski, Vanessa F; Higuchi, Pedro; Silva, Ana Carolina DA; Silva, Mariele A F DA; Nunes, Amanda S; Loebens, Rodineli; Souza, Karine DE; Ferrari, Jheniffer; Lima, Carla L; Kilca, Ricardo V

2017-01-01

We aimed to investigate the taxonomic and functional variations of tree component of Araucaria Forest (AF) areas located along an altitudinal gradient (700, 900 and 1,600 m asl), in the southern region of Brazil. The functional traits determined were leaf area, specific leaf area, wood density, maximum potential height and dispersal syndromes and deciduousness. The data were analyzed through a functional and taxonomic dissimilarity dendrograms, community-weighted mean trait values, parametric and nonparametric tests, and Principal Component Analysis. The largest floristic-structural similarity was observed between the lower altitude areas (700 and 900 m asl), whose Bray-Curtis distance was 0.63. The area at 700 m asl was characterized by a predominance of deciduous and semi-deciduous species, with a high number of self- and wind-dispersed species, whereas the area at 1,600 m asl exhibited a predominance of animal-dispersed and evergreen species. It was also observed that there were significant variations for leaf traits, basic wood density and maximum potential height. Over all altitudinal gradient, the ordinations indicated that there was no evidence of functional differentiation among dispersal and deciduousness groups. In conclusion, the evaluated Araucaria Forest areas presented high floristic-functional variation of the tree component along the altitudinal gradient.

Phylobetadiversity among forest types in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest complex.

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Duarte, Leandro Da Silva; Bergamin, Rodrigo Scarton; Marcilio-Silva, Vinícius; Seger, Guilherme Dubal Dos Santos; Marques, Márcia Cristina Mendes

2014-01-01

Phylobetadiversity is defined as the phylogenetic resemblance between communities or biomes. Analyzing phylobetadiversity patterns among different vegetation physiognomies within a single biome is crucial to understand the historical affinities between them. Based on the widely accepted idea that different forest physiognomies within the Southern Brazilian Atlantic Forest constitute different facies of a single biome, we hypothesize that more recent phylogenetic nodes should drive phylobetadiversity gradients between the different forest types within the Atlantic Forest, as the phylogenetic divergence among those forest types is biogeographically recent. We compiled information from 206 checklists describing the occurrence of shrub/tree species across three different forest physiognomies within the Southern Brazilian Atlantic Forest (Dense, Mixed and Seasonal forests). We analyzed intra-site phylogenetic structure (phylogenetic diversity, net relatedness index and nearest taxon index) and phylobetadiversity between plots located at different forest types, using five different methods differing in sensitivity to either basal or terminal nodes (phylogenetic fuzzy weighting, COMDIST, COMDISTNT, UniFrac and Rao's H). Mixed forests showed higher phylogenetic diversity and overdispersion than the other forest types. Furthermore, all forest types differed from each other in relation phylobetadiversity patterns, particularly when phylobetadiversity methods more sensitive to terminal nodes were employed. Mixed forests tended to show higher phylogenetic differentiation to Dense and Seasonal forests than these latter from each other. The higher phylogenetic diversity and phylobetadiversity levels found in Mixed forests when compared to the others likely result from the biogeographical origin of several taxa occurring in these forests. On one hand, Mixed forests shelter several temperate taxa, like the conifers Araucaria and Podocarpus. On the other hand, tropical groups, like

Liquid chromatographic determination of sennosides in Cassia angustifolia leaves.

Science.gov (United States)

Srivastava, Alpuna; Pandey, Richa; Verma, Ram K; Gupta, Madan M

2006-01-01

A simple liquid chromatographic method was developed for the determination of sennosides B and A in leaves of Cassia angustifolia. These compounds were extracted from leaves with a mixture of methanol-water (70 + 30, v/v) after defatting with hexane. Analyte separation and quantitation were achieved by gradient reversed-phase liquid chromatography and UV absorbance at 270 nm using a photodiode array detector. The method involves the use of an RP-18 Lichrocart reversed-phase column (5 microm, 125 x 4.0 mm id) and a binary gradient mobile-phase profile. The various other aspects of analysis, namely, peak purity, similarity, recovery, repeatability, and robustness, were validated. Average recoveries of 98.5 and 98.6%, with a coefficient of variation of 0.8 and 0.3%, were obtained by spiking sample solution with 3 different concentration solutions of standards (60, 100, and 200 microg/mL). Detection limits were 10 microg/mL for sennoside B and 35 microg/mL for sennoside A, present in the sample solution. The quantitation limits were 28 and 100 microg/mL. The analytical method was applied to a large number of senna leaf samples. The new method provides a reliable tool for rapid screening of C. angustifolia samples in large numbers, which is needed in breeding/genetic engineering and genetic mapping experiments.

Species choice, provenance and species trials among native Brazilian species

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Drumond, M A

1982-01-01

Six papers from the conference are presented. Drumond, M.A., Potential of species native to the semi-arid tropics, 766-781, (Refs. 18), reports on Anadenanthera macrocarpa, Mimosa species, Schinopsis brasiliensis, Spondias tuberosa, Ziziphus joazeiro, Cnidoscolus phyllacanthus, Bursera leptophleos (leptophloeos), Tabebuia impetiginosa, Astronium urundeuva, and Mimosa caesalpinia. Monteiro, R.F.R., Speltz, R.M., Gurgel, J.T. do A.; Silvicultural performance of 24 provenances of Araucaria angustifolia in Parana, 814-824, (Refs. 8). Pires, C.L. da S., Kalil Filho, A.N., Rosa, P.R.F. da, Parente, P.R., Zanatto, A.C.S.; Provenance trials of Cordia alliodora in the State of Sao Paulo, 988-995, (Refs. 9). Nogueira, J.C.B., Siqueira, A.C.M.F., Garrido, M.A.O., Gurgel Garrido, L.M. do A., Rosa, P.R.F., Moraes, J.L. de, Zandarin, M.A., Gurgel Filho, O.A., Trials of some native species in various regions of the State of Sao Paulo, 1051-1063, (Refs. 9) describes Centrolobium tomentosum, Peltophorum dubium, Tabebuia vellosoi, Cariniana legalis, and Balfourodendron riedelianum. Batista, M.P., Borges, J.F., Franco, M.A.B.; Early growth of a native species in comparison with exotics in northeastern Para, Brazil, 1105-1110, (Refs. 3). Jacaranda copaia is compared with Gmelina arborea, Pinus caribaea various hondurensis, Eucalyptus deglupta, and E. urophylla. Lima, P.C.F., Souza, S.M. de, Drumond, M.A.; Trials of native forest species at Petrolina, Pernambuco, 1139-1148, (Refs. 8), deals with Anadenanthera macrocarpa, Piptadenia obliqua, Pithecellobium foliolosum, Astronium urundeuva, Schinopsis brasiliensis, Cassia excelsa, Caesalpinia pyramidalis, Parkia platycephala, Pseudobombax simplicifolium, Tabebuia impetiginosa, Caesalpinia ferrea, and Aspidosperma pyrifolium. 18 references.

Gastroprotective effect of the Mapuche crude drug Araucaria araucana resin and its main constituents.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmeda-Hirschmann, Guillermo; Astudillo, Luis; Rodríguez, Jaime; Theoduloz, Cristina; Yáñez, Tania

2005-10-03

The resin from the tree Araucaria araucana (Araucariaceae) has been used since pre-columbian times by the Mapuche amerindians to treat ulcers. The gastroprotective effect of the resin was assessed in the ethanol-HCl-induced gastric ulcer in mice showing a dose-dependent gastroprotective activity at 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg per os. The main three diterpene constituents of the resin, namely imbricatolic acid, 15-hydroxyimbricatolal and 15-acetoxyimbricatolic acid were isolated and evaluated for gastroprotective effect at doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg. A dose-related gastroprotective effect with highly significant activity (PMapuche culture.

Typha angustifolia L. X T. latifolia L. (T.) (glauca Godr.) in Nederland

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ooststroom, van S.J.; Reichgelt, Th.J.

1962-01-01

Typha x glauca Godr., the hybrid of T. angustifolia L. and T. latifolia L. was found in the Netherlands for the first time in 1847 and again in 1946, as appears from the collections in the Rijksherbarium, Leiden. Fig. 1 shows the differences found in the female flowers, the pollen, and the

CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF Lavandula angustifolia Mill. WHICH IS A PHYTOCOSMETIC SPECIES AND INVESTIGATION OF ITS ANTIMICROBIAL EFFECT IN COSMETIC PRODUCTS

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Aslıhan Cesur Turgut

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Lavander (Lavandula sp. is a precious essential oil plant from the Lamiaceae family. There are 39 lavender species (Lavandula sp. most of which have Mediterranean origin and among them three have high commercial value. While the essential oil quality of the lavender species (British lavender is high the lavandin species (hybrid lavender have high essential oil yield [2, 52]. In this study, the content of the extracts obtained from Lavandula angustifolia, which were grown in Burdur Örtülü locality, was determined via HPLC and GC analysis and the anti-microbial effect of the essential oil L. angustifolia was investigated. The study was made with the dried flowers of L. angustifolia. Some of the dried flowers were extracted and the essential oil was distilled from the remaining part. Various phenolic compounds in the extract were quantitatively determined by HPLC. Quantitatively cafeic, rosemeric and the 4-hydroxybenzoic acids were the most abundant phenolic acids in the content in decreasing order. In the GC analysis 31 different compounds were determined: Linalool and Linalil Acetate having the highest concentration. Anti-microbial effect was determined against the most frequently encountered microorganisms in the cosmetics: Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aspergillus brasiliensis. According to the results it is concluded that the essential oil, L. angustifolia, can be used either directly or incorporated into the cosmetics without the necessity for any other extra preservative against the said microrganisms. According to the literature these microorganisms, which are frequently found in creams, cause various diseases. It was observed that the essential oil L. Angustifolia could completely remove the contamination caused by the said micro-organisms as of the 14. day.

Biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles by leaf extract of Cassia angustifolia

Science.gov (United States)

Amaladhas, T. Peter; Sivagami, S.; Akkini Devi, T.; Ananthi, N.; Priya Velammal, S.

2012-12-01

In this study Cassia angustifolia (senna) is used for the environmentally friendly synthesis of silver nanoparticles. Stable silver nanoparticles having symmetric surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band centred at 420 nm were obtained within 10 min at room temperature by treating aqueous solutions of silver nitrate with C. angustifolia leaf extract. The water soluble components from the leaves, probably the sennosides, served as both reducing and capping agents in the synthesis of silver nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were characterized using UV-Vis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic techniques and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The nanoparticles were poly-dispersed, spherical in shape with particle size in the range 9-31 nm, the average size was found to be 21.6 nm at pH 11. The zeta potential was -36.4 mV and the particles were stable for 6 months. The crystalline phase of the nanoparticles was confirmed from the selected area diffraction pattern (SAED). The rate of formation and size of silver nanoparticles were pH dependent. Functional groups responsible for capping of silver nanoparticles were identified from the FTIR spectrum. The synthesized silver nanoparticles exhibited good antibacterial potential against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.

Biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles by leaf extract of Cassia angustifolia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peter Amaladhas, T; Akkini Devi, T; Ananthi, N; Priya Velammal, S; Sivagami, S

2012-01-01

In this study Cassia angustifolia (senna) is used for the environmentally friendly synthesis of silver nanoparticles. Stable silver nanoparticles having symmetric surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band centred at 420 nm were obtained within 10 min at room temperature by treating aqueous solutions of silver nitrate with C. angustifolia leaf extract. The water soluble components from the leaves, probably the sennosides, served as both reducing and capping agents in the synthesis of silver nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were characterized using UV–Vis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic techniques and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The nanoparticles were poly-dispersed, spherical in shape with particle size in the range 9–31 nm, the average size was found to be 21.6 nm at pH 11. The zeta potential was –36.4 mV and the particles were stable for 6 months. The crystalline phase of the nanoparticles was confirmed from the selected area diffraction pattern (SAED). The rate of formation and size of silver nanoparticles were pH dependent. Functional groups responsible for capping of silver nanoparticles were identified from the FTIR spectrum. The synthesized silver nanoparticles exhibited good antibacterial potential against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. (paper)

Alternatives procedures for small farming sustainable management of parana pine Mecanismos alternativos para manejo sustentável de pinheiro-do-paraná na pequena propriedade rural

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Jorge Zbigniew Mazuchowski

2010-06-01

Full Text Available

After the expansion of agricultural frontier occurred in the southern brazilian region, which brought native forest substitution, new  management and alternatives practices were introduced in order to preserve and stimulate new plantings of the parana pine (Araucaria angustifolia . Alongside, in the last years, silviculturists have been promoting activities of forest development, in special with Pinus, Eucalyptus, Grevillea and bracatinga (Mimosa scabrella species to face wood depletion of native forest species. At the same time, new legal procedures also contributed to reduce new plantings of parana pine  because it tried to enforce simple preservation with high demands and tough inspection measures. Thus, representing 85 % of land structure in the State of Paraná, discouraged - small farmers were looking for to erradicate this species due to legal over regulation. Therefore, to  vercome this situation, mechanisms were offered to the silviculture management of Brazilian pine which were based in two central points tupgrading the existing laws and to incentive new plantations, specially in the areas set aside for environmental protection called of "Reserva Legal". In this way, the Extension Service (Emater tried to help this situation with the following prescription: technology diffusion; rewards to stimulate forest producers in the municipality; and formation of farmers groups to collect, select and to sell pine seeds.

Estimation of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia frost resistance

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Р. І. Кременчук

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose. To study effects of low temperatures on Lavandula angustifolia plants and their response depending on their age and variety as well as identify critical temperature values for such structure elements of plants as bark, cambium, wood, pith. Methods. Field investigation, spectrometric analysis, statistical evaluation. Results. Topicality of investigation of Lavandula angustifolia to be grown in the Forest-Steppe zone of Ukraine was highlighted. Low temperature effects on structural elements of shoots for 8 varieties of domestic and foreign selection were analyzed. One-year shoots have suffered the most from low temperatures – 4.5 points on a six-point scale, two- and three-year shoots were damaged in a lesser degree – from 0.8 to 2 points. Plants of ‘Feuervogel’ and ‘Maestro’ varieties with total damage coefficient of 11.3% and 10.6% accordingly were the most resistant to low temperatures. These varieties can be recommended to producers for further introduction to the Forest-Steppe zone of Ukraine. Conclusions. Tissues of a lavender one-year shoot were most damaged by low temperatures regardless of a variety, but this organ is ephemeral and can be removed without causing damage to a plant. Two- and three-year shoots, which provide plant recovery, were significantly less damaged. None of the plants from 8 studied lavender varieties was lost under the influence of low temperatures, though some of them were damaged significantly. Such varieties as ‘Feuervogel’, ‘König Humbert’, ‘Veseli notky’ (pith damage is on the level of 1–2 points, ‘Maestro’ (0.8–2.5 points were the most resistant to low temperature exposure which allows to conclude about successful lavender cultivation under conditions of the Forest-Steppe zone of Ukraine.

Análise florística e estrutural de um fragmento de Floresta Ombrófila Mista Montana, situado em Criúva, RS - Brasil.

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Rubens Marques Rondon Neto

2010-08-01

Full Text Available O presente trabalho teve como objetivo conhecer e analisar a composição florística e descrever a estrutura do componente arbóreo de um fragmento de Floresta Ombrófila Mista Montana, localizado no município de Criúva, RS. Em oito parcelas de 10 x 100 m foram inventariados 673 indivíduos com DAP  5 cm, distribuídos em 37 espécies, pertencentes a 32 gêneros e 22 famílias. O valor do índice de diversidade de Shannon foi de 2,768. As famílias que apresentaram maior número de indivíduos amostrados são: Araucariaceae, Myrsinaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Anacardiaceae e Rutaceae. O dossel dessa floresta é dominado pela Araucaria angustifolia e o sub-bosque por espécies das famílias Lauraceae e Myrtaceae. A densidade total encontrada foi de 841,25 indivíduos/ha, com DAP médio de 24,01 cm e altura média de 9,34 m. As cinco espécies que tiveram os maiores valores de importância, em ordem decrescente, foram: Araucaria angustifolia, Sebastiania commersoniana, Lithraea brasiliensis, Zanthoxylum rhoifolium e Myrcia sp.. O fragmento apresenta uma considerável diversidade florística de espécies, apesar das perturbações sofridas no passado. Para que a vegetação atinja as características florísticas e estruturais próximas às da vegetação original é preciso evitar a presença de bovinos e eqüinos na área e explorações da floresta.

ANÁLISE FLORÍSTICA E ESTRUTURAL DE UM FRAGMENTO DE FLORESTA OMBRÓFILA MISTA MONTANA, SITUADO EM CRIÚVA, RS - BRASIL

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Rubens Marques Rondon Neto

2001-10-01

Full Text Available O presente trabalho teve como objetivo conhecer e analisar a composição florística e descrever a estrutura do componente arbóreo de um fragmento de Floresta Ombrófila Mista Montana, localizado no município de Criúva, RS. Em oito parcelas de 10 x 100 m foram inventariados 673 indivíduos com DAP  5 cm, distribuídos em 37 espécies, pertencentes a 32 gêneros e 22 famílias. O valor do índice de diversidade de Shannon foi de 2,768. As famílias que apresentaram maior número de indivíduos amostrados são: Araucariaceae, Myrsinaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Anacardiaceae e Rutaceae. O dossel dessa floresta é dominado pela Araucaria angustifolia e o sub-bosque por espécies das famílias Lauraceae e Myrtaceae. A densidade total encontrada foi de 841,25 indivíduos/ha, com DAP médio de 24,01 cm e altura média de 9,34 m. As cinco espécies que tiveram os maiores valores de importância, em ordem decrescente, foram: Araucaria angustifolia, Sebastiania commersoniana, Lithraea brasiliensis, Zanthoxylum rhoifolium e Myrcia sp.. O fragmento apresenta uma considerável diversidade florística de espécies, apesar das perturbações sofridas no passado. Para que a vegetação atinja as características florísticas e estruturais próximas às da vegetação original é preciso evitar a presença de bovinos e eqüinos na área e explorações da floresta.

ombrófila mista montana no período entre 1979 e 2000

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Luciano Budant Schaaf

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The floristic and structure alterations were studied in an Ombrophyllous Mixed Forest located in São João do Triunfo (Paraná State - Brazil. Nine plots of 1ha, first evaluated in 1979, were recovered and, measured in 2000. In 1979, all the trees with dbh ≥ 20 cm were identified and tagged, and they had their commercial height and diameter measured. In 2000, based on the same criteria described before, the trees which had not been counted in 1979 were considered as ingrowth, and the missing ones were considered mortality. In 1979, 2133 individuals, 51 species and 29 families were found and in the 2000 survey, 2202 individuals, 55 species and 31 families ware journal. In both surveys, the families Araucariaceae, Aquifoliaceae, Lauraceae, Sapindaceae, Myrtaceae and Canellaceae were the most represented in terms of quantity of individuals. Although in both times more than 50 species were counted, in 1979 only 7 species (Araucaria angustifolia, Ilex dumosa, Matayba elaeagnoides, Ocotea porous, Capsicodendron dinisii, Nectandra grandiflora and Campomanesia xanthocarpa represented 80.4% of the individuals and, in 2000, the same 7 species plus Ocotea corymbosa covered 80.9% of the total number of individuals. Hovenia dulcis, exotic specie, based on the number of adult and regeneration individuals, became to be seen as a threat to the autocnons species. All the structural indicators which were analyzed showed that the community has become more mature during the studied period and that the Araucaria angustifolia increased its dominance. There was a sensible increase of the occupancy grade, indicated by the absolutely dominance that changes from 23.52 m2/ha in 1979, to 28.53 m2/ha, in 2000, an increase of 21.3%. These results indicate that this community is still in development, and has not yet found its equilibrium. It also demonstrates that the Araucaria dominance increased in this period, suggesting that this profile can even increase future in the

Induction of quadrangular shapes to stems of Guadua angustifolia Kunth for the business development in the rural communities of Ecuadorian Amazon

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Karina Carrera-Sánchez

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Local development at indigenous communities from Ecuadorian Amazonía, may develop their potentialities and improve families’ incomes. In sector San José, cantón Mera, province Pastaza (Ecuador, the induction of square shape in G. angustifolia stems was studied using an adjustable metallic mold during three time intervals (15, 30 and 45 days. Square shape in stems of G. angustifolia was observed once metallic mold was used in shoots proliferation stage with 50 cm of height. It was obtained a 60.93 % of perimeter of stem with plane surface and six induced nodes. Metallic molds affected in approximately 55% the elongation of induced nodes, limiting stems normal length. By means of the induction of square shape in stems of G. angustifolia, members from farmer’s communities may develop agricultural production and commercialization to generate micro-enterprising and improve their life quality

Enraizamento de microestacas de Lavandula angustifolia Rooting of Lavandula angustifolia microcuttings

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Marília Pereira Machado

2011-05-01

Full Text Available A eliminação da etapa de enraizamento in vitro na micropropagação de plantas é desejável do ponto de vista econômico, além de proporcionar a melhoria na qualidade do sistema radicial formado. Dois experimentos foram realizados com os objetivos de avaliar diferentes concentrações (0; 2,5; 5,0 e 10mM de ácido indolbutírico (AIB no enraizamento ex vitro de lavanda (L. angustifolia, cv. 'Provence Blue' e avaliar a capacidade de enraizamento ex vitro das cultivares 'Vera', 'Provence Blue', 'English' e 'Elegance Ice'. Após 30 dias, foi avaliado o número de microestacas enraizadas, comprimento das raízes principais, porcentagem de enraizamento e porcentagem de sobrevivência. A concentração de 5,0mM de AIB foi mais efetiva para o comprimento de raízes e porcentagem de enraizamento das microestacas de lavanda cv. 'Provence Blue', apesar de reduzir o número de raízes formadas. Entre as cultivares estudadas, a porcentagem de sobrevivência das plantas variou de 82% a 100%. As cultivares apresentaram diferenças no enraizamento ex vitro das microestacas, sendo as maiores médias de porcentagem de enraizamento registradas na 'Provence Blue' e 'Elegance Ice'. Conclui-se que a microestaquia pode ser uma técnica eficiente para a propagação de lavanda, pelo tratamento das microestacas com 5,0mM de AIB, por proporcionar alta porcentagem de enraizamento e sobrevivência das plantas.Two experiments were carried out aiming to evaluate the ex vitro rooting of L. angustifolia cv. 'Provence Blue' treated with different concentrations (0, 2.5, 5.0 and 10mM of indolebutyric acid (IBA with talc as a vehicle to evaluated the ex vitro rooting of 'Vera', 'Provence Blue', 'English' and 'Elegance Ice' lavender cultivars. The experiments were carried out in a greenhouse using three concentrations of AIB plus control. After the 30th day, it was evaluated: surviving microcuttings percentage, percentage of rooted microcuttings, roots number, roots length

Paleosols in low-order streams and valley heads in the Araucaria Plateau - Record of continental environmental conditions in southern Brazil at the end of MIS 3

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Paisani, Julio Cesar; Pontelli, Marga Eliz; Osterrieth, Margarita Luisa; Paisani, Sani Daniela Lopes; Fachin, Andressa; Guerra, Simone; Oliveira, Leandro

2014-10-01

The Araucaria Plateau is a geomorphological unit that occupies approximately three-quarters of the terrain in the southern region of Brazil. The plateau displays different altitudinal levels (600 to relief inversion occurred, which resulted in fossilization of the valleys.

Cloning and functional characterization of three terpene synthases from lavender (Lavandula angustifolia).

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Landmann, Christian; Fink, Barbara; Festner, Maria; Dregus, Márta; Engel, Karl-Heinz; Schwab, Wilfried

2007-09-15

The essential oil of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is mainly composed of mono- and sesquiterpenes. Using a homology-based PCR strategy, two monoterpene synthases (LaLIMS and LaLINS) and one sesquiterpene synthase (LaBERS) were cloned from lavender leaves and flowers. LaLIMS catalyzed the formation of (R)-(+)-limonene, terpinolene, (1R,5S)-(+)-camphene, (1R,5R)-(+)-alpha-pinene, beta-myrcene and traces of alpha-phellandrene. The proportions of these products changed significantly when Mn(2+) was supplied as the cofactor instead of Mg(2+). The second enzyme LaLINS produced exclusively (R)-(-)-linalool, the main component of lavender essential oil. LaBERS transformed farnesyl diphosphate and represents the first reported trans-alpha-bergamotene synthase. It accepted geranyl diphosphate with higher affinity than farnesyl diphosphate and also produced monoterpenes, albeit at low rates. LaBERS is probably derived from a parental monoterpene synthase by the loss of the plastidial signal peptide and by broadening its substrate acceptance spectrum. The identification and description of the first terpene synthases from L. angustifolia forms the basis for the biotechnological modification of essential oil composition in lavender.

Phytoremediation potential of Cd and Zn by wetland plants, Colocasia esculenta L. Schott., Cyperus malaccensis Lam. and Typha angustifolia L. grown in hydroponics.

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Chayapan, P; Kruatrachue, M; Meetam, M; Pokethitiyook, P

2015-09-01

Cadmium and zinc phytoremediation potential of wetland plants, Colocasia esculenta, Cyperus malaccensis, and Typha angustifolia, was investigated. Plants were grown for 15 days in nutrient solutions containing various concentrations of Cd (0, 5, 10, 20, 50 mg l(-1)) and Zn (0, 10, 20, 50, 100 mg l(-1)). T angustifolia was tolerant to both metals as indicated by high RGR when grown in 50 mg I(-1) Cd and 100 mg I(-1) Zn solutions. All these plants accumulated more metals in their underground parts and > 100 mg kg(-1) in their aboveground with TF values 10,000 mg kg(-1) in its aboveground parts with TF > 1. T angustifolia exhibited highest biomass production and highest Cd and Zn uptake, confirming that this plant is a suitable candidate for treating of Cd contaminated soil/sediments.

Viabilidade do processamento de biscoitos com farinha de pinhão / Viability of cookie-processing with Paraná pine nut flour

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Maurício Rigo

2009-08-01

Full Text Available ResumoO pinhão é a semente do pinho ou pinheiro-do-paraná (Araucaria angustifolia de grande ocorrência no estado do Paraná. A farinha obtida é uma fonte de proteína, carboidratos e fibras e sua aplicação na indústria de alimentos poderia contribuir para melhorar o valor nutricional de vários produtos. Biscoito é o produto obtido pelo amassamento e cozimento de massa preparada com farinhas, amidos, fermentada ou não e outras substâncias alimentícias. Neste trabalho, foi estudada a elaboração de biscoito com farinha de pinhão. Foram preparadas três formulações, variando-se a adição da farinha de pinhão na formulação básica de biscoito. As amostras de biscoito com formulações de 0, 5, 10 e 20% foram submetidas a teste de aceitação. As três formulações foram bem aceitas, apresentando uma consistência semelhante ao padrão.AbstractThe seed from the evergreen species Paraná Pine (Araucaria angustifolia, which is found in Paraná State, is called “pinhão”. The “pinhão” flour is a source of protein, carbohydrates and fiber, so that its use in food industries may improve the nutritional value of several products. Cookies are made of a pastry prepared with flour, starch, with or without fermentation, and other ingredients. This research studied the production of biscuits with 5, 10 and 20% of “pinhão” flour. These three formulations were well accepted by subjects who participated in a tasting test and their texture was similar to standard cookies.

Effect of Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) Essential Oil on Acute Inflammatory Response

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Cardia, Gabriel Fernando Esteves; Cavalcante, Heitor Augusto Otaviano; Cassarotti, Larissa Laila; Salvadego, Valter Eduardo Cocco; Spironello, Ricardo Alexandre; Bersani-Amado, Ciomar Aparecida

2018-01-01

Lavandula angustifolia is a plant of Lamiaceae family, with many therapeutic properties and biological activities, such as anticonvulsant, anxiolytic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Lavandula angustifolia Mill. essential oil (LEO) on acute inflammatory response. LEO was analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) methods and showed predominance of 1,8-cineole (39.83%), borneol (22.63%), and camphor (22.12%). LEO at concentrations of 0.5, 1, 3, and 10 μg/ml did not present in vitro cytotoxicity. Additionally, LEO did not stimulate the leukocyte chemotaxis in vitro. The LEO topical application at concentrations of 0.25, 0.5, and 1 mg/ear reduced edema formation, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, and nitric oxide (NO) production in croton oil-induced ear edema model. In carrageenan-induced paw edema model, LEO treatment at doses of 75, 100, and 250 mg/kg reduced edema formation, MPO activity, and NO production. In dextran-induced paw edema model, LEO at doses of 75 and 100 mg/kg reduced paw edema and MPO activity. In conclusion, LEO presented anti-inflammatory activity, and the mechanism proposed of LEO seems to be, at least in part, involving the participation of prostanoids, NO, proinflammatory cytokines, and histamine. PMID:29743918

Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia L.: From a variety of traditional medicinal applications to its novel roles as active antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic and analgesic agent

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Rafie Hamidpour

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Elaeagnus angustifolia L., which is commonly known as oleaster or Russian olive, is a deciduous plant from Elaeagnacea family. This plant can tolerate and survive a wide variety of environmental conditions. Different parts of E. angustifolia plant, especially the fruits and flowers, have been used traditionally in treating a variety of common illnesses such as nausea, cough, asthma, fever, jaundice, and diarrhea. The use of fruit powder and extract of E. angustifolia L. have shown to be effective in alleviating pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and also in reducing the healing time of wounds in injured person. In addition, some recent reports have indicated the anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer and some other properties of oleaster plant. The other important property of this plant would be its role in bio-monitoring the environment for some toxic elements and also its action as a bio-fertilizer agent in distressed lands. It seems that with more advanced studies on E. angustifolia L. and its bioactive components, this plant might be potentially effective and can be used as a natural alternative resource in pharmaceutical industries for treating chronic and serious problems, Fig. 1.

The effect of acid hydrolysis on the technological functional properties of pinhão (Araucaria brasiliensis starch

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Roberta Cruz Silveira Thys

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Technological functional properties of native and acid-thinned pinhão (seeds of Araucária angustifolia, Brazilian pine starches were evaluated and compared to those of native and acid-thinned corn starches. The starches were hydrolyzed (3.2 mol.L-1 HCl, 44 ºC, 6 hours and evaluated before and after the hydrolysis reaction in terms of formation, melting point and thermo-reversibility of gel starches, retrogradation (in a 30-day period and measurements every three days, paste freezing and thawing stability (after six freezing and thawing cycles, swelling power, and solubility. The results of light transmittance (% of pastes of native and acid-thinned pinhão starches was higher (lower tendency to retrogradation than that obtained for corn starches after similar storage period. Native pinhão starch (NPS presented lower syneresis than native corn starch (NCS when submitted to freeze-thaw cycles. The acid hydrolysis increased the syneresis of the two native varieties under storage at 5 ºC and after freezing and thawing cycles. The solubility of NPS was lower than that of native corn starch at 25, 50, and 70 ºC. However, for the acid-thinned pinhão starch (APS, this property was significantly higher (p < 0.05 when compared to that of acid-thinned corn starch (ACS. From the results obtained, it can be said that the acid treatment was efficient in producing a potential fat substitute from pinhão starch variety, but this ability must be further investigated.

Thermal and magnetic behavior of Angustifolia Kunth bamboo fibers covered with Fe3O4 particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calvo, S.; Arias, N.P.; Giraldo, O.; Rosales-Rivera, A.; Moscoso, O.

2012-01-01

Several Angustifolia Kunth bamboo fibers, which have been previously treated with an alkaline solution, were coated with magnetite particles. The coating of the fibers was achieved by an in-situ co-precipitation method with Fe 2+ and Fe 3+ in NaOH or NH 4 OH. The fibers were evaluated by chemical analysis using atomic absorption (A.A.) technique, structural characterization by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal stability with thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) in nitrogen at temperature range between 23 °C and 800 °C and magnetic behavior using vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) applying a magnetic field between -27 KOe and 27 KOe at room temperature. We found that the thermal stability and magnetization depend of the synthesis method used to cover the Angustifolia Kunth bamboo fibers. In addition, an improved magnetic response was observed when NaOH solution is used to generate the magnetite coating on the fiber surface.

Lavandula angustifolia Mill. Essential Oil Exerts Antibacterial and Anti-Inflammatory Effect in Macrophage Mediated Immune Response to Staphylococcus aureus.

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Giovannini, D; Gismondi, A; Basso, A; Canuti, L; Braglia, R; Canini, A; Mariani, F; Cappelli, G

2016-01-01

Different studies described the antibacterial properties of Lavandula angustifolia (Mill.) essential oil and its anti-inflammatory effects. Besides, no data exist on its ability to activate human macrophages during the innate response against Staphylococcus aureus. The discovery of promising regulators of macrophage-mediated inflammatory response, without side effects, could be useful for the prevention of, or as therapeutic remedy for, various inflammation-mediated diseases. This study investigated, by transcriptional analysis, how a L. angustifolia essential oil treatment influences the macrophage response to Staphylococcus aureus infection. The results showed that the treatment increases the phagocytic rate and stimulates the containment of intracellular bacterial replication by macrophages. Our data showed that this stimulation is coupled with expression of genes involved in reactive oxygen species production (i.e., CYBB and NCF4). Moreover, the essential oil treatment balanced the inflammatory signaling induced by S. aureus by repressing the principal pro-inflammatory cytokines and their receptors and inducing the heme oxygenase-1 gene transcription. These data showed that the L. angustifolia essential oil can stimulate the human innate macrophage response to a bacterium which is responsible for one of the most important nosocomial infection and might suggest the potential development of this plant extract as an anti-inflammatory and immune regulatory coadjutant drug.

Composition of the essential oils of Kaempferia rotunda L. and Kaempferia angustifolia Roscoe rhizomes from Indonesia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Woerdenbag, HJ; Windono, T; Bos, R; Riswan, S; Quax, WJ

2004-01-01

The volatile constituents of rhizomes (main rhizome, lateral parts) of two medicinally used Indonesian plants of the family Zingiberaceae, Kaempferia rotunda L. and K. angustifolia Roscoe, were investigated by GC and GC-MS (EI) analysis. A total of 75 compounds were identified. The most abundant

Utilization of Lavandula angustifolia Miller extracts as naturalrepellents, pharmaceutical and industrial auxiliaries

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AYOE YUSUFOGLU

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Essential oils, absolutes and concretes were prepared from the flowers and leaves of the plant Lavandula angustifolia Miller cultivated in the Bosphorus region of Istanbul, Turkey. The difference in the chemical composition of the mentioned extracts was investigated and compared by using a combination of capillary GC-MS with the aim of offering them as repellent, pharmaceutical and industrial auxiliaries. The IR-spectra, the yields and the physico-chemical data of the extracts were also analysed.

Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of essential oil from leaves and rhizomes of Curcuma angustifolia Roxb.

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Jena, Sudipta; Ray, Asit; Banerjee, Anwesha; Sahoo, Ambika; Nasim, Noohi; Sahoo, Suprava; Kar, Basudeba; Patnaik, Jeetendranath; Panda, Pratap Chandra; Nayak, Sanghamitra

2017-09-01

The essential oil extracted from rhizome and leaf of Curcuma angustifolia Roxb. (Zingiberaceae) was characterised by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of 32 and 35 identified constituents, comprising 92.6% and 92% of total leaf and rhizome oil, respectively. Curzerenone (33.2%), 14-hydroxy-δ-cadinene (18.6%) and γ-eudesmol acetate (7.3%) were the main components in leaf oil. In rhizome oil, curzerenone (72.6%), camphor (3.3%) and germacrone (3.3%) were found to be the major constituents. Antioxidant capacities of oil were assessed by various methods, 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2, 2-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and reducing power ability (RPA). Based on the results, the leaf oil showed more antioxidant potential as compared to rhizome oil and reference standards (ascorbic acid and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)). Thus, the leaf essential oil of C. angustifolia can be used as an alternative source of natural antioxidant.

Chemical composition of essential oils of Drimys angustifolia Miers and Drimys brasiliensis Miers and their repellency to drywood termite Cryptotermes brevis (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae

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Madson Ralide Fonseca Gomes

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The essential oils extracted from leaves of the Southern Brazilian native species Drimys angustifolia Miers (DA and Drimys brasiliensis Miers (DB by Clevenger distillation were analyzed by gas chromatography/ mass spectrometry (GC/MS. The oils of DA and DB consisted predominantly of monoterpenoids and sesquiterpenoids. The largest components of DA oil were bicyclogermacrene (19.6%, sabinene (9.7% and myrcene (5.2%, while DB oil was characterized by cyclocolorenone (18.2%, followed by terpinen-4- ol (8.7% and alpha-gurjunene (6.9%. Laboratory tests were carried out to determine the repellency of the essential oils to the drywood termite Cryptotermes brevis (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae. It was observed that the oil showed repellency at the concentrations 25, 12.5, and 6.25 μg/mL. The oils of both species exhibited a negative repellency index, which represents repellent activity, except for DA oil at the highest concentration, which was attractive. Five deaths (11% of the termite sample were observed at 25 μg/mL DA, in the fourhour repellency test, while four deaths occurred at 12.5 μg/mL (approximately 9%. The essential oil of DB did not cause any termite deaths.

Cardioprotective Effects of Essential Oil of Lavandula angustifolia on Isoproterenol-induced Acute Myocardial Infarction in Rat

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Ziaee, Mojtaba; Khorrami, Arash; Ebrahimi, Maryam; Nourafcan, Hassan; Amiraslanzadeh, Masoumeh; Rameshrad, Maryam; Garjani, Mehraveh; Garjani, Alireza

2015-01-01

Myocardial infarction (MI) is a common presentation of the ischemic heart disease. Lavandula angustifolia is an herbaceous plant with antioxidative effects. This study was designed to investigate the cardioprotective effects of lavandula angustifolia essential oil against isoproterenol-induced MI in rats. The dried sample was subjected to hydrodistillation by using a Clevenger and the oils were dried over anhydrous Na2SO4. Male Wistar rats were assigned to 6 groups of control, sham, isoproterenol and treatment with 5, 10, 20 mg/Kg of the essential oil. MI was induced by subcutaneous injection of Isoproterenol (100 mg/Kg) for 3 consecutive days at an interval of 24 h. The essential oil was given intraperitoneally every 24 h started at MI induction. Following anesthesia, hemodynamic parameters were measured. After sacrificing the animals, the hearts were removed to measure the heart to body weight ratio and histopathological examination. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) and Malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured in heart tissues for evaluating the activity of neutrophils and lipid peroxidation, respectively. The essential oil amended ECG pattern by suppressing ST-segment elevation and increasing R-amplitude. 10 mg/Kg of the essential oil significantly decreased heart to body weight ratio (P<0.001) and the elevation of MDA and MPO in myocardium, it also increased dp/dtmax from 2793 ± 210 to 4488 ± 253 mmHg/sec (P<0.001), and 20 mg/Kg of it significantly lowered LVEDP from 14 ± 3.43 to 4.3 ± 0.83 mmHg (P<0.001).The results demonstrated that L. angustifolia protects myocardium against isoproterenol-induced MI that it could be related to its antioxidant properties. PMID:25561934

Russian Olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia Removal in the Western United States: Multi-Site Findings and Considerations for Future Research

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Margaret Gaddis

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Elaeagnus angustifolia (Russian olive is an introduced tree that has become one of the dominant species in many watersheds in the American West. Although it is a target of restoration efforts, very little is known about vegetation response after removal of this exotic species. To address this gap we surveyed 25 sites in Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana where E. angustifolia was removed. We collected information regarding plant cover and richness, climate, soil characteristics, management history, and geography. We analyzed these data using regression tree modeling. Our results indicate that moisture and temperature are key environmental factors relating to restoration success as measured by abundance of native cover; lower temperatures and greater availability of water were generally associated with more native cover. These results have important implications for selection of restoration sites, and for understanding the consequences of removing this species.

Comparison of Drosophilidae (Diptera assemblages from two highland Araucaria Forest fragments, with and without environmental conservation policies

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R Cavasini

Full Text Available Flies from the Drosophilidae family are model organisms for biological studies and are often suggested as bioindicators of environmental quality. The Araucaria Forest, one of Atlantic Forest phyto-physiognomy, displays a highly fragmented distribution due to the expansion of agriculture and urbanization. Thus, this work aimed to evaluate and compare the drosophilid assemblages from two highland Araucaria Forest fragments, one a conservation unit (PMA – Parque Municipal das Araucárias and the other a private property without any conservational policy (FBL – Fazenda Brandalise, in space and time, using species abundances and richness, ecological indexes and Neotropical and exotic species proportions as parameters to establish the level of environmental quality of these fragments. Our results showed that the observed diversity in PMA (H′ = 2.221 was approximately 40% higher than in FBL (H′ = 1.592. This could be due to higher preservation quality and habitat diversity in PMA, indicating the importance of conservation units. However, richness were similar for these areas, with PMA (Dmg = 6.602 only 8% higher than FBL (Dmg = 6.128, which suggest that the larger distance from city limits and the larger size of FBL forested area could be compensating the higher disturbance caused by antrophic extractive exploitation of this fragment. This points out that, besides the quality of presevertion, the size and/or connection with other fragments should be considered for areas destined for biodiversity conservation. In general, both areas presented similar drosophilid assemblages, and the expressive abundance of both Neotropical species (mostly of the subgroup willistoni and the exotic species D. kikkawai suggests that these areas are in intermediate stages of conservation.

Comparison of Drosophilidae (Diptera) assemblages from two highland Araucaria Forest fragments, with and without environmental conservation policies.

Science.gov (United States)

Cavasini, R; Buschini, M L T; Machado, L P B; Mateus, R P

2014-11-01

Flies from the Drosophilidae family are model organisms for biological studies and are often suggested as bioindicators of environmental quality. The Araucaria Forest, one of Atlantic Forest phyto-physiognomy, displays a highly fragmented distribution due to the expansion of agriculture and urbanization. Thus, this work aimed to evaluate and compare the drosophilid assemblages from two highland Araucaria Forest fragments, one a conservation unit (PMA - Parque Municipal das Araucárias) and the other a private property without any conservational policy (FBL - Fazenda Brandalise), in space and time, using species abundances and richness, ecological indexes and Neotropical and exotic species proportions as parameters to establish the level of environmental quality of these fragments. Our results showed that the observed diversity in PMA (H' = 2.221) was approximately 40% higher than in FBL (H' = 1.592). This could be due to higher preservation quality and habitat diversity in PMA, indicating the importance of conservation units. However, richness were similar for these areas, with PMA (Dmg = 6.602) only 8% higher than FBL (Dmg = 6.128), which suggest that the larger distance from city limits and the larger size of FBL forested area could be compensating the higher disturbance caused by antrophic extractive exploitation of this fragment. This points out that, besides the quality of presevertion, the size and/or connection with other fragments should be considered for areas destined for biodiversity conservation. In general, both areas presented similar drosophilid assemblages, and the expressive abundance of both Neotropical species (mostly of the subgroup willistoni) and the exotic species D. kikkawai suggests that these areas are in intermediate stages of conservation.

Antioxidant capacity of Typha angustifolia extracts and two active flavonoids.

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Chen, Peidong; Cao, Yudan; Bao, Beihua; Zhang, Li; Ding, Anwei

2017-12-01

The pollen of Typha angustifolia L. (Typhaceae) has been used as a traditional Chinese medicine for improving the microcirculation and promoting wound healing. Flavonoids are the main constituent in the plant, but little is known about the antioxidant activity of the principal constituent of the pollen in detail. To assess the antioxidant activities of ethanol and water extracts and two constituents of the pollen. Plant material (1 g) was extracted by 95% ethanol and water (10 mL × 2, 1 h each), respectively. The extracted activities (0.8-2.6 mg/mL) were measured by DPPH and the reducing activity of ferric chloride (1.7-2.6 mg/mL). Typhaneoside and isorhamnetin-3-O-neohesperidoside (I3ON) (2.8-70 μmol/L) were investigated on the relationship between NO, MDA and SOD in HUVECs treated with 100 μg/mL of LPS for 24 h. Nine compounds were identified by UPLC-MS. Ethanol extract showed IC 50 values in DPPH (39.51 ± 0.72) and Fe 3+ reducing activity (82.76 ± 13.38), higher than the water extract (50.85 ± 0.74) and (106.33 ± 6.35), respectively. Typhaneoside and I3ON promoted cell proliferation at the respective concentration range of 2.8 to 70 μmol/L (p concentration of 70 μmol/L compared with LPS group. The constituents from Typha angustifolia could be a novel therapeutic strategy for LPS-induced inflammation.

Vascular species composition of a contact zone between Seasonal and Araucaria forests in Guaraciaba, Far West of Santa Catarina state, southern Brazil

OpenAIRE

Gnigler, Luciana; Caddah, Mayara

2015-01-01

A floristic survey was carried out in a contact area between Araucaria Forest and Seasonal Forest areas, in the municipality of Guaraciaba, Far West of Santa Catarina state, southern Brazil. We provide a checklist containing 108 species and 42 plant families for the area. Families with the most encountered number of species were Myrtaceae (eight species), Solanaceae (eight), Euphorbiaceae (seven) and Poaceae (six). Two species are classified as endangered of extinction, following IUCN criteri...

Three new benzolactones from Lavandula angustifolia and their bioactivities.

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Shi, Jian-Lian; Tang, Shi-Yun; Liu, Chun-Bo; Ye, Ling; Yang, Pei-Song; Zhang, Feng-Mei; He, Pei; Liu, Zhi-Hua; Miao, Ming-Ming; Guo, Ya-Dong; Shen, Qin-Peng

2017-08-01

Three new benzolactones (1-3), together with four known ones (4-7), were isolated from the whole herb of Lavandula angustifolia. Their structures were established on the basis of detailed spectroscopic analysis (1D- and 2D-NMR, HRESIMS, UV, and IR) and comparison with data reported in the literature. New compounds were evaluated for their anti-tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) activities and cytotoxic activities. The results revealed that compounds 1-3 showed obvious anti-TMV activities with inhibition rates of 26.9, 30.2, and 28.4%, which were at the same grade as positive control. Compounds 1-3 also showed weak inhibitory activities against some tested human tumor cell lines with IC 50 values in the range of 32.1-7.6 μM.

Impact of the invasive species Elaeagnus Angustifolia L. on vegetation in Pontic desert steppe zone (Southern Ukraine)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sudnik-Wojcikowska, B.; Moysiyenko, I.; Slim, P.A.; Moraczewski, I.R.

2009-01-01

The Irano-Turanian species – Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia L.) – is one of most commonly planted tree in the shelterbelts in southern Ukraine. The consequences of introduction of the species from windbreaks, into areas of different land use in west and central Pontic desert steppe zone are

Florística e estrutura do componente arbóreo e análise ambiental de um fragmento de Floresta Ombrófila Mista Alto-Montana no município de Painel, SC

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Pedro Higuchi

2013-03-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5902/198050988449A Floresta Ombrófila Mista Alto-Montana é uma formação pouco estudada que ocorre em altitudes acima de 1.000 m. Os objetivos deste estudo foram conhecer os padrões florísticos e estruturais do componente arbóreo de um fragmento desta floresta na região do Planalto Sul Catarinense e determinar as variáveis ambientais que influenciam esses padrões. O levantamento da composição florística e estrutural e a coleta das variáveis ambientais foram conduzidos em 50 parcelas de 200 m2. Nelas, todos os indivíduos arbóreos com CAP (circunferência medida a altura do peito ≥ 15,7 cm foram medidos (CAP e altura e identificados. Foram coletadas, em cada parcela, variáveis ambientais relacionadas às características químicas e físicas dos solos, topográficas e de cobertura do dossel. Foram calculados os parâmetros fitossociológicos e a estrutura diamétrica da comunidade e das populações com valor de importância (VI acima de 5 %. A similaridade florístico-estrutural entre as parcelas foi analisada pela NMDS (Nonmetric Multidimensional Scaling e os vetores das variáveis ambientais significativas (p < 0,05 foram plotados a posteriori. Foram identificadas 50 espécies arbóreas distribuídas em 33 gêneros e 20 famílias botânicas. As espécies com maior VI foram: Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol. Kuntze (17,32 %, Myrceugenia euosma (O.Berg D.Legrand (15,24 % e Acca sellowiana (O.Berg Burret (7,84 %. A estrutura diamétrica de toda a comunidade e das populações estudadas (exceto Dicksonia sellowiana Hook. teve distribuição próxima ao “J invertido”. A análise NMDS demonstrou maior porcentagem de argila nas parcelas com maior densidade de Araucaria angustifolia e menor porcentagem, nas parcelas com maior densidade de Dicksonia sellowiana, Inga lentiscifolia Benth. e Ocotea pulchella Mart. As parcelas de maior declividade tiveram maior densidade de Drimys brasiliensis Miers e aquelas de

La semilla de Campsiandra angustifolia (Fabaceae:Caesalpiniodeaecomo un reflejo de las presiones selectivas sobre su dispersión y establecimiento

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Alejandro G Farji-Brener

2005-06-01

Full Text Available Evaluamos indirectamente las presiones selectivas sobre la dispersión y el establecimiento en Campsiandra angustifolia, un árbol de la Amazonía Peruana dispersado por agua, analizando variaciones de la relación entre el volumen ocupado por las estructuras de dispersión y de establecimiento en sus semillas. Medimos un total de 535 semillas de 13 árboles ubicados en tres hábitats diferentes, las cuales presentaron una gran variación en su volumen total. Independientemente del tamaño de la semilla y de la ubicación del árbol de origen, la relación entre el volumen asignado a estructuras de establecimiento y a estructuras de dispersión fue relativamente constante (~1 y presentó una distribución normal con baja asimetría, indicando selección estabilizante. Este resultado sugiere que los procesos de dispersión y establecimiento poseen una importancia relativa similar para C.angustifolia en los hábitats estudiados. En especies con semillas empaquetadas, el volumen relativo ocupado por estructuras relacionadas con la dispersión o el establecimiento podría ser una medida más adecuada de la solución de compromiso entre estos dos procesos que la variación del tamaño de la semillaThe seeds of Campsiandra angustifolia (Fabaceae:Caesalpiniodeae as a reflex of selective pressures on dispersal and establishment. We indirectly evaluated the selective pressures on dispersal and establishment of Campsiandra angustifolia, a common water-dispersed tree from the Peruvian Amazon, analyzing the variation in the relationship between the volume occupied by dispersal and establishment structures in a total of 535 seeds from 13 trees located at three different habitats. The seeds differed one order of magnitude in their total volume. However, independently of their size and the location of the maternal tree, the relationship between the volume occupied by dispersal and establishment structures was relatively constant (~1 and showed a normal

Comparative proteomic analysis of Typha angustifolia leaf under chromium, cadmium and lead stress

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bah, Alieu Mohamed; Sun Hongyan; Chen Fei; Zhou Jing; Dai Huaxin; Zhang Guoping [Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Huajiachi Campus, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029 (China); Wu Feibo, E-mail: wufeibo@zju.edu.cn [Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Huajiachi Campus, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029 (China)

2010-12-15

The present study investigated Typha angustifolia leaf proteome in response to Cr, Cd and Pb stress. T. angustifolia of 90 (D90) and 130 d (D130) old plants were subjected to 1 mM Cr, Cd and Pb and samples were collected 30 d after treatment. 2-DE coupled with MS (mass spectrometry) was used to analyze and identify Cr, Cd and Pb-responsive proteins. More than 1600 protein spots were reproducibly detected on each gel, wherein 44, 46, 66 and 33, 26, 62 spots in D90 and D130 samples were differentially expressed by Cr, Cd, Pb over the control, respectively. Of these differentially expressed proteins, 3, 1, 8 overlapped in D90 and D130; while 5, 8, 5 with regulation factors above 3 in one of D90 or D130 samples. Total of 22 and 4 up- and down-regulated proteins were identified using MS and data bank analysis. Cr-induced expression of ATP synthase, RuBisCO small subunit and coproporphyrinogen III oxidase; Cd-induced RuBisCO large subunit; Pb up-regulated carbohydrate metabolic pathway enzymes of fructokinase, and improved RuBisCO activase and large subunit, Mg-protoporphyrin IX chelatase. Contrarily, elF4F was inhibited by Cr/Pb, chloroplast FtsZ-like protein and GF14omega impeded by Cd and Pb, respectively.

Comparative proteomic analysis of Typha angustifolia leaf under chromium, cadmium and lead stress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bah, Alieu Mohamed; Sun Hongyan; Chen Fei; Zhou Jing; Dai Huaxin; Zhang Guoping; Wu Feibo

2010-01-01

The present study investigated Typha angustifolia leaf proteome in response to Cr, Cd and Pb stress. T. angustifolia of 90 (D90) and 130 d (D130) old plants were subjected to 1 mM Cr, Cd and Pb and samples were collected 30 d after treatment. 2-DE coupled with MS (mass spectrometry) was used to analyze and identify Cr, Cd and Pb-responsive proteins. More than 1600 protein spots were reproducibly detected on each gel, wherein 44, 46, 66 and 33, 26, 62 spots in D90 and D130 samples were differentially expressed by Cr, Cd, Pb over the control, respectively. Of these differentially expressed proteins, 3, 1, 8 overlapped in D90 and D130; while 5, 8, 5 with regulation factors above 3 in one of D90 or D130 samples. Total of 22 and 4 up- and down-regulated proteins were identified using MS and data bank analysis. Cr-induced expression of ATP synthase, RuBisCO small subunit and coproporphyrinogen III oxidase; Cd-induced RuBisCO large subunit; Pb up-regulated carbohydrate metabolic pathway enzymes of fructokinase, and improved RuBisCO activase and large subunit, Mg-protoporphyrin IX chelatase. Contrarily, elF4F was inhibited by Cr/Pb, chloroplast FtsZ-like protein and GF14omega impeded by Cd and Pb, respectively.

Antioxidant capacity and total phenolic contents of oregano (Origanum vulgare), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) from Romania.

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Spiridon, Iuliana; Colceru, Svetlana; Anghel, Narcis; Teaca, Carmen Alice; Bodirlau, Ruxanda; Armatu, Alice

2011-10-01

The study reported here presents a comparative screening of three medicinal plants including oregano (Origanum vulgare L.), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) having the same geographical origin, the Southeast region of Romania, and growing in the same natural conditions. The contents of total phenolics and total flavonoids for the extracts of these were determined. Furthermore, the total antioxidant capacity was also evaluated. It was found that Origanum vulgare and Melissa officinalis extracts present the most effective antioxidant capacity in scavenging DPPH radicals, while Lavandula angustifolia is less active. High performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis was used to identify the components of extracts. Major phenolic acids identified in the analysed species were ferulic, rosmarinic, p-coumaric and caffeic, while predominant flavonoids were quercetin, apigenin kaempherol, which were present as glucosides.

Functional Characterisation of Anticancer Activity in the Aqueous Extract of Helicteres angustifolia L. Roots.

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Kejuan Li

Full Text Available Helicteres angustifolia L. is a shrub that forms a common ingredient of several cancer treatment recipes in traditional medicine system both in China and Laos. In order to investigate molecular mechanisms of its anticancer activity, we prepared aqueous extract of Helicteres angustifolia L. Roots (AQHAR and performed several in vitro assays using human normal fibroblasts (TIG-3 and osteosarcoma (U2OS. We found that AQHAR caused growth arrest/apoptosis of U2OS cells in a dose-dependent manner. It showed no cytotoxicity to TIG-3 cells at doses up to 50 μg/ml. Biochemical, imaging and cell cycle analyses revealed that it induces ROS signaling and DNA damage response selectively in cancer cells. The latter showed upregulation of p53, p21 and downregulation of Cyclin B1 and phospho-Rb. Furthermore, AQHAR-induced apoptosis was mediated by increase in pro-apoptotic proteins including cleaved PARP, caspases and Bax. Anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 showed decrease in AQHAR-treated U2OS cells. In vivo xenograft tumor assays in nude mice revealed dose-dependent suppression of tumor growth and lung metastasis with no toxicity to the animals suggesting that AQHAR could be a potent and safe natural drug for cancer treatment.

Indicadores de impacto ambiental de plantaciones forestales - componente vegetal.

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Fabio Moscovich

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Buscando determinar indicadores sobre el impacto ambiental, basados en características vegetales, que generarían los monocultivos forestales lindantes con bosques nativos, se instalaron 32 unidades de muestreo en un área de propiedad de la empresa LIPSIA, Departamento Esperanza (Misiones, que reunía estas características. Las parcelas, de 100 m2, se distribuyeron sistemáticamente a cada 25 m. La vegetación se dividió en tres estratos: superior (CAP ≥ 30 cm, medio (5 cm ≤ CAP  30 cm e inferior (CAP < 5 cm. Se instalaron 10 parcelas en bosque nativo explotado, 10 parcelas en una plantación de Pinus elliottii Engelm. de 18 años aproximadamente (400 árboles/ha, 6 parcelas en la zona límite de una plantación de Araucaria angustifolia (Bertd. Kuntze de 20-25 años (900 árboles/ha y 6 parcelas en el interior de esta plantación. En el área en estudio se identificaron 150 especies vegetales. En el estrato inferior se encontraron diferencias en función de varios índices de diversidad florística. En todos los casos el bosque nativo presentó mayor diversidad que las plantaciones, seguido por el pinar, el interior de la plantación de araucaria y por la zona límite de la plantación de araucaria. Todos los bosques estudiados ajustaron a la serie logarítmica de distribución de especies, lo que estaría reflejando la incidencia de un factor ambiental en esta distribución.

Indicadores de impacto ambiental de plantaciones forestales – componente vegetal

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Alicia Borhen

2005-06-01

Full Text Available Buscando determinar indicadores sobre el impacto ambiental, basados en características vegetales, que generarían los monocultivos forestales lindantes con bosques nativos, se instalaron 32 unidades de muestreo en un área de propiedad de la empresa LIPSIA, Departamento Esperanza (Misiones, que reunía estas características. Las parcelas, de 100 m2, se distribuyeron sistemáticamente a cada 25 m. La vegetación se dividió en tres estratos: superior (CAP ≥ 30 cm, medio (5 cm ≤ CAP > 30 cm e inferior (CAP 30 cm e inferior (CAP < 5 cm. Se instalaron 10 parcelas en bosque nativo explotado, 10 parcelas en una plantación de Pinus elliottii Engelm. de 18 años aproximadamente (400 árboles/ha, 6 parcelas en la zona límite de una plantación de Araucaria angustifolia (Bertd. Kuntze de 20-25 años (900 árboles/ha y 6 parcelas en el interior de esta plantación. En el área en estudio se identificaron 150 especies vegetales. En el estrato inferior se encontraron diferencias en función de varios índices de diversidad florística. En todos los casos el bosque nativo presentó mayor diversidad que las plantaciones, seguido por el pinar, el interior de la plantación de araucaria y por la zona límite de la plantación de araucaria. Todos los bosques estudiados ajustaron a la serie logarítmica de distribución de especies, lo que estaría reflejando la incidencia de un factor ambiental en esta distribución.

On the Evolutionary History of Uleiella chilensis, a Smut Fungus Parasite of Araucaria araucana in South America: Uleiellales ord. nov. in Ustilaginomycetes.

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Kai Riess

Full Text Available The evolutionary history, divergence times and phylogenetic relationships of Uleiella chilensis (Ustilaginomycotina, smut fungi associated with Araucaria araucana were analysed. DNA sequences from multiple gene regions and morphology were analysed and compared to other members of the Basidiomycota to determine the phylogenetic placement of smut fungi on gymnosperms. Divergence time estimates indicate that the majority of smut fungal orders diversified during the Triassic-Jurassic period. However, the origin and relationships of several orders remain uncertain. The most recent common ancestor between Uleiella chilensis and Violaceomyces palustris has been dated to the Lower Cretaceous. Comparisons of divergence time estimates between smut fungi and host plants lead to the hypothesis that the early Ustilaginomycotina had a saprobic lifestyle. As there are only two extant species of Araucaria in South America, each hosting a unique Uleiella species, we suggest that either coevolution or a host shift followed by allopatric speciation are the most likely explanations for the current geographic restriction of Uleiella and its low diversity. Phylogenetic and age estimation analyses, ecology, the unusual life-cycle and the peculiar combination of septal and haustorial characteristics support Uleiella chilensis as a distinct lineage among the Ustilaginomycotina. Here, we describe a new ustilaginomycetous order, the Uleiellales to accommodate Uleiella. Within the Ustilaginomycetes, Uleiellales are sister taxon to the Violaceomycetales.

Comparative studies of cytotoxic and apoptotic properties of different extracts and the essential oil of Lavandula angustifolia on malignant and normal cells.

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Tayarani-Najaran, Zahra; Amiri, Atefeh; Karimi, Gholamreza; Emami, Seyed Ahmad; Asili, Javad; Mousavi, Seyed Hadi

2014-01-01

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) is a bush-like shrub from Lamiaceae. The herb has been used in alternative medicine for several centuries. In this study, the cytotoxicity and the mechanisms of cell death induced by 3 different extracts of aerial parts and the essential oil of L. angustifolia were compared in normal and cancerous human cells. Malignant (HeLa and MCF-7 cell lines) and nonmalignant (human fibroblasts) cells were incubated with different concentrations of the plant extracts. Cell viability was quantified by MTS assay. Apoptotic cells were determined using propidium iodide staining of DNA fragmentation by flow cytometry (sub-G1 peak). The molecules as apoptotic signal translation, including Bax and cleaved PARP, were identified by Western blot. Ethanol and n-hexane extracts and essential oil exhibited significant cytotoxicity to malignant cells but marginal cytotoxicity to human fibroblasts in vitro and induced a sub-G1 peak in flow cytometry histogram of treated cells compared to the control. Western blot analysis demonstrated that EtOH and n-hexane extracts upregulated Bax expression, also it induced cleavage of PARP in HeLa cells compared to the control. In conclusion, L. angustifolia has cytotoxic and apoptotic effects in HeLa and MCF-7 cell lines, and apoptosis is proposed as the possible mechanism of action.

Thermal and magnetic behavior of Angustifolia Kunth bamboo fibers covered with Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} particles

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Calvo, S. [Laboratorio de Magnetismo y Materiales Avanzados, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Manizales, Manizales (Colombia); Arias, N.P. [Laboratorio de Materiales Nanoestructurados y Funcionales, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Manizales, Manizales (Colombia); Departamento de Ingenieria Electrica, Electronica y Computacion, Facultad de Ingenieria y Arquitectura, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Manizales, Manizales (Colombia); Giraldo, O., E-mail: ohggiraldo@hotmail.com [Laboratorio de Materiales Nanoestructurados y Funcionales, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Manizales, Manizales (Colombia); Rosales-Rivera, A.; Moscoso, O. [Laboratorio de Magnetismo y Materiales Avanzados, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Manizales, Manizales (Colombia)

2012-08-15

Several Angustifolia Kunth bamboo fibers, which have been previously treated with an alkaline solution, were coated with magnetite particles. The coating of the fibers was achieved by an in-situ co-precipitation method with Fe{sup 2+} and Fe{sup 3+}in NaOH or NH{sub 4}OH. The fibers were evaluated by chemical analysis using atomic absorption (A.A.) technique, structural characterization by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal stability with thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) in nitrogen at temperature range between 23 Degree-Sign C and 800 Degree-Sign C and magnetic behavior using vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) applying a magnetic field between -27 KOe and 27 KOe at room temperature. We found that the thermal stability and magnetization depend of the synthesis method used to cover the Angustifolia Kunth bamboo fibers. In addition, an improved magnetic response was observed when NaOH solution is used to generate the magnetite coating on the fiber surface.

Evaluation of antioxidant potential of Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel. 'Budrovka': a comparative study with L. angustifolia Mill.

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Blazeković, Biljana; Vladimir-Knezević, Sanda; Brantner, Adelheid; Stefan, Maja Bival

2010-08-30

A Croatian indigenous cultivar of lavandin, Lavandula x intermedia 'Budrovka' (Lamiaceae) was studied for the phenolic acids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, procyanidins and total tannins, as well as total polyphenols content, in the flower, inflorescence stalk and leaf ethanolic extracts. Antioxidant potentials on these plant part extracts were assessed by the DPPH free radical scavenging activity, iron chelating activity, reducing power, lipid peroxidation inhibition properties and total antioxidant capacity assays. All results were compared with those of Lavandula angustifolia, the only member of the Lavandula genus officially used in modern phytotherapy. Based on the results of our parallel study, we may suggest that Lavandula x intermedia 'Budrovka' is as potent an antioxidant as Lavandula angustifolia and the antioxidant activity of the Lavandula extracts is mainly due to the presence of rosmarinic acid. A good correlation was found between the polyphenol contents and antioxidant activities of the extracts.

Evaluation of Antioxidant Potential of Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel. 'Budrovka': A Comparative Study with L. angustifolia Mill.

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Maja Bival Štefan

2010-08-01

Full Text Available A Croatian indigenous cultivar of lavandin, Lavandula x intermedia 'Budrovka' (Lamiaceae was studied for the phenolic acids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, procyanidins and total tannins, as well as total polyphenols content, in the flower, inflorescence stalk and leaf ethanolic extracts. Antioxidant potentials on these plant part extracts were assessed by the DPPH free radical scavenging activity, iron chelating activity, reducing power, lipid peroxidation inhibition properties and total antioxidant capacity assays. All results were compared with those of Lavandula angustifolia, the only member of the Lavandula genus officially used in modern phytotherapy. Based on the results of our parallel study, we may suggest that Lavandula x intermedia 'Budrovka' is as potent an antioxidant as Lavandula angustifolia and the antioxidant activity of the Lavandula extracts is mainly due to the presence of rosmarinic acid. A good correlation was found between the polyphenol contents and antioxidant activities of the extracts

Chromosome studies on Brazilian cerrado plants

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Eliana Regina Forni-Martins

2000-12-01

Full Text Available Cerrado is the Brazilian name for the neotropical savanna, which occurs mainly in Brazilian Central Plateau, composed of herbaceous-subshrubby and shrubby-arboreal floras, both of which are heliophilous, highly diverse and regionally differentiated. Considering species distribution and chromosome numbers, some authors have proposed that the herbaceous-subshrubby flora of the neotropical savanna is quite old, while the shrubby-arboreal flora is derived from forests, a hypothesis that implies higher chromosome numbers in the savanna than in the forest. If, however, chromosome numbers are similar in the cerrado and in forests, both could be similarly old, indicating that bi-directional flow of flora occurred in the past. This paper presents data on chromosome numbers and microsporogenesis for 20 species in 13 families collected in the States of São Paulo, Goiás and Minas Gerais, providing previously unpublished data for Myrcia (Myrtaceae, Luxemburgia (Ochnaceae and Hortia (Rutaceae. Meiosis proved to be normal, indicating regularity in the sexual reproductive process. Chromosome numbers varied from 2n = 18 (Allamanda angustifolia: Apocynaceae to 2n = ca. 104 (Ouratea spectabilis: Ochnaceae, being low (20 Cerrado é a palavra que, no Brasil, designa a savana neotropical, com área nuclear no Planalto Central, constituída de uma flora herbáceo-subarbustiva e outra arbustivo-arbórea, ambas heliófilas, altamente diversificadas e regionalmente diferenciadas. Considerando a distribuição de espécies e de números cromossômicos, alguns autores propuseram que a flora herbáceo-subarbustiva da savanna neotropical seria bastante antiga, enquanto a flora arbustivo-arbórea seria derivada das florestas Atlântica e Amazônica, uma hipótese que implica na ocorrência de números cromossômicos mais altos no cerrado que nas florestas. Porém, se os números cromossômicos forem similares no cerrado e nas florestas, ambos os tipos de formação poderiam

FLORÍSTICA E ESTRUTURA DO COMPONENTE ARBÓREO E ANÁLISE AMBIENTAL DE UM FRAGMENTO DE FLORESTA OMBRÓFILA MISTA ALTO-MONTANA NO MUNICÍPIO DE PAINEL, SC

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Pedro Higuchi

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The highland Araucaria Forest is a little-studied forest formation, occurring in altitudes above 1,000 m. The objectives of this study were to understand the structural and floristic patterns of the tree component of a remaining of this forest in the southern plateau region of Santa Catarina State and to determine the environmental variables that influence these patterns. The tree component survey and the environmental data collection were conducted in 50 plots of 200 m2. Within these plots, all living trees with circumference at breast height (CBH ≥ 15,7 cm were measured (CBH and height and identified. In each plot, environmental variables related to soils physical and chemical traits, topography and canopy cover were collected. Phytosociological parameters and the diameter structure (whole tree community and tree populations with the importance value above 5 % were calculated. The floristic-structural similarities among plots were analyzed by NMDS (Nonmetric Multidimensional Scaling and vectors of environmental variables (p < 0.05 were plotted a posteriori. A total of 50 tree species were identified, distributed in 33 genera and 20 families. The species with the highest VI were Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol. Kuntze (17.32 %, Myrceugenia euosma (O. Berg D. Legrand (15.24 % and Acca sellowiana (O. Berg Burret (7.84 % . The diameter structure of the whole community and of the study populations (except Dicksonia sellowiana Hook. showed a distribution close to the “inverted J”. The NMDS analysis showed a higher percentage of clay in the plots with the highest density of Acca sellowiana and lowest percentage in the plots with high density of Dicksonia sellowiana, Inga lentiscifolia Benth. and Ocotea pulchella Mart. Plots with higher declivity had a higher density of Drimys brasiliensis Miers and those of lower declivity, higher elevation and greater canopy closure, had a higher occurrence of Drimys angustifolia Miers, Prunus myrtifolia (L

The Capability of Equisetum ramosissium and Typha angustifolia as Phytoremediation Agents to Reduce Nitrate-Phosphate Pollutants and Prevent Microcystis Blooming in Fresh Water Ecosystem

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Viky Vidayanti

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to find out the kind of hydromacrophyte composition having the highest capability to reduce nitrate-phosphate pollutant and Microcystis growth in phytoremediation media using Equisetum ramosissium, Typha angustifolia and the combination of both. Microcystis were obtained from Sutami reservoir, then being inoculated in a media grown by hydromacrophytes (E. ramosissium, T. angustifolia and both of the hydromacrophytes in the batch culture system. The number of Microcystis was counted every day within fifteen days. Abiotic factors were observe, including the concentration of nitrate using brucine-colorimetry method and orthophosphate (dissolved phosphate using stannous chloride-colorimetry method on day 0, 6th, 12th and 15th. The growth rate of Microcystis carrying capacity and orthophosphate-nitrate levels among treatments were analysed by ANOVA test. The results showed that E. ramosissium and T. angustifolia in mono and polyculture techniques had similar potentiality to reduce the nitrate and ortophosphate. The concentrations of nitrate and orthophosphate decreased over 70 % in the 6th day after incubation. All of the treatments were able to reduce the carrying capacity of Microcystis up to 46 % , but the growth rates were similar in all media, that is, around 97-170 cells/L/day.

Identification and elimination of bacterial contamination during in vitro propagation of Guadua angustifolia Kunth.

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Nadha, Harleen Kaur; Salwan, Richa; Kasana, Ramesh Chand; Anand, Manju; Sood, Anil

2012-04-01

Guadua angustifolia Kunth is a very important bamboo species with significant utility in pharmaceutical, paper, charcoal, and construction industries. Microbial contamination is a major problem encountered during establishment of in vitro cultures of Guadua. This study has been designed to analyze the identity of contaminating bacteria and to develop the strategy to eliminate them during micropropagation of Guadua. We isolated and consequently analyzed partial sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene to identify two contaminating bacteria as (1) Pantoea agglomerans and (2) Pantoea ananatis. In addition, we also- performed antibiotic sensitivity testing on these bacterial isolates. We identified kanamycin and streptomycin sulfate as potentially useful antibiotics in eliminating the contaminating bacteria. We grew shoots on multiplication medium containing BAP (2 mg/l) and adenine sulfate (10 mg/l) supplemented with kanamycin (10 μg/ml) for 10 days and transferred them to fresh medium without antibiotics and found that bacterial growth was inhibited. Moreover, we observed intensive formation of high-quality shoots. Streptomycin sulfate also inhibited bacterial growth but at higher concentration. We also demonstrated that shoots grown in streptomycin sulfate tended to be shorter and had yellow leaves. Thus, we have developed a novel strategy to identify and inhibit intriguing microbial contaminations of (1) Pantoea agglomerans and (2) Pantoea ananatis during establishment of in vitro cultures of Guadua. This would improve in vitro establishment of an important bamboo, Guadua angustifolia Kunth for large scale propagation.

Estudio exploratorio de los laminados de bambú Guadua angustifolia como material estructural

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López,Luis Felipe; Correal,Juan Francisco

2009-01-01

Este artículo presenta los resultados de un estudio experimental, desarrollado en la Universidad de los Andes en Bogotá D.C., Colombia, acerca del potencial de los laminados de guadua (Guadua angustifolia Kunt) como material estructural. La influencia de la dirección de las fibras y de la ubicación de las láminas de guadua en las propiedades mecánicas es discutida en detalle. Los esfuerzos de diseño a compresión, tracción, corte y flexión de los laminados de guadua son comparados con los resp...

Anti-Inflammatory Effect of 3-O-[(6'-O-Palmitoyl-β-D-glucopyranosyl Sitosterol] from Agave angustifolia on Ear Edema in Mice

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Elizabeth Hernández-Valle

2014-09-01

Full Text Available In Mexico Agave angustifolia has traditionally been used to treat inflammation. The aim of this study was to measure the anti-inflammatory effect of the extract of A. angustifolia, the isolation and identification of active compounds. From the acetone extract two active fractions were obtained, (AsF13 and AaF16. For the characterization of pharmacological activity, the acute inflammatory model of mouse ear edema induced with TPA was used. The tissue exposed to TPA and treatments were subjected to two analysis, cytokine quantification (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α and histopathological evaluation. The active fraction (AaF16 consisted principally of 3-O-[(6'-O-palmitoyl-β-D-glucopyranpsyl] sitosterol. In AaF13 fraction was identified β-sitosteryl glucoside (2 and stigmasterol (3. The three treatments tested showed a concentration-dependent anti-inflammatory effect (AaAc Emax = 33.10%, EC50 = 0.126 mg/ear; AaF13 Emax = 54.22%, EC50 = 0.0524 mg/ear; AaF16 Emax = 61.01%, EC50 = 0.050 mg/ear. The application of TPA caused a significant increase on level of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNFα compared with basal condition, which was countered by any of the experimental treatments. Moreover, the experimental treatments induced a significant increase in the levels of IL-4 and IL-10, compared to the level observed when stimulated with TPA. Therefore, the anti-inflammatory effect of Agave angustifolia, is associated with the presence of 3-O-[(6'-O-palmitoyl-β-D-glucopyranosyl] sitosterol.

Comparison of EDTA- and citric acid-enhanced phytoextraction of heavy metals in artificially metal contaminated soil by Typha angustifolia.

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Muhammad, Dawood; Chen, Fei; Zhao, Jing; Zhang, Guoping; Wu, Feibo

2009-08-01

A pot experiment was conducted to study the performance of EDTA and citric acid (CA) addition in improving phytoextraction of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Cr from artificially contaminated soil by T. angustifolia. T. angustifolia showed the remarkable resistance to heavy metal toxicity with no visual toxic symptom including chlorosis and necrosis when exposed to metal stress. EDTA-addition significantly reduced plant height and biomass, compared with the control, and stunted plant growth, while 2.5 and 5 mM CA addition induced significant increases in root dry weight. EDTA, and 5 and 10 mM CA significantly increased shoot Cd, Pb, and Cr concentrations compared with the control, with EDTA being more effective. At final harvest, the highest shoot Cd, Cr, and Pb concentrations were recorded in the treatment of 5 mM EDTA addition, while maximal root Pb concentration was found at the 2.5 mM CA treatment. However, shoot Cd accumulation in the 10 mM CA treatment was 36.9% higher than that in 2.5 mM EDTA, and similar with that in 10 mM EDTA. Shoot Pb accumulation was lower in 10 mM CA than that in EDTA treatments. Further, root Cd, Cu, and Pb accumulation of CA treatments and shoot Cr accumulation in 5 or 10 mM CA treatments were markedly higher than that of control and EDTA treatments. The results also showed that EDTA dramatically increased the dissolution of Cu, Cr, Pb, and Cd in soil, while CA addition had less effect on water-soluble Cu, Cr, and Cd, and no effect on Pb levels. It is suggested that CA can be a good chelator candidate for T. angustifolia used for environmentally safe phytoextraction of Cd and Cr in soils.

The In Vitro Antimicrobial Activity of Lavandula angustifolia Essential Oil in Combination with Other Aroma-Therapeutic Oils

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de Rapper, Stephanie; Kamatou, Guy; Viljoen, Alvaro

2013-01-01

The antimicrobial activity of Lavandula angustifolia essential oil was assessed in combination with 45 other oils to establish possible interactive properties. The composition of the selected essential oils was confirmed using GC-MS with a flame ionization detector. The microdilution minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay was undertaken, whereby the fractional inhibitory concentration (ΣFIC) was calculated for the oil combinations. When lavender oil was assayed in 1 : 1 ratios with other oils, synergistic (26.7%), additive (48.9%), non-interactive (23.7%), and antagonistic (0.7%) interactions were observed. When investigating different ratios of the two oils in combination, the most favourable interactions were when L. angustifolia was combined with Cinnamomum zeylanicum or with Citrus sinensis, against C. albicans and S. aureus, respectively. In 1 : 1 ratios, 75.6% of the essential oils investigated showed either synergistic or additive results, lending in vitro credibility to the use of essential oil blends in aroma-therapeutic practices. Within the field of aromatherapy, essential oils are commonly employed in mixtures for the treatment of infectious diseases; however, very little evidence exists to support the use in combination. This study lends some credence to the concomitant use of essential oils blended with lavender. PMID:23737850

The In Vitro Antimicrobial Activity of Lavandula angustifolia Essential Oil in Combination with Other Aroma-Therapeutic Oils

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Stephanie de Rapper

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The antimicrobial activity of Lavandula angustifolia essential oil was assessed in combination with 45 other oils to establish possible interactive properties. The composition of the selected essential oils was confirmed using GC-MS with a flame ionization detector. The microdilution minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC assay was undertaken, whereby the fractional inhibitory concentration (ΣFIC was calculated for the oil combinations. When lavender oil was assayed in 1 : 1 ratios with other oils, synergistic (26.7%, additive (48.9%, non-interactive (23.7%, and antagonistic (0.7% interactions were observed. When investigating different ratios of the two oils in combination, the most favourable interactions were when L. angustifolia was combined with Cinnamomum zeylanicum or with Citrus sinensis, against C. albicans and S. aureus, respectively. In 1 : 1 ratios, 75.6% of the essential oils investigated showed either synergistic or additive results, lending in vitro credibility to the use of essential oil blends in aroma-therapeutic practices. Within the field of aromatherapy, essential oils are commonly employed in mixtures for the treatment of infectious diseases; however, very little evidence exists to support the use in combination. This study lends some credence to the concomitant use of essential oils blended with lavender.

Anatomical traits related to stress in high density populations of Typha angustifolia L. (Typhaceae

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F. F. Corrêa

Full Text Available Abstract Some macrophytes species show a high growth potential, colonizing large areas on aquatic environments. Cattail (Typha angustifolia L. uncontrolled growth causes several problems to human activities and local biodiversity, but this also may lead to competition and further problems for this species itself. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate anatomical modifications on T. angustifolia plants from different population densities, once it can help to understand its biology. Roots and leaves were collected from natural populations growing under high and low densities. These plant materials were fixed and submitted to usual plant microtechnique procedures. Slides were observed and photographed under light microscopy and images were analyzed in the UTHSCSA-Imagetool software. The experimental design was completely randomized with two treatments and ten replicates, data were submitted to one-way ANOVA and Scott-Knott test at p<0.05. Leaves from low density populations showed higher stomatal density and index. These modifications on stomatal characteristics were more evident on the leaf abaxial surface. Plants from low density populations showed thicker mesophyll and higher proportion of aerenchymal area. Roots from low density populations showed a higher proportion of the vascular cylinder. Whereas, plants from higher density populations showed greater thickness of the endodermis, exodermis, phloem and root cortex. Higher density populations showed a higher proportion of aerenchymal gaps in the root cortex. Therefore, cattail plants from populations growing under high density population show anatomical traits typical of plants under stress, which promotes the development of less functional anatomical modifications to aquatic environments.

Ultraestructura del bambú Guadua angustifolia var. bicolor (Poaceae: Bambusoideae, presente en Costa Rica

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Mayra Montiel

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Se estudió la ultraestructura anatómica de la lámina y la vaina de la hoja, así como de la bráctea del culmo, de Guadua angustifolia var. bicolor, por medio del microscopio electrónico de barrido. Se encontraron similitudes con otras guaduas: estomas de alto domo, células largas con paredes sinuosas y células de sílice. Son propios de la var. bicolor el patrón estomático en la zona abaxial de la hoja cerca de la vaina, con la presencia de gran cantidad de tricomas ganchudos y sin papilas; las brácteas de color café dorado que cubren los culmos y tienen tricomas papilares que cubren el haz; y el abundante número de tricomas auriculares, en grupos de 12.The anatomy of several parts of Guadua angustifolia var. bicolor was analyzed and characterized under a scanning electron icroscope. any similarities ere observed with other Guadua species, particularly the presence of high dome stomata, of large cells with sinuous walls and of silica cells. Specific bicolor characteristics include (1 a different stomatal pattern in the adaxial zone of the leaf base (close to the sheath; (2 the abundance of hook-sshaped trichomes without papilla; (3 the distinctive golden brown color of the bract that covers the culm (caused by papillar trichomes that cover the adaxial sheath; and (4 the size of the groups of auricular trichomes (formed by 12 trichomes. Rev. Biol. Trop. 54(Suppl. 2: 13-19. Epub 2006 Dec. 01.

Assessment of the neuroprotective effects of Lavandula angustifolia extract on the contusive model of spinal cord injury in Wistar rats

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Gholamreza eKaka

2016-02-01

Full Text Available IntroductionSpinal cord injury (SCI involves a primary trauma and secondary cellular processes that can lead to severe damage to the nervous system, resulting in long-term spinal deficits. At the cellular level, SCI causes astrogliosis, of which glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP is a major index. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate the neuroprotective effects of Lavandula angustifolia (Lav on the repair of spinal cord injuries in Wistar rats.Materials and MethodsForty-five female rats were randomly divided into six groups of seven rats each: the intact, sham, control (SCI, Lav 100, Lav 200, and Lav 400 groups. Every week after SCI onset, all animals were evaluated for behavior outcomes by the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB score. H&E staining was performed to examine the lesions post-injury. GFAP expression was assessed for astrogliosis. Somatosensory evoked potential (SEP testing was performed to detect the recovery of neural conduction.Results BBB scores were significantly increased and delayed responses on sensory tests were significantly decreased in the Lav 200 and Lav 400 groups compared to the control group. The greatest decrease of GFAP was evident in the Lav 200 and Lav 400 groups. EMG results showed significant improvement in the hindlimbs in the Lav 200 and Lav 400 groups compared to the control group. Cavity areas significantly decreased and the number of ventral motor neurons significantly increased in the Lav 200 and Lav 400 groups.ConclusionLav at doses of 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg can promote structural and functional recovery after SCI. The neuroprotective effects of L. angustifolia can lead to improvement in the contusive model of spinal cord injury in Wistar rats.Keywords Spinal cord injury (SCI; Lavandula angustifolia; neuroprotection; Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB; glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP; somatosensory evoked potential (SEP

Anti-adipogenic effects of extracts of Ficus deltoidea var. deltoidea and var. angustifolia on 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

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Woon, Shiau Mei; Seng, Yew Wei; Ling, Anna Pick Kiong; Chye, Soi Moi; Koh, Rhun Yian

2014-03-01

This study examined the anti-adipogenic effects of extracts of Ficus deltoidea var. deltoidia and var. angustifolia, a natural slimming aid, on 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Methanol and water extracts of leaves of the F. deltoidea varieties were analyzed to determine their total flavonoid content (TFC) and total phenolic content (TPC), respectively. The study was initiated by determining the maximum non-toxic dose (MNTD) of the methanol and water extracts for 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Possible anti-adipogenic effects were then examined by treating 2-d post confluent 3T3-L1 preadipocytes with either methanol extract or water extract at MNTD and half MNTD (½MNTD), after which the preadipocytces were induced to form mature adipocytes. Visualisation and quantification of lipid content in mature adipocytes were carried out through oil red O staining and measurement of optical density (OD) at 520 nm, respectively. The TFCs of the methanol extracts were 1.36 and 1.97 g quercetin equivalents (QE)/100 g dry weight (DW), while the TPCs of the water extracts were 5.61 and 2.73 g gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/100 g DW for var. deltoidea and var. angustilofia, respectively. The MNTDs determined for methanol and water extracts were (300.0 ± 28.3) and (225.0 ± 21.2) µg/ml, respectively, for var. deltoidea, while much lower MNTDs [(60.0 ± 2.0) µg/ml for methanol extracts and (8.0 ± 1.0) µg/ml for water extracts] were recorded for var. angustifolia. Studies revealed that the methanol extracts of both varieties and the water extracts of var. angustifolia at either MNTD or ½MNTD significantly inhibited the maturation of preadipocytes. The inhibition of the formation of mature adipocytes indicated that leaf extracts of F. deltoidea could have potential anti-obesity effects.

Análisis de los ácidos kaurénicos presentes en Espeletiopsis angustifolia Cuatrec. de los Andes venezolanos

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Juan Carmona

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Analysis of kaurenic acids present in Espeletiopsis angustifolia Cuatrec. from the Venezuelan Andes. Leaves of Espeletiopsis angustifolia were collected at paramo of San José de Acequias (Mérida State at 2870 m.a.s.l. The dried leaves were minced and extracted with hexane-diethyl ether (3:1. This extract was shaken with 0.5 N NaOH to separate the acid fraction which was purified by flash chromatography. An aliquote of it was methylated with diazomethane and analyzed by GC-MS which permitted to identify ent-kaurenic acid (18.6%, ent-15α-O-isovaleroxy-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid (16.2%, ent-15α-hidroxy-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid (grandiflorolic acid, 9.2%, ent-kauranic acid (4.9%, ent-kaur-9(11,16-diene-19-oic acid (grandiflorenic acid, 4.5% and ent-15α-O-acetoxy-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid (3.4%. The neutral fraction yielded ent-kaur-16-en-19-ol (kaurenol, 32.7% and several long-chain wax n-alkanes with predominance of odd carbon number alkanes: heptacosane (38.3%, nonacosane (21.0% and entriacontane (4.6%

Meiotic restitution mechanisms involved in the formation of 2n pollen in Agave tequilana Weber and Agave angustifolia Haw.

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Gómez-Rodríguez, Víctor Manuel; Rodríguez-Garay, Benjamín; Barba-Gonzalez, Rodrigo

2012-01-01

A cytological analysis of the microsporogenesis was carried out in the Agave tequilana and A. angustifolia species. Several abnormalities such as chromosomal bridges, lagging chromosomes, micronuclei, monads, dyads and triads were found. The morphological analysis of the pollen, together with the above-mentioned 2n microspores, allowed us to confirm the presence of 2n pollen as well as its frequency. In both A. tequilana and A. angustifolia two different mechanisms were observed: the first mechanism, a failure in the cytokinesis in meiosis II caused the formation of dyads with two 2n cells and triads containing two n cells and one 2n cell; the second mechanism, involves an abnormal spindle, which caused the formation of triads with two n cells and one 2n cell. Likewise, the presence of monads was detected in both species, these, might be caused by a failure of the cytokinesis in both meiotic divisions. This is the first report about the presence of a Second Division Restitution mechanism (SDR) which causes the formation of 2n pollen in the genus Agave. The genetic implications of the presence of 2n pollen in the genus Agave are discussed.

Post-planting treatments and shading effects in a Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl. silvopastoral system

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Giorgos Klossas

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Silvopastoral systems present difficulties in their management dueto their complexity. When trees are planted into grasslands, they need protection from livestock to prevent damage from trampling or browsing, especially during early years of establishment. One of the common post-planting protective treatments is the protection of individual trees with shelters. Trees also need protection from competition from herbaceous vegetation. The aim of present study was to evaluate the effects of using different types of tree shelters and of controlling competing herbaceous vegetation on the growth of planted young trees and, to assess the effects of heavy shadingon the herbage production and composition. The study was conducted in a Fraxinus angustifolia silvopastoral system of a 2 x 2.5 m spacing plantation in northern Greece. The effects of solid-walled (tubex and handmade by greenhouse nylon and wire mesh tree shelters as well as of herbicide application and mechanical removal of the competing herbaceous vegetation on tree height, height increment and the crown surface area of the trees were tested. The effects of artificial shading (80% on the production of the natural herbaceous vegetation were also investigated. All measurements were recorded three years after plantation. The use of solid wall tubex shelters resultedin higher tree height and higher crown surface area in comparison tothe other tested shelters. The solid wall Nylon shelters were more beneficial to the above growth parameters than the wire mesh ones. Both vegetation control treatments proved beneficial to all the growth parameters of Fraxinus angustifolia. The artificially applied heavy shading reduced herbage production by 54% compared to the control. The results indicated that post planting treatments in the Mediterranean droughty conditions are essential for the success of this tree species establishment. Furthermore, the later thinning of the dense spacing is important to maintain

Post-planting treatments and shading effects in a Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl. silvopastoral system

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Giorgos Klossas

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Silvopastoral systems present difficulties in their management due to their complexity. When trees are planted into grasslands, they need protection from livestock to prevent damage from trampling or browsing, especially during early years of establishment. One of the common post-planting protective treatments is the protection of individual trees with shelters. Trees also need protection from competition from herbaceous vegetation. The aim of present study was to evaluate the effects of using different types of tree shelters and of controlling competing herbaceous vegetation on the growth of planted young trees and, to assess the effects of heavy shading on the herbage production and composition. The study was conducted in a Fraxinus angustifolia silvopastoral system of a 2 x 2.5 m spacing plantation in northern Greece. The effects of solid-walled (tubex and handmade by greenhouse nylon and wire mesh tree shelters as well as of herbicide application and mechanical removal of the competing herbaceous vegetation on tree height, height increment and the crown surface area of the trees were tested. The effects of artificial shading (80% on the production of the natural herbaceous vegetation were also investigated. All measurements were recorded three years after plantation. The use of solid wall tubex shelters resulted in higher tree height and higher crown surface area in comparison to the other tested shelters. The solid wall Nylon shelters were more beneficial to the above growth parameters than the wire mesh ones. Both vegetation control treatments proved beneficial to all the growth parameters of Fraxinus angustifolia. The artificially applied heavy shading reduced herbage production by 54% compared to the control. The results indicated that post planting treatments in the Mediterranean droughty conditions are essential for the success of this tree species establishment. Furthermore, the later thinning of the dense spacing is important to

Three new phenylpropanoids from Lavandula angustifolia and their bioactivities.

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Tang, Shiyun; Shi, Jianlian; Liu, Chunbo; Jiang, Rui; Zhao, Wei; Liu, Xin; Xiang, Nengjun; Chen, Yongkuan; Shen, Qinpeng; Miao, Mingming; Liu, Zhihua; Yang, Guangyu

2017-06-01

Three new phenylpropanoids, 3-(3,4-dimethoxy-5-methylphenyl)-3-oxopropyl acetate (1), 3-hydroxy-1-(3,4-dimethoxy-5-methylphenyl)propan-1-one (2), and 3-hydroxy-1-(4-methylbenzo[d][1,3]dioxol-6-yl) propan-1-one (3), together with three known phenylpropanoids (4-6) were isolated from the whole plant of Lavandula angustifolia. Their structures were determined by means of HRESIMS and extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic studies. Compounds 1-6 were tested for their anti-tobacoo mosaic virus (TMV) activities and cytotoxicity activities. The results revealed that compounds 1-3 showed high anti-TMV activity with inhibition rate of 35.2, 38.4 and 33.9%. These rates are higher than that of positive control. The other compounds also showed potential anti-TMV activities with inhibition rates in the range of 26.8-28.9%, respectively. Compounds 1-6 also showed weak inhibitory activities against some tested human tumour cell lines with IC50 values in the range of 3.8-8.8 μM.

Phytoextraction, phytotransformation and rhizodegradation of ibuprofen associated with Typha angustifolia in a horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland.

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Li, Yifei; Zhang, Jiefeng; Zhu, Guibing; Liu, Yu; Wu, Bing; Ng, Wun Jern; Appan, Adhityan; Tan, Soon Keat

2016-10-01

Widespread occurrence of trace pharmaceutical residues in aquatic environments is of great concerns due to the potential chronic toxicity of certain pharmaceuticals including ibuprofen on aquatic organisms even at environmental levels. In this study, the phytoextraction, phytotransformation and rhizodegradation of ibuprofen associated with Typha angustifolia were investigated in a horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland system. The experimental wetland system consisted of a planted bed with Typha angustifolia and an unplanted bed (control) to treat ibuprofen-loaded wastewater (∼107.2 μg L(-1)). Over a period of 342 days, ibuprofen was accumulated in leaf sheath and lamina tissues at a mean concentration of 160.7 ng g(-1), indicating the occurrence of the phytoextraction of ibuprofen. Root-uptake ibuprofen was partially transformed to ibuprofen carboxylic acid, 2-hydroxy ibuprofen and 1-hydroxy ibuprofen which were found to be 1374.9, 235.6 and 301.5 ng g(-1) in the sheath, respectively, while they were 1051.1, 693.6 and 178.7 ng g(-1) in the lamina. The findings from pyrosequencing analysis of the rhizosphere bacteria suggest that the Dechloromonas sp., the Clostridium sp. (e.g. Clostridium saccharobutylicum), the order Sphingobacteriales, and the Cytophaga sp. in the order Cytophagales were most probably responsible for the rhizodegradation of ibuprofen. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ESTRUTURA POPULACIONAL E REGENERAÇÃO DE ESPÉCIES ARBÓREAS NA FLORESTA NACIONAL DE SÃO FRANCISCO DE PAULA, RIO GRANDE DO SUL

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Angela Luciana de Avila

2016-01-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to characterize the population structure and aspects of regeneration of Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol. Kuntze, Blepharocalyx salicifolius (Kunth O. Berg and Ilex paraguariensis A. St.- Hil. in different environmental and disturbance conditions in the National Forest of São Francisco de Paula, RS state. Six conglomerates of one hectare were used, with 16 plots (20 x 20 m each, where the species were sampled in three size classes. The size class II (SC II – diameter at breast height (DBH ≥ 9.55 cm was sampled in 96 plots, the SC I (4.8 ≤ DBH < 9.55 cm in 36 subplots of 10 x 10 m, and the established natural regeneration (ENR (1 ≤ DBH < 4.8 cm in 36 cells of 3.16 x 3.16 m. The seedling bank (SB - height ≥ 30 cm and DBH < 1 cm, the seed rain (SR and the soil seed bank (SSB were sampled in all plots of 20 x 20 m. The data were analysed by taking into account all the different vegetation groups together and separately for each cluster identified in a previous study. For SC II, the frequency distribution of DBH was analysed combined with the analysis of absolute density and frequency for all life stages (SR, SSB, SB, ENR, SC I and SC II. The results indicated high variability in density of these species among the different life stages and environmental conditions. Araucaria angustifolia presented gaps in the regeneration process in areas that had low past disturbance, not showing the “reverse-J” distribution (SC II and with lower regeneration capacity in relation to the other species (SR, SSB and SB. Ilex paraguariensis and Blepharocalyx salicifolius showed higher population stability in environment with low level of human interference (SC II. The first species demonstrated preference for soils with good drainage, while the second species for humid soils. Moreover, gaps in the regeneration process of different populations were detected, which changed according to environmental conditions and

Essential oil composition of Lavandula angustifolia Mill. cultivated in the mid hills of Uttarakhand, India

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RAM S. VERMA

2010-03-01

Full Text Available The essential oil content in the inflorescence of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill. cultivated in the mid hills of Uttarakhand was found to be 2.8 % based on the fresh weight. The oil was analysed by capillary GC and GC–MS. Thirty seven constituents, representing 97.81 % of the oil were identified. The major components of the oil were linalyl acetate (47.56 %, linalool (28.06 %, lavandulyl acetate (4.34 % and α-terpineol (3.75 %. The quality of lavender oil produced in India was found to be comparable to that produced in Hungary, France, China, Bulgaria, Russia and the USA.

Contact dermatitis as an adverse reaction to some topically used European herbal medicinal products - part 2: Echinacea purpurea-Lavandula angustifolia.

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Gangemi, Sebastiano; Minciullo, Paola L; Miroddi, Marco; Chinou, Ioanna; Calapai, Gioacchino; Schmidt, Richard J

2015-04-01

This review focuses on contact dermatitis as an adverse effect of a selection of topically used herbal medicinal products for which the European Medicines Agency has completed an evaluation up to the end of November 2013 and for which a Community herbal monograph has been produced. Part 2: Echinacea purpurea Moench-Lavandula angustifolia Mill. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A New Abietene Diterpene and Other Constituents from Kaempferia angustifolia Rosc.

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Abdul Manaf Ali

2011-04-01

Full Text Available A new abietene diterpene, kaempfolienol (5S,6S,7S,9S,10S,11R,13S-abiet-8(14-enepenta-6,7,9,11,13-ol, 1, was isolated from a rhizome extract of Kaempferia angustifolia Rosc. along with the known compounds crotepoxide, boesenboxide, zeylenol, 2′-hydroxy-4,4′,6′-trimethoxychalcone, (24S-24-methyl-5α-lanosta-9(11,25-dien-3β-ol, β-sitosterol and β-sitosterol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside. The structures of all compounds were elucidated on the basis of mass spectroscopic and NMR data. Zeylenol (2, the major constituent of the plant, was derivatized into diacetate, triacetate and epoxide derivatives through standard organic reactions. The cytotoxic activity of compounds 1, 2 and the zeylenol derivatives was evaluated against the HL-60, MCF-7, HT-29 and HeLa cell lines.

Bornyl-diphosphate synthase from Lavandula angustifolia: A major monoterpene synthase involved in essential oil quality.

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Despinasse, Yolande; Fiorucci, Sébastien; Antonczak, Serge; Moja, Sandrine; Bony, Aurélie; Nicolè, Florence; Baudino, Sylvie; Magnard, Jean-Louis; Jullien, Frédéric

2017-05-01

Lavender essential oils (EOs) of higher quality are produced by a few Lavandula angustifolia cultivars and mainly used in the perfume industry. Undesirable compounds such as camphor and borneol are also synthesized by lavender leading to a depreciated EO. Here, we report the cloning of bornyl diphosphate synthase of lavender (LaBPPS), an enzyme that catalyzes the production of bornyl diphosphate (BPP) and then by-products such as borneol or camphor, from an EST library. Compared to the BPPS of Salvia officinalis, the functional characterization of LaBPPS showed several differences in amino acid sequence, and the distribution of catalyzed products. Molecular modeling of the enzyme's active site suggests that the carbocation intermediates are more stable in LaBPPS than in SoBPPS leading probably to a lower efficiency of LaBPPS to convert GPP into BPP. Quantitative RT-PCR performed from leaves and flowers at different development stages of L. angustifolia samples show a clear correlation between transcript level of LaBPPS and accumulation of borneol/camphor, suggesting that LaBPPS is mainly responsible of in vivo biosynthesis of borneol/camphor in fine lavender. A phylogenetic analysis of terpene synthases (TPS) pointed out the basal position of LaBPPS in the TPSb clade, suggesting that LaBPPS could be an ancestor of others lavender TPSb. Finally, borneol could be one of the first monoterpenes to be synthesized in the Lavandula subgenus. Knowledge gained from these experiments will facilitate future studies to improve the lavender oils through metabolic engineering or plant breeding. Accession numbers: LaBPPS: KM015221. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Genetic diversity in populations of Maytenus dasyclada (Celastraceae in forest reserves and unprotected Araucaria forest remnants

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Manuel Castilhos Reichmann

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Understanding the genetic structure and diversity of plants is fundamental to their conservation and permits their sustainable use by local communities. The genus Maytenus (Celastraceae is composed of plants possessing pharmacological and antioxidant properties. However, the genetic and economic properties of the species M. dasyclada, a typical species of Araucaria forests in Brazil and Uruguay, have been little studied. In this work, the genetic structure and diversity of natural populations of M. dasyclada located in unprotected and preserved forest remnants were investigated using RAPD and isozymes markers. The results demonstrated that in areas of preservation, populations of M. dasyclada possess a relatively high degree of polymorphism and high values for Na, Ne, Shannon index, He and Ho, indicating high genetic variability. Moreover, these protected populations are very close to each other and potentially experience significant gene flow. The results presented here highlight the relevance of preservation areas for the conservation of M. dasyclada, and that populations inhabiting these areas could serve as a genetic source for the recovery of populations in regions where genetic diversity has been lost.

Hydrolates from lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)--their chemical composition as well as aromatic, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.

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Prusinowska, Renata; Śmigielski, Krzysztof; Stobiecka, Agnieszka; Kunicka-Styczyńska, Alina

2016-01-01

It was shown that the method for obtaining hydrolates from lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) influences the content of active compounds and the aromatic, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of the hydrolates. The content of volatile organic compounds ranged from 9.12 to 97.23 mg/100 mL of hydrolate. Lavender hydrolate variants showed low antimicrobial activity (from 0% to 0.05%). The radical scavenging activity of DPPH was from 3.6 ± 0.5% to 3.8 ± 0.6% and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC(FL)) results were from 0 to 266 μM Trolox equivalent, depending on the hydrolate variant.

Quantitative analyses of the main chemical constituents in the roots of Echinacea purpurea and E. angustifolia produced in Costa Rica

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loaiza, Jorge; Valverde, Roberto; Rodriguez, Gerardo; Molina, Jorge

2004-01-01

Free phenylpropanoids (chlorogenic and cichoric acids), and glycosidic (echinecoside), as well as the alkamides, present in root extracts of the medicinal plants Echinacea purpurea and E. angustifolia produced in 3 different locations of Costa Rica (Los Santos at 1650 masl, Santa Barbara de Heredia at 1250 masl and Ojo de Agua at 850 masl) were quantified. Results showed a decrease on secondary metabolites associated to an altitude reduction of the growing zone. Concentration of free phenylpropanoids and the echinecoside (synthesized exclusively for E. angustifolia) produced in Costa Rica was 100 and 34% higher than the concentration reported for a standard sample from U.S.A. Alkamides concentration ranged from 0.89-2.31%, as compared to 0.004-0.36% reported from U.S.A. The alkamides produced in Costa Rica were similar in the 3 growing zones. In addition, 2 of them showed different isomerism than the ones reported in samples from U.S.A. These results indicate that in tropical conditions not only is it possible to produce Echinacea, but also that the amount of metabolites is higher than those produced in the Echinacea's origin areas. The presence of compounds with different isomerism could provide an alternative use for those metabolites. (author) [es

Comparative study for hardwood and softwood forest biomass: chemical characterization, combustion phases and gas and particulate matter emissions.

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Amaral, Simone Simões; de Carvalho, João Andrade; Costa, Maria Angélica Martins; Soares Neto, Turíbio Gomes; Dellani, Rafael; Leite, Luiz Henrique Scavacini

2014-07-01

Two different types of typical Brazilian forest biomass were burned in the laboratory in order to compare their combustion characteristics and pollutant emissions. Approximately 2 kg of Amazon biomass (hardwood) and 2 kg of Araucaria biomass (softwood) were burned. Gaseous emissions of CO2, CO, and NOx and particulate matter smaller than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) were evaluated in the flaming and smoldering combustion phases. Temperature, burn rate, modified combustion efficiency, emissions factor, and particle diameter and concentration were studied. A continuous analyzer was used to quantify gas concentrations. A DataRam4 and a Cascade Impactor were used to sample PM2.5. Araucaria biomass (softwood) had a lignin content of 34.9%, higher than the 23.3% of the Amazon biomass (hardwood). CO2 and CO emissions factors seem to be influenced by lignin content. Maximum concentrations of CO2, NOx and PM2.5 were observed in the flaming phase. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

LAVENDER (LAVANDULA ANGUSTIFOLIA) AROMATHERAPY AS AN ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT IN REDUCING PAIN IN PRIMIPAROUS MOTHERS IN THE ACTIVE FIRST STAGE OF LABOR

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Hilda Yani Karo Karo; Noor Pramono; Sri Wahyuni; Imam Djamaluddin Mashoedi; Leny Latifah

2017-01-01

Background: Labor and childbirth is an extremely painful process. Aromatherapy is considered as one of the nonpharmacological methods to reduce labor pain. Objective: To determine the effect of Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia) aromatherapy on the level of pain in primipara in the first stage of labor. Methods: A quasy-experimental research with pretest and posttest design with control group conducted between October until November 2016. Forthy respondents selected using consecutive sa...

Compilation of woody species occurring in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest complex

OpenAIRE

Bergamin, Rodrigo Scarton; Da Silva Duarte, Leandro; Marcilio-Silva, Vinicius; Dos Santos Seger, Guilherme Dubal; Liebsch, Dieter; Marques, Márcia C. M.

2015-01-01

The Atlantic Forest is a hotspot for biodiversity conservation because of its high levels of endemism and threatened areas. Three main forest types, differentiated by their floras, compose the Atlantic Forest: ‘Atlantic Forest’ sensu strictu, ‘Araucaria Mixed Forest’ and ‘Seasonal Forest’. The flora comprises taxa from the Amazon forest, Cerrado gallery forests and the Andean region, which makes the Atlantic Forest a relevant study system for ecologists and biogeographers. Here, we present da...

THE ARAUCARIA PROJECT: THE DISTANCE TO THE CARINA DWARF GALAXY FROM INFRARED PHOTOMETRY OF RR LYRAE STARS

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Karczmarek, Paulina; Pietrzynski, Grzegorz; Suchomska, Ksenia; Konorski, Piotr; Górski, Marek; Pilecki, Bogumił; Wielgórski, Piotr [Warsaw University Observatory, Al. Ujazdowskie 4, 00-478, Warsaw (Poland); Gieren, Wolfgang; Graczyk, Dariusz, E-mail: pkarczmarek@astrouw.edu.pl, E-mail: ksenia@astrouw.edu.pl, E-mail: piokon@astrouw.edu.pl, E-mail: pilecki@astrouw.edu.pl, E-mail: pwielgorski@astrouw.edu.pl, E-mail: pietrzyn@astrouw.edu.pl, E-mail: wgieren@astro-udec.cl, E-mail: mgorski@astrouw.edu.pl, E-mail: darek@astro-udec.cl [Universidad de Concepción, Departamento de Astronomia, Casilla 160-C, Concepción (Chile)

2015-09-15

We obtained single-phase near-infrared (NIR) magnitudes in the J- and K-band for a sample of 33 RR Lyrae (RRL) stars in the Carina dSph galaxy. Applying different theoretical and empirical calibrations of the NIR period–luminosity–metallicity relation for RRL stars, we find consistent results and obtain a true, reddening-corrected distance modulus of 20.118 ± 0.017 (statistical) ± 0.11 (systematic) mag. This value is in excellent agreement with the results obtained in the context of the Araucaria Project from NIR photometry of red clump stars (20.165 ± 0.015) and the tip of red giant branch (20.09 ± 0.03 ± 0.12 mag in the J band, 20.14 ± 0.04 ± 0.14 mag in the K band), as well as with most independent distance determinations to this galaxy. The NIR RRL method proved to be a reliable tool for accurate distance determination at the 5% level or better, particularly for galaxies and globular clusters that lack young standard candles, like Cepheids.

Lab-scale co-firing of virgin and torrefied bamboo species Guadua angustifolia Kunth as a fuel substitute in coal fired power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fryda, Lydia; Daza, Claudia; Pels, Jan; Janssen, Arno; Zwart, Robin

2014-01-01

Bamboo is a potential sustainable biomass source for renewable heat and power production as it presents common fuel characteristics with other biomass feedstocks regarding heating value and chemical composition. This paper presents an evaluation of the combustion behaviour of the bamboo species Guadua angustifolia Kunth, virgin as well as torrefied, in blends with coal or pure, comparing with other biomass feedstocks such as wood and herbaceous biomass. The bamboo pre-treatment and the combustion experiments were carried out at dedicated installations at ECN, including a laboratory scale batch torrefaction reactor and a combustion simulation test facility. The results on combustion and co-firing reveal that in terms of fouling, the untreated bamboo shows behaviour closer to herbaceous biomass rather than to wood, with specific fouling factors of wood, bamboo and herbaceous biomass of 0.91·10 −3 , 2.9·10 −3 , 3.1·10 −3  K·m 2 ·W −1 ·g −1 respectively. Dry torrefaction improves its physical properties by increasing the density and grindability without improving significantly its fouling behaviour while the fouling behaviour of wet torrefied bamboo is similar to woody biomass; the specific fouling factors of dry torrefied and wet torrefied bamboo are 2.4·10 −3 and 0.89·10 −3  K·m 2 ·W −1 ·g −1 respectively. The fouling behaviour of biomass and coal blends lies between the fuels of the blend. Alternative bamboo species were evaluated using the alkali index A i based on their fuel composition. It appears that the fouling behaviour of alternative species is better than for G. angustifolia, therefore these should be further analysed. - Highlights: • Bamboo species Guadua angustifolia is a promising feedstock for power generation. • Dry and wet torrefaction of selected samples were carried out at ECN. • Virgin (untreated) and pretreated samples were fired pure or in coal blends. • Pretreated bamboo is suitable for large scale power

A study of Solar-Enso correlation with southern Brazil tree ring index (1955- 1991)

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Rigozo, N.; Nordemann, D.; Vieira, L.; Echer, E.

The effects of solar activity and El Niño-Southern Oscillation on tree growth in Southern Brazil were studied by correlation analysis. Trees for this study were native Araucaria (Araucaria Angustifolia)from four locations in Rio Grande do Sul State, in Southern Brazil: Canela (29o18`S, 50o51`W, 790 m asl), Nova Petropolis (29o2`S, 51o10`W, 579 m asl), Sao Francisco de Paula (29o25`S, 50o24`W, 930 m asl) and Sao Martinho da Serra (29o30`S, 53o53`W, 484 m asl). From these four sites, an average tree ring Index for this region was derived, for the period 1955-1991. Linear correlations were made on annual and 10 year running averages of this tree ring Index, of sunspot number Rz and SOI. For annual averages, the correlation coefficients were low, and the multiple regression between tree ring and SOI and Rz indicates that 20% of the variance in tree rings was explained by solar activity and ENSO variability. However, when the 10 year running averages correlations were made, the coefficient correlations were much higher. A clear anticorrelation is observed between SOI and Index (r=-0.81) whereas Rz and Index show a positive correlation (r=0.67). The multiple regression of 10 year running averages indicates that 76% of the variance in tree ring INdex was explained by solar activity and ENSO. These results indicate that the effects of solar activity and ENSO on tree rings are better seen on long timescales.

Physiological differences and changes in global DNA methylation levels in Agave angustifolia Haw. albino variant somaclones during the micropropagation process.

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Duarte-Aké, Fátima; Castillo-Castro, Eduardo; Pool, Felipe Barredo; Espadas, Francisco; Santamaría, Jorge M; Robert, Manuel L; De-la-Peña, Clelia

2016-12-01

Global DNA methylation changes caused by in vitro conditions are associated with the subculturing and phenotypic variation in Agave angustifolia Haw. While the relationship between the development of albinism and in vitro culture is well documented, the role of epigenetic processes in this development leaves some important questions unanswered. During the micropropagation of Agave angustifolia Haw., we found three different phenotypes, green (G), variegated (V) and albino (A). To understand the physiological and epigenetic differences among the somaclones, we analyzed several morphophysiological parameters and changes in the DNA methylation patterns in the three phenotypes during their in vitro development. We found that under in vitro conditions, the V plantlets maintained their CAM photosynthetic capacity, while the A variant showed no pigments and lost its CAM photosynthetic ability. Epigenetic analysis revealed that global DNA methylation increased in the G phenotype during the first two subcultures. However, after that time, DNA methylation levels declined. This hypomethylation correlated with the appearance of V shoots in the G plantlets. A similar correlation occurred in the V phenotype, where an increase of 2 % in the global DNA methylation levels was correlated with the generation of A shoots in the V plantlets. This suggests that an "epigenetic stress memory" during in vitro conditions causes a chromatin shift that favors the generation of variegated and albino shoots.

Inhaled Lavandula angustifolia essential oil inhibits consolidation of contextual- but not tone-fear conditioning in rats.

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Coelho, Laura Segismundo; Correa-Netto, Nelson Francisco; Masukawa, Marcia Yuriko; Lima, Ariadiny Caetano; Maluf, Samia; Linardi, Alessandra; Santos-Junior, Jair Guilherme

2018-04-06

Although the current treatment for anxiety is effective, it promotes a number of adverse reactions and medical interactions. Inhaled essential oils have a prominent action on the central nervous system, with minimal systemic effects, primarily because of reduced systemic bioavailability. The effects of drugs on the consolidation of fear conditioning reflects its clinical efficacy in preventing a vicious cycle of anticipatory anxiety leading to fearful cognition and anxiety symptoms. In this study, we investigated the effects of inhaled Lavandula angustifolia essential oil on the consolidation of aversive memories and its influence on c-Fos expression. Adult male Wistar rats were subjected to a fear conditioning protocol. Immediately after the training session, the rats were exposed to vaporized water or essential oil (1%, 2.5% and 5% solutions) for 4h. The next day, the rats underwent contextual- or tone-fear tests and 90min after the test they were euthanized and their brains processed for c-Fos immunohistochemistry. In the contextual-fear test, essential oil at 2.5% and 5% (but not 1%) reduced the freezing response and its respective c-Fos expression in the ventral hippocampus and amygdala. In the tone-fear test, essential oil did not reduce the freezing response during tone presentation. However, rats that inhaled essential oil at 2.5% and 5% (but not 1%) showed decreased freezing in the three minutes after tone presentation, as well as reduced c-Fos expression in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala. These results show that the inhalation of L. angustifolia essential oil inhibited the consolidation of contextual- but not tone-fear conditioning and had an anxiolytic effect in a conditioned animal model of anxiety. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An improved method for the analysis of sennosides in Cassia angustifolia by high-performance liquid chromatography.

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Bala, S; Uniyal, G C; Dubey, T; Singh, S P

2001-01-01

A reversed-phase column liquid chromatographic method for the analysis of sennosides A and B present in leaf and pod extracts of Cassia angustifolia has been developed using a Symmetry C18 column and a linear binary gradient profile. The method can be utilised for the quantitative determination of other sennosides as a baseline resolution for most of the constituents was achieved. The method is economical in terms of the time taken and the amount of solvent used (25 mL) for each analysis. The validity of the method with respect to analysis was confirmed by comparing the UV spectra of each peak with those of reference compounds using a photodiode array detector.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal infection in two morphological root types of Araucaria araucana (Molina K. Koch Infección por micorrizas arbusculares en dos tipos de raíces de Araucaria araucana (Molina K. Koch

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P. Diehl

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Araucaria araucana (Molina K. Koch is a conifer distributed in the Andean-Patagonian forests in the south of Argentina and Chile. The main objective of this work was to relate the different root classes appearing in A. araucana to mycorrhizal behavior. Samples were collected in three different sites in the Lanín National Park (NW Patagonia, Argentina. Two different root classes were present in A. araucana: longitudinal fine roots (LFR and globular short roots (GSR. Both had extensive mycorrhizal arbuscular symbiosis (AM and presented abundant hyphae and coils in root cells, a characteristic of the anatomical Paris-type. Dark septate fungal endophytes were also observed. Values of total AM colonization were high, with similar partial AM% values for each root class. Seasonal differences were found for total and partial colonization, with higher values in spring compared to autumn. Regarding the percentage of fungal structures between root classes, values were similar for vesicles and arbuscules, but higher coil percentages were observed in GSR compared to LFR. The percentages of vesicles increased in autumn, whereas the arbuscule percentages increased in spring, coinciding with the plant growth peak. Results show that both root classes of A. araucana in Andean-Patagonian forests are associated with AM fungi, which may have ecological relevance in terms of the importance of this symbiosis, in response to soil nutrient-deficiencies, especially high P-retention.La conífera Araucaria araucana (Molina K. Koch se encuentra distribuida en los bosques Andino-Patagónicos de Argentina y Chile. En este trabajo se relacionaron las diferentes clases morfológicas de raíces presentes en la especie con el comportamiento micorrícico. Las muestras fueron tomadas en tres sitios del Parque Nacional Lanín (NO de Patagonia, Argentina. Se observaron dos clases diferentes de raíces: raíces finas longitudinales (RFL y raíces cortas globulares (RCG. Ambas clases

Publication in a Brazilian journal by Brazilian scientists whose papers have international impact.

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Meneghini, R

2010-09-01

Nine Brazilian scientists with an outstanding profile of international publications were invited to publish an original article in the same issue of a Brazilian Journal (Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências). The objective was to measure the impact of the papers on the number of citations to the articles, the assumption being that these authors would carry their international prestige to the Brazilian periodical. In a 2-year period there was a larger number of citations of these articles compared to others published in the same journal. Nevertheless, the number of citations in Brazilian journals did not equal the number of citations obtained by the other papers by the same authors in their international publications within the same 2-year period. The reasons for this difference in the number of citations could be either that less significant invited articles were submitted or that it was due to the intrinsic lack of visibility of the Brazilian journals, but this could not be fully determined with the present data. Also relevant was a comparison between the citations of Brazilian journals and the publication in Brazilian journals by these selected authors. A clear imbalance due to a remarkable under-citation of Brazilian authors by authors publishing in Brazilian journals raises the possibility that psychological factors may affect the decision of citing Brazilian journals.

Lavandula angustifolia Extract Improves the Result of Human Umbilical Mesenchymal Wharton's Jelly Stem Cell Transplantation after Contusive Spinal Cord Injury in Wistar Rats

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Yaghoobi, Kayvan; Kaka, Gholamreza; Mansouri, Korosh; Davoodi, Shaghayegh; Sadraie, Seyed Homayoon; Hosseini, Seyed Ruhollah

2016-01-01

Introduction. The primary trauma of spinal cord injury (SCI) results in severe damage to nervous functions. At the cellular level, SCI causes astrogliosis. Human umbilical mesenchymal stem cells (HUMSCs), isolated from Wharton's jelly of the umbilical cord, can be easily obtained. Previously, we showed that the neuroprotective effects of Lavandula angustifolia can lead to improvement in a contusive SCI model in rats. Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of L. angustifolia (Lav) on HUMSC transplantation after acute SCI. Materials and Methods. Sixty adult female rats were randomly divided into eight groups. Every week after SCI onset, all animals were evaluated for behavior outcomes. H&E staining was performed to examine the lesions after injury. GFAP expression was assessed for astrogliosis. Somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) testing was performed to detect the recovery of neural conduction. Results. Behavioral tests showed that the HUMSC group improved in comparison with the SCI group, but HUMSC + Lav 400 was very effective, resulting in a significant increase in locomotion activity. Sensory tests and histomorphological and immunohistochemistry analyses verified the potentiation effects of Lav extract on HUMSC treatment. Conclusion. Transplantation of HUMSCs is beneficial for SCI in rats, and Lav extract can potentiate the functional and cellular recovery with HUMSC treatment in rats after SCI. PMID:27057171

Micropropagation and validation of genetic and biochemical fidelity amongst regenerants of Cassia angustifolia Vahl employing RAPD marker and HPLC.

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Chetri, Siva K; Sardar, Pratima Rani; Agrawal, Veena

2014-10-01

In vitro protocol has been established for clonal propagation of Cassia angustifolia Vahl which is an important source of anticancerous bioactive compounds, sennoside A and B. Nodal explants excised from field raised elite plant (showing optimum level of sennoside A and B) of C. angustifolia when reared on Murashige and Skoog's medium augmented with different cytokinins, viz. N(6)-benzyladenine (BA), N(6)-(2-isopentenyl) adenine (2iP) and 6-furfuryl aminopurine (Kn) differentiated multiple shoots in their axils. Of the three cytokinins, BA at 5 μM proved optimum for differentiating multiple shoots in 95 % cultures with an average of 9.14 shoots per explant within 8 weeks of culture. Nearly, 95 % of the excised in vitro shoots rooted on half strength MS medium supplemented with 10 μM indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). The phenotypically similar micropropagated plants were evaluated for their genetic fidelity employing random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. Eleven individuals, randomly chosen amongst a population of 120 regenerants were compared with the donor plant. A total of 36 scorable bands, ranging in size from 100 to 1,000 bp were generated amongst them by the RAPD primers. All banding profiles from micropropagated plants were monomorphic and similar to those of mother plant proving their true to the type nature. Besides, high performance liquid chromatography evaluation of the sennoside A and B content amongst leaves of the mature regenerants and the elite mother plant too revealed consistency in their content.

The antimicrobial activity of lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia) and its influence on the production performance of broiler chickens.

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Adaszyńska-Skwirzyńska, M; Szczerbińska, D

2018-04-14

The aim of the study was the evaluation of the antimicrobial activity (in vitro) of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) essential oil (LEO) and the effect of its addition to the drinking water of broiler chickens on their production performance. Antimicrobial activity was determined by establishing the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) using a series of microdilutions. Bird experiments were carried out on a commercial farm on 300 Ross 308 broilers. One-day-old chicks were randomly assigned to three experimental groups of 100 individuals (five replications of 20 individuals each). In the control group, chickens received drinking water without added essential oil throughout the rearing period. In the LEO 0.2 and LEO 0.4 groups, from 1 to 42 days of bird life, the LEO 0.2 group had 0.2 ml/L of essential lavender oil added to the drinking water, while LEO 0.4 had 0.4 ml/L added. The results of the experiment showed the antimicrobial activity of LEO and its positive effect on the production results of broiler chickens. Application of higher concentration of essential oil (0.4 ml/L) significantly affected production results (BW, FCR, WCR-p  .05). In vitro studies indicate a significant effect of LEO on the inhibition of microbial growth. These results encourage further studies on a larger scale that will confirm antimicrobial efficiency and define the mechanisms of action of Lavandula angustifolia essential oil and its individual components. © 2018 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

DETERMINACIÓN DE LA RELACIÓN DE POISSON DE LA Guadua angustifolia Kunth A PARTIR DE PROCESAMIENTOS DE imágenes Y SU RELACIÓN CON LA ESTRUCTURA INTERNA DETERMINATION OF POISSON´S RATIO OF THE Guadua angustifolia Kunth USING IMAGE PROCESSING AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MICROSTRUCTURE

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Jairo Alexander Osorio Saraz

2007-12-01

Full Text Available En esta investigación se propuso determinar los valores de la relación de Poisson para la Guadua angustifolia Kunth, en la cepa y la basa del culmo, además de analizar la incidencia que ejerce la estructura interna en dicha propiedad. Los resultados indicaron que la relación de Poisson depende significativamente de la estructura del material variando entre 0,22 y 0,35 haciéndolo un producto biológico altamente heterogéneo y anisotrópico. Además, los análisis de estructura interna de tejido conductivo, parénquima y tejidos de fibras, indicaron que estos componentes varían a través de la sección transversal del culmo de la guadua.The technique of image processing was applied to determine the values of the Poisson's ratio for the Guadua angustifolia Kunth, in the “cepa” and the “basa” of the element, besides to analyze the incidence of its internal structure in this property. The results indicated that the Poisson's ratio depends upon the material structure reaching values between 0,22 and 0,35 making of this biological product a material highly heterogeneous and anisotropic. In addition the microstructure analysis of conductive tissue, parenchyma and fibers, indicated that these components vary through the cross-sectional section of the guadua element.

ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SOLUBLE POLYSACCHARIDES FROM CALAMAGROSTIS ANGUSTIFOLIA KOM

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Xue-Fei Cao

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Sequential treatments of dewaxed Calamagrostis angustifolia Kom with water (60 ºC and 90 ºC, 70% ethanol, and 70% ethanol containing 0.2%, 1.0%, 2.0%, 4.0%, and 8.0% NaOH at a solid to liquid ratio of 1:25 (g/mL at 80 ºC for 3 h yielded 36.2% soluble polysaccharides of the dry dewaxed material. The eight polysaccharide fractions obtained were comparatively studied by sugar analysis, GPC, FT-IR, 1H and 13C-NMR, and 2D-NMR (HSQC spectroscopy. The results showed that the water-soluble polysaccharides might contain noticeable amounts of β-D-glucan, as well as some pectic substances and galactoarabinoxylan. 70% ethanol-soluble polysaccharide was mainly arabinogalactan. The five alkali-soluble hemicelluloses were mainly galactoarabinoxylans. The Ara/Xyl and Ara/Gal values of H5-H8 fractions decreased with the increment of NaOH concentration from 1.0% to 8.0%. Meanwhile, the molecular weights had a declining trend from ~60,000 to ~40,000 g/mol. The smaller sized and more branched polysaccharides tended to be extracted in the early stages under milder conditions, and the larger molecular sized and more linear hemicelluloses tended to be isolated under more highly alkaline conditions.

Seasonal variations in the composition of the essential oils of Lavandula angustifolia (Lamiacae).

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Lakusić, Branislava; Lakusić, Dmitar; Ristić, Mihailo; Marcetić, Mirjana; Slavkovska, Violeta

2014-06-01

Seasonal variations in the composition of the essential oils obtained from the same individual (of the same genotype) of Lavandula angustifolia cultivated in Belgrade were determined by GC and GC/MS. The main constituents were 1,8-cineole (7.1-48.4%), linalool (0.1-38.7%), bomeol (10.9-27.7%), beta-phellandrene (0.5-21.2%) and camphor (1.5-15.8%). Cluster analysis showed that the 21 samples collected each month during the vegetation cycle were separable into three main clades with different compositions of essential oils. In the shoots with flowers, inflorescences and fruits of clade I, linalool is dominant, in the young leaves before flowering and old leaves of clade II, 1,8-cineole is dominant. In the young and incompletely developed leaves of clade III, beta-phellandrene is dominant. The composition of the essential oils of lavender depended on the plant part and the stage of development.

Saccharomyces eubayanus and Saccharomyces uvarum associated with the fermentation of Araucaria araucana seeds in Patagonia.

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Rodríguez, M Eugenia; Pérez-Través, Laura; Sangorrín, Marcela P; Barrio, Eladio; Lopes, Christian A

2014-09-01

Mudai is a traditional fermented beverage, made from the seeds of the Araucaria araucana tree by Mapuche communities. The main goal of the present study was to identify and characterize the yeast microbiota responsible of Mudai fermentation as well as from A. araucana seeds and bark from different locations in Northern Patagonia. Only Hanseniaspora uvarum and a commercial bakery strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were isolated from Mudai and all Saccharomyces isolates recovered from A. araucana seed and bark samples belonged to the cryotolerant species Saccharomyces eubayanus and Saccharomyces uvarum. These two species were already reported in Nothofagus trees from Patagonia; however, this is the first time that they were isolated from A. araucana, which extends their ecological distribution. The presence of these species in A. araucana seeds and bark samples, led us to postulate a potential role for them as the original yeasts responsible for the elaboration of Mudai before the introduction of commercial S. cerevisiae cultures. The molecular and genetic characterization of the S. uvarum and S. eubayanus isolates and their comparison with European S. uvarum strains and S. eubayanus hybrids (S. bayanus and S. pastorianus), allowed their ecology and evolution us to be examined. © 2014 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aggregate Stability in Soil with Humic and Histic Horizons in a Toposequence under Araucaria Forest

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Daniel Hanke

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Aggregate stability is one of the most important factors in soil conservation and maintenance of soil environmental functions. The objective of this study was to investigate the aggregate stability mechanisms related to chemical composition of organic matter in soil profiles with humic and histic horizons in a toposequence under Araucaria moist forest in southern Brazil. The soils sampled were classified as Humic Hapludox (highest position, Fluvaquentic Humaquepts (lowest slope position, and Typic Haplosaprists (floodplain. The C and N contents were determined in bulk soil samples. The chemical composition of soil organic matter was evaluated by infrared spectroscopy. Aggregate stability was determined by applying increasing levels of ultrasound energy. Carbon content increased from the top of the slope to the alluvial plain. Higher ultrasonic energy values for clay dispersion were observed in the C-rich soils in the lower landscape positions, indicating that organic compounds play an important role in the structural stabilization of these profiles. Both aliphatic and carbohydrate-like structures were pertinent to aggregate stability. In the Oxisol, organo-mineral interaction between carbohydrates and the clay mineral surface was the most important mechanism affecting aggregation. In soils with a higher C content (Humaquepts and Haplosaprists, stabilization is predominantly conferred by the aliphatic groups, which is probably due to the structural protection offered by these hydrophobic organic groups.

Substrate promiscuity of a rosmarinic acid synthase from lavender (Lavandula angustifolia L.).

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Landmann, Christian; Hücherig, Stefanie; Fink, Barbara; Hoffmann, Thomas; Dittlein, Daniela; Coiner, Heather A; Schwab, Wilfried

2011-08-01

One of the most common types of modification of secondary metabolites is the acylation of oxygen- and nitrogen-containing substrates to produce esters and amides, respectively. Among the known acyltransferases, the members of the plant BAHD family are capable of acylating a wide variety of substrates. Two full-length acyltransferase cDNAs (LaAT1 and 2) were isolated from lavender flowers (Lavandula angustifolia L.) by reverse transcriptase-PCR using degenerate primers based on BAHD sequences. Recombinant LaAT1 exhibited a broad substrate tolerance accepting (hydroxy)cinnamoyl-CoAs as acyl donors and not only tyramine, tryptamine, phenylethylamine and anthranilic acid but also shikimic acid and 4-hydroxyphenyllactic acid as acceptors. Thus, LaLT1 forms esters and amides like its phylogenetic neighbors. In planta LaAT1 might be involved in the biosynthesis of rosmarinic acid, the ester of caffeic acid and 3,4-dihydroxyphenyllactic acid, a major constituent of lavender flowers. LaAT2 is one of three members of clade VI with unknown function.

Mamíferos carnívoros e sua relação com a diversidade de hábitats no Parque Nacional dos Aparados da Serra, sul do Brasil Carnivore mammals and their relation with habitat diversity in Aparados da Serra National Park, southern Brazil

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Maria de Fátima M. dos Santos

2004-09-01

Full Text Available A survey of carnivore mammals was accomplished in Aparados da Serra National Park from February 1998 to March 2000. The park has 10,250 ha and is considered a biodiversity core area of the Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve in the Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The landscape is characterized by relatively well preserved relicts of Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol. Kuntze forest, grasslands and Atlantic Forest, which have contributed for the survival of endangered carnivore mammals. The National Park was divided in a grid of 16 km² cells using a 1:50,000 scale map. The animals were recorded using indirect methods, by identifying signs (scats, tracks and direct observation in 2.5 km long and 5 m wide transects, with 10 replicates in each grid cell. Interviews with local people were also used to confirm the animal presence. A total of 13 species was recorded: Procyon cancrivorus (Cuvier, 1798, Pseudalopex gymnocercus (G. Fischer, 1814, Leopardus pardalis (Linnaeus, 1758 and Cerdocyon thous (Linnaeus, 1766 were the most frequent species registered. Nasua nasua (Linnaeus 1766, Herpailurus yaguarondi (Lacépède, 1809, Chrysocyon brachyurus (Illiger, 1815, Eira barbara (Linnaeus, 1758, Leopardus sp., Puma concolor (Linnaeus, 1771, Galictis cuja (Molina, 1782, Conepatus chinga (Molina, 1892 and Lontra longicaudis (Olfers, 1818 showed lower frequencies. The Park presented areas with significant differences (Mantel Test, P< 0.05 in species richness and composition related to habitat classes. Areas with high habitat richness presented high species richness. The Araucaria forest was the habitat that presented the higher carnivore richness. The border areas of the Park are influenced by several environmental degradation factors that could be affecting the distribution of carnivores.

Comparison of postmenopausal endogenous sex hormones among Japanese, Japanese Brazilians, and non-Japanese Brazilians

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Maciel Maria

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Differences in sex hormone levels among populations might contribute to the variation in breast cancer incidence across countries. Previous studies have shown higher breast cancer incidence and mortality among Japanese Brazilians than among Japanese. To clarify the difference in hormone levels among populations, we compared postmenopausal endogenous sex hormone levels among Japanese living in Japan, Japanese Brazilians living in the state of São Paulo, and non-Japanese Brazilians living in the state of São Paulo. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using a control group of case-control studies in Nagano, Japan, and São Paulo, Brazil. Participants were postmenopausal women older than 55 years of age who provided blood samples. We measured estradiol, estrone, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS, testosterone and free testosterone by radioimmunoassay; bioavailable estradiol by the ammonium sulfate precipitation method; and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG by immunoradiometric assay. A total of 363 women were included for the present analyses, comprising 185 Japanese, 44 Japanese Brazilians and 134 non-Japanese Brazilians. Results Japanese Brazilians had significantly higher levels of estradiol, bioavailable estradiol, estrone, testosterone and free testosterone levels, and lower SHBG levels, than Japanese. Japanese Brazilians also had significantly higher levels of bioavailable estradiol, estrone and DHEAS and lower levels of SHBG and androstenedione than non-Japanese Brazilians. Levels of estradiol, testosterone and free testosterone, however, did not differ between Japanese Brazilians and non-Japanese Brazilians. These differences were observed even after adjustment for known breast cancer risk factors. We also found an increase in estrogen and androgen levels with increasing body mass index, but no association for most of the other known risk factors. Conclusions We found higher levels of

A Influencia dos roedores e aves na regeneraçao da Araucaria angustifolia (Bert.)O. Ktze

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Müller, Jorge Alberto

2013-01-01

Este trabalho foi desenvolvido na Reserva Experimental do Setor de Ciências Agrárias, da Universidade Federal do Paraná, em São João do Triunfo a 130 quilômetros de Curitiba durante os anos de 19 81 e 19 82 em uma área de mata nativa, cujas árvores predominantes são araucárias. Os experimentos foram complementados por testes realizados no laboratório e no viveiro florestal do Curso de Engenharia Florestal. Visando incrementar a regeneração da araucária através da proteção de suas sementes- pi...

Radiosensitivity of three species of ground orchids (Spathoglottis plicata, S. kimballiana var. angustifolia and S. tomentosa) to acute gamma radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzales, Marcial Alvaran

2007-04-01

A radiosensitivity study coupled with tissue culture technique was conducted as preliminary to mutation breeding of the three species of ground orchids (Spathoglottis plicata, S. kimballiana var. angustifolia, and S. tomentosa). It aimed to compare the effects of varying dose levels of gamma radiation applied to the germinated embryos (protocorms) of the three species. Also it sought to determine the lethal dose of gamma radiation on the three species and to determine their optimum dose or the dose level that will lead to production of more mutants. The protocorms of the three species were irradiated at 10 Gy, 20 Gy, 30 Gy, 40 Gy, and 50 Gy dose levels of gamma radiation. Results of the study showed that as the dose level administered increases, percent mortality of seedlings also increases. Further, seedling height, number of roots and root length decreases. However, there was an increase in number of leaves at certain dose levels due to the emergence of furcations, but further increase in the dose levels of radiation decreases the number of leaves.Furthermore, some qualitative characters such as albinism, pigmentation, forked leaves, furcations, and multiple branching came out as responses to gamma radiation. It further shows that the three species have varied radiosensitivity as affected by their individual phenotype. It was found that S. kimballiana var. angustifolia was the least radiosensitive among the species, and could have a great potential for a wide array of genetic variations due to the observed emergence of more morphological mutations that came out as effect of gamma radiation. (Author)

Radiosensitivity of three species of ground orchids (Spathoglottis plicata, S. kimballiana var. angustifolia and S. tomentosa) to acute gamma radiation

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Gonzales, Marcial Alvaran

2007-04-15

A radiosensitivity study coupled with tissue culture technique was conducted as preliminary to mutation breeding of the three species of ground orchids (Spathoglottis plicata, S. kimballiana var. angustifolia, and S. tomentosa). It aimed to compare the effects of varying dose levels of gamma radiation applied to the germinated embryos (protocorms) of the three species. Also it sought to determine the lethal dose of gamma radiation on the three species and to determine their optimum dose or the dose level that will lead to production of more mutants. The protocorms of the three species were irradiated at 10 Gy, 20 Gy, 30 Gy, 40 Gy, and 50 Gy dose levels of gamma radiation. Results of the study showed that as the dose level administered increases, percent mortality of seedlings also increases. Further, seedling height, number of roots and root length decreases. However, there was an increase in number of leaves at certain dose levels due to the emergence of furcations, but further increase in the dose levels of radiation decreases the number of leaves.Furthermore, some qualitative characters such as albinism, pigmentation, forked leaves, furcations, and multiple branching came out as responses to gamma radiation. It further shows that the three species have varied radiosensitivity as affected by their individual phenotype. It was found that S. kimballiana var. angustifolia was the least radiosensitive among the species, and could have a great potential for a wide array of genetic variations due to the observed emergence of more morphological mutations that came out as effect of gamma radiation. (Author)

MODELLING THE POTENTIAL DISTRIBUTION OF TREE SPECIES ON A NATIONAL SCALE IN COLOMBIA: APPLICATION TO PALICOUREA ANGUSTIFOLIA KUNTH AND PALICOUREA GUIANENSIS AUBL.

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Armenteras Dolors

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The results in this study illustrate the methods of using the existing species' presentrecords and environmental data to produce a niche-based model based on Mahalanobis distances, and also to predict the distribution of a number of tree species in order to apply it on a national scale to a tropical country such as Colombia. The technique applied is based on the Mahalanobis distance, a generalised squared distance statistic. We used environmental data integrated into a GIS, and a georeferenced collection of localities of Palicourea angustifolia and Palicourea guianensis to produce and test the predictive models. We used record data for Warszewiczia coccinea to validate the model. The two Palicourea species show largely complementary potential ranges. P. angustifolia shows a clear Andean distribution with a presence in lower and upper mountain areas but not in the highlands or in the inter-Andean valleys. P. guianensis was predicted throughout most of the lowland areas of Colombia including lowland Amazonian forests, and most of the tropical savannas of Orinoquia. The model predicted an overlapping distribution of the two species of 93.9 km2. The Mahalanobian approach contributes to the development of biogeographically oriented modelling that makes the best use of the available data in data-scarce regions (such as most of the tropics. The technique provides key information about the environmental niche of the species being modelled, and allows comparisons between the species. The prediction achieved for the two species was considered satisfactory.

Phytochemicals from Kaempferia angustifolia Rosc. and Their Cytotoxic and Antimicrobial Activities

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Sook Wah Tang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Phytochemical investigation on rhizomes of Kaempferia angustifolia has afforded a new abietene diterpene, kaempfolienol (1 along with crotepoxide (2, boesenboxide (3, 2′-hydroxy-4,4′,6′-trimethoxychalcone (4, zeylenol (5, 6-methylzeylenol (6, (24S-24-methyl-5α-lanosta-9(11, 25-dien-3β-ol (7, sucrose, β-sitosterol, and its glycoside (8. The structures of the compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods (IR, MS, and NMR. Isolation of 6-methylzeylenol (6, (24S-24-methyl-5α-lanosta-9(11, 25-dien-3β-ol (7, and β-sitosterol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (8 from this plant species has never been reported previously. The spectroscopic data of (7 is firstly described in this paper. Cytotoxic screening indicated that most of the pure compounds tested showed significant activity with (4 showing the most potent activity against HL-60 (human promyelocytic leukemia and MCF-7 (human breast cancer cell lines. However, all extracts and most of the pure compounds tested were found to be inactive against HT-29 (human colon cancer and HeLa (human cervical cancer cell lines. Similarly, none of the extracts or compounds showed activity in the antimicrobial testing.

Lavandula angustifolia Extract Improves the Result of Human Umbilical Mesenchymal Wharton’s Jelly Stem Cell Transplantation after Contusive Spinal Cord Injury in Wistar Rats

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Kayvan Yaghoobi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. The primary trauma of spinal cord injury (SCI results in severe damage to nervous functions. At the cellular level, SCI causes astrogliosis. Human umbilical mesenchymal stem cells (HUMSCs, isolated from Wharton’s jelly of the umbilical cord, can be easily obtained. Previously, we showed that the neuroprotective effects of Lavandula angustifolia can lead to improvement in a contusive SCI model in rats. Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of L. angustifolia (Lav on HUMSC transplantation after acute SCI. Materials and Methods. Sixty adult female rats were randomly divided into eight groups. Every week after SCI onset, all animals were evaluated for behavior outcomes. H&E staining was performed to examine the lesions after injury. GFAP expression was assessed for astrogliosis. Somatosensory evoked potential (SEP testing was performed to detect the recovery of neural conduction. Results. Behavioral tests showed that the HUMSC group improved in comparison with the SCI group, but HUMSC + Lav 400 was very effective, resulting in a significant increase in locomotion activity. Sensory tests and histomorphological and immunohistochemistry analyses verified the potentiation effects of Lav extract on HUMSC treatment. Conclusion. Transplantation of HUMSCs is beneficial for SCI in rats, and Lav extract can potentiate the functional and cellular recovery with HUMSC treatment in rats after SCI.

Genetic improvement of forest tree species

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Teotônio Francisco Assis

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Brazilian forestry sector is considered one of the most developed in the world, being the base for important industrialsegments which use wood as raw material. Tree breeding has played an important role on improving the competitiveness ofBrazilian forestry-based companies, especially for its positive reflexes on increasing adaptation, forestry productivity and woodquality. In spite of the importance of other forest trees for the economy, such as Schizolobium, Araucaria, Populus and Hevea, themain genera under genetic improvement in the country are Eucalyptus, Pinus, Acacia and Tectona. They are used by industries likepulp and paper, siderurgy, tannin, chips for exportation and lumber, constituting an important source of revenues for the Brazilian’seconomy, besides their positive social and environmental impacts. This paper presents a generic approach to genetic improvementaspects of these four major genera currently undergoing breeding in Brazil.

Antileishmanial Activity of Lavandula angustifolia and Rosmarinus Officinalis Essential Oils and Nano-emulsions on Leishmania major (MRHO/IR/75/ER

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Azar SHOKRI

2017-12-01

Full Text Available AbstractBackground: The aim of present study was to evaluate antileishmanial effects of Lavandula angustifolia (L. angustifolia and Rosmarinus officinalis (R. officinalis medicinal plants essential oils and nano-emulsions on Leishmania major (L. major. Methods: The present study was performed in Leishmaniasis Reference Lab at Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Iran during 2016-2017. The IC50 values were calculated in both the promastigote and amastigote stages in J774 macrophage in comparison with meglumine antimoniate (MA as positive control. In addition, cytotoxicity effects of essential oils and nano-emulsions prepared from both plants against macrophages were evaluated.Results: Both essential oil and nano-emulsion of Lavander and Rosemary showed anti-leishmania activity on promastigote with IC50=0.11 μl/mL, IC50=0.26 μl/mL, and IC50=0.08 μl/mL respectively. Moreover, during amastigote assay, Lavander and Rosemary essential oils and nano-emulsion were effective at least in concentration of 0.12 μl/mL and 0.06 µl/mL (P=0.0001 respectively, on mean infected macrophages (MIR and amastigotes in macrophages (P=0.0001. Additionally, cytotoxicity assay against macrophage revealed no toxicity on the host cells at IC50 concentrations.Conclusion: The nano-emulsions of both plants were more effective than essential oil in both MIR and amastigote. However, in comparison with MA, the Lavander essential oil is more effective in reducing MIR. Rosemary nano-emulsion reduced MIR significantly more than MA in concentration of 0.25 μl/mL (P<0.001. Further investigations are recommended to evaluate the effect of these medicinal plants in murine models.

Assessment of the Neuroprotective Effects of Lavandula angustifolia Extract on the Contusive Model of Spinal Cord Injury in Wistar Rats

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Kaka, Gholamreza; Yaghoobi, Kayvan; Davoodi, Shaghayegh; Hosseini, Seyed R.; Sadraie, Seyed H.; Mansouri, Korosh

2016-01-01

Introduction: Spinal cord injury (SCI) involves a primary trauma and secondary cellular processes that can lead to severe damage to the nervous system, resulting in long-term spinal deficits. At the cellular level, SCI causes astrogliosis, of which glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is a major index. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the neuroprotective effects of Lavandula angustifolia (Lav) on the repair of spinal cord injuries in Wistar rats. Materials and Methods: Forty-five female rats were randomly divided into six groups of seven rats each: the intact, sham, control (SCI), Lav 100, Lav 200, and Lav 400 groups. Every week after SCI onset, all animals were evaluated for behavior outcomes by the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) score. H&E staining was performed to examine the lesions post-injury. GFAP expression was assessed for astrogliosis. Somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) testing was performed to detect the recovery of neural conduction. Results: BBB scores were significantly increased and delayed responses on sensory tests were significantly decreased in the Lav 200 and Lav 400 groups compared to the control group. The greatest decrease of GFAP was evident in the Lav 200 and Lav 400 groups. EMG results showed significant improvement in the hindlimbs in the Lav 200 and Lav 400 groups compared to the control group. Cavity areas significantly decreased and the number of ventral motor neurons significantly increased in the Lav 200 and Lav 400 groups. Conclusion: Lav at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg can promote structural and functional recovery after SCI. The neuroprotective effects of L. angustifolia can lead to improvement in the contusive model of SCI in Wistar rats. PMID:26903793

região da floresta estacional decidual do rio grande do sul

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Franz H. Andrae

2005-01-01

Full Text Available In the central part of Rio Grande do Sul State understoreys of 12 stands of Pinus sp. and one of Araucaria angustifolia O.Ktze were studied, all growing on soils, degraded by agriculture. One pine stand, 10 years old, originated from a natural renovation, the others had been planted 25 to 30 years ago, Araucaria was seeded directly. A total of 575 plots were sampled, 25 m² each, distributed systematically within the stands. Measurements included pines overstorey, and all understorey woody species, separeted into layers of more than 1,3 m high and 1,3 to 0,3 m; the layer lower than 0,3 m included only natural renovation of pines. Understoreys were composed by 121 species, ocurring common and high value timber species, ornamental trees, native and exotic fruit tree species. A higher number of species was present with a very few individuals only. The presence of non woody species like grasses, herbs, ferns and lians also was quantified. The number of tree species and the presence of non woody species did not correlat with density of overstorey pines. Abundance and frequency of species showed no significant diferences, when samples were grouped according to their location in the center or close to stands edge. Distribution pattern of understorey trees within stands was quantified, using Cox’ index, species diversity was compared by means of Shannon-index. Similarity of stands was compared by Sörensen-Index. It was concluded, that exotic species planted on poor agricultural soil may not only be of farmers interest because of their high potential for wood production. These plantations also may be considered from conservationist point of view, since they show an unexpected high diversity, so contributing in a longer run to landscape improvement, possibly due to the small extension of stands.

UNDERSTOREY OF PINE-PLANTATIONS ON DEGRADED SITES IN THE REGION OF DECIDUOUS FORESTS OF RIO GRANDE DO SUL

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Franz H. Andrae

2010-08-01

Full Text Available In the central part of Rio Grande do Sul State understoreys of 12 stands of Pinus sp. and one of Araucaria angustifolia O.Ktze were studied, all growing on soils, degraded by agriculture. One pine stand, 10 years old, originated from a natural renovation, the others had been planted 25 to 30 years ago, Araucaria was seeded directly. A total of 575 plots were sampled, 25 m² each, distributed systematically within the stands. Measurements included pines overstorey, and all understorey woody species, separeted into layers of more than 1,3 m high and 1,3 to 0,3 m; the layer lower than 0,3 m included only natural renovation of pines. Understoreys were composed by 121 species, ocurring common and high value timber species, ornamental trees, native and exotic fruit tree species. A higher number of species was present with a very few individuals only. The presence of non woody species like grasses, herbs, ferns and lians also was quantified. The number of tree species and the presence of non woody species did not correlat with density of overstorey pines. Abundance and frequency of species showed no significant diferences, when samples were grouped according to their location in the center or close to stands edge. Distribution pattern of understorey trees within stands was quantified, using Cox’ index, species diversity was compared by means of Shannon-index. Similarity of stands was compared by Sörensen-Index. It was concluded, that exotic species planted on poor agricultural soil may not only be of farmers interest because of their high potential for wood production. These plantations also may be considered from conservationist point of view, since they show an unexpected high diversity, so contributing in a longer run to landscape improvement, possibly due to the small extension of stands.

Hydrophobic modification of cellulose isolated from Agave angustifolia fibre by graft copolymerisation using methyl methacrylate.

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Rosli, Noor Afizah; Ahmad, Ishak; Abdullah, Ibrahim; Anuar, Farah Hannan; Mohamed, Faizal

2015-07-10

Graft copolymerisation of methyl methacrylate (MMA) onto Agave angustifolia was conducted with ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) as the redox initiator. The maximum grafting efficiency was observed at CAN and MMA concentrations of 0.91 × 10(-3) and 5.63 × 10(-2)M, respectively, at 45°C for 3h reaction time. Four characteristic peaks at 2995, 1738, 1440, and 845 cm(-1), attributed to PMMA, were found in the IR spectrum of grafted cellulose. The crystallinity index dropped from 0.74 to 0.46, while the thermal stability improved upon grafting. The water contact angle increased with grafting yield, indicating increased hydrophobicity of cellulose. SEM images showed the grafted cellulose to be enlarged and rougher. The changes in the physical nature of PMMA-grafted cellulose can be attributed to the PMMA grafting in the amorphous regions of cellulose, causing it to expand at the expense of the crystalline component. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Brazilian Consensus on Photoprotection

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Schalka, Sérgio; Steiner, Denise; Ravelli, Flávia Naranjo; Steiner, Tatiana; Terena, Aripuanã Cobério; Marçon, Carolina Reato; Ayres, Eloisa Leis; Addor, Flávia Alvim Sant'anna; Miot, Helio Amante; Ponzio, Humberto; Duarte, Ida; Neffá, Jane; da Cunha, José Antônio Jabur; Boza, Juliana Catucci; Samorano, Luciana de Paula; Corrêa, Marcelo de Paula; Maia, Marcus; Nasser, Nilton; Leite, Olga Maria Rodrigues Ribeiro; Lopes, Otávio Sergio; Oliveira, Pedro Dantas; Meyer, Renata Leal Bregunci; Cestari, Tânia; dos Reis, Vitor Manoel Silva; Rego, Vitória Regina Pedreira de Almeida

2014-01-01

Brazil is a country of continental dimensions with a large heterogeneity of climates and massive mixing of the population. Almost the entire national territory is located between the Equator and the Tropic of Capricorn, and the Earth axial tilt to the south certainly makes Brazil one of the countries of the world with greater extent of land in proximity to the sun. The Brazilian coastline, where most of its population lives, is more than 8,500 km long. Due to geographic characteristics and cultural trends, Brazilians are among the peoples with the highest annual exposure to the sun. Epidemiological data show a continuing increase in the incidence of non-melanoma and melanoma skin cancers. Photoprotection can be understood as a set of measures aimed at reducing sun exposure and at preventing the development of acute and chronic actinic damage. Due to the peculiarities of Brazilian territory and culture, it would not be advisable to replicate the concepts of photoprotection from other developed countries, places with completely different climates and populations. Thus the Brazilian Society of Dermatology has developed the Brazilian Consensus on Photoprotection, the first official document on photoprotection developed in Brazil for Brazilians, with recommendations on matters involving photoprotection. PMID:25761256

Biosorption of Cd+2 by green plant biomass, Araucaria heterophylla: characterization, kinetic, isotherm and thermodynamic studies

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Sarada, B.; Krishna Prasad, M.; Kishore Kumar, K.; Murthy, Ch V. R.

2017-11-01

The present study attempted to analyze the biosorption behavior of novel biosorbent, Araucaria heterophylla (green plant) biomass, to remove Cd+2 from solutions against various parameters, i.e., initial metal ion concentration, pH, temperature, sorbent dosage and biomass particle size. The maximum biosorption was found to be 90.02% at pH 5.5 and biosorption capacity ( q e) of Cd+2 is 9.2506 mg g-1. The Langmuir and Freundlich equilibrium adsorption isotherms were studied and it was observed that Freundlich model is the best fit than the Langmuir model with correlation co-efficient of 0.999. Kinetic studies indicated that the biosorption process of Cd+2 well followed the pseudo-second-order model with R 2 0.999. Thermodynamic studies observed that the process is exothermic (Δ H ° negative). Free energy change (Δ G °) with negative sign reflected the feasibility and spontaneous nature of the process. The chemical functional -OH groups, CH2 stretching vibrations, C=O carbonyl group of alcohol, C=O carbonyl group of amide, P=O stretching vibrations and -CH groups were involved in the biosorption process. The XRD pattern of the A. heterophylla was found to be mostly amorphous in nature. The SEM studies showed Cd+2 biosorption on selective grains of the biosorbent. It was concluded that A. heterophylla leaf powder can be used as an effective, low-cost, and environmentally friendly biosorbent for the removal of Cd+2 from aqueous solution.

Lead pollution due to exhaust gases. [Celtis occidentalis; fraxinus angustifolia; aesculus hippocastanum; hedera helix

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klinscek, P

1976-01-01

An investigation was carried out to establish the changes in the lead content of trees and shrubs on the Margaret island in Budapest as a response to the reduction in motor-vehicle traffic introduced in 1974. Compared to samples of the control area (Vacratot) the Margaret island samples were found to have a considerable higher lead content. As a consequence of the traffic modifying measure a 30% decrease in the lead content of the samples was verified. The lead pollution did not involve changes in the chlorophyll content of samples. Accumulation of lead pollution is a specific feature. Lead pollution is accumulated to a great extent (multiple of other plants) by the pilose-leaved CELTIS occidentalis, the pinnate-leaved FRAXINUS angustifolia, ssp. pannonica and the undulate-leaved AESCULUS hippocastanum as well as from among the evergreen by the stellate-hair HEDERA helix. The green belt bordering the roads by its active lead cumulation plays an important role in lessening the plumb pollution of areas more distant from the road. 14 references 3 tables.

Linking Bacterial Endophytic Communities to Essential Oils: Clues from Lavandula angustifolia Mill

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Emiliani, Giovanni; Maida, Isabel; Perrin, Elena; Chiellini, Carolina; Fondi, Marco; Gallo, Eugenia; Gori, Luigi; Maggini, Valentina; Vannacci, Alfredo; Biffi, Sauro; Firenzuoli, Fabio; Fani, Renato

2014-01-01

Endophytic bacteria play a crucial role in plant life and are also drawing much attention for their capacity to produce bioactive compounds of relevant biotechnological interest. Here we present the characterisation of the cultivable endophytic bacteria of Lavandula angustifolia Mill.—a species used since antiquity for its therapeutic properties—since the production of bioactive metabolites from medical plants may reside also in the activity of bacterial endophytes through their direct production, PGPR activity on host, and/or elicitation of plant metabolism. Lavender tissues are inhabited by a tissue specific endophytic community dominated by Proteobacteria, highlighting also their difference from the rhizosphere environment where Actinobacteria and Firmicutes are also found. Leaves' endophytic community resulted as the most diverse from the other ecological niches. Overall, the findings reported here suggest: (i) the existence of different entry points for the endophytic community, (ii) its differentiation on the basis of the ecological niche variability, and (iii) a two-step colonization process for roots endophytes. Lastly, many isolates showed a strong inhibition potential against human pathogens and the molecular characterization demonstrated also the presence of not previously described isolates that may constitute a reservoir of bioactive compounds relevant in the field of pathogen control, phytoremediation, and human health. PMID:24971151

Pharmacogenetics in the Brazilian population

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Guilherme eSuarez-Kurtz

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Brazil is the 5th largest country in the world and its present population, in excess of 190 million, is highly heterogeneous, as a result of centuries of admixture between Amerindians, Europeans and Sub-Saharan Africans. The estimated individual proportions of biogeographical ancestry vary widely and continuously among Brazilians, most individuals - irrespective of self-identification as White, Brown or Black, the major categories of the Brazilian Census race/color system - having significant degrees of European and African ancestry, while a sizeable number display also Amerindian ancestry. These features have important pharmacogenetic (PGx implications: first, extrapolation of PGx data from relatively well-defined ethnic groups is clearly not applicable to the majority of Brazilians; second, the frequency distribution of polymorphisms in pharmacogenes (e.g. CYP3A5, CYP2C9, GSTM1, ABCB1, GSTM3, VKORC, etc varies continuously among Brazilians and is not captured by race/color self-identification; third, the intrinsic heterogeneity of the Brazilian population must be acknowledged in the design and interpretation of PGx studies in order to avoid spurious conclusions based on improper matching of study cohorts. The peculiarities of PGx in Brazilians are illustrated with data for different therapeutic groups, such as anticoagulants, HIV-protease inhibitors and nonsteroidal antinflammatory drugs, and the challenges and advantages created by population admixture for the study and implementation of PGx are discussed. PGx data for Amerindian groups and Brazilian-born, first generation Japanese are presented to illustrate the rich diversity of the Brazilian population. Finally, I introduce the reader to the Brazilian Pharmacogenetic Network or Refargen (www.refargen.org.br, a nationwide consortium of research groups, with the mission to provide leadership in PGx research and education in Brazil, with a population health impact.

Diversity and structure of landraces of Agave grown for spirits under traditional agriculture: A comparison with wild populations of A. angustifolia (Agavaceae) and commercial plantations of A. tequilana.

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Vargas-Ponce, Ofelia; Zizumbo-Villarreal, Daniel; Martínez-Castillo, Jaime; Coello-Coello, Julián; Colunga-Garcíamarín, Patricia

2009-02-01

Traditional farming communities frequently maintain high levels of agrobiodiversity, so understanding their agricultural practices is a priority for biodiversity conservation. The cultural origin of agave spirits (mezcals) from west-central Mexico is in the southern part of the state of Jalisco where traditional farmers cultivate more than 20 landraces of Agave angustifolia Haw. in agroecosystems that include in situ management of wild populations. These systems, rooted in a 9000-year-old tradition of using agaves as food in Mesoamerica, are endangered by the expansion of commercial monoculture plantations of the blue agave variety (A. tequilana Weber var. Azul), the only agave certified for sale as tequila, the best-known mezcal. Using intersimple sequence repeats and Bayesian estimators of diversity and structure, we found that A. angustifolia traditional landraces had a genetic diversity (H(BT) = 0.442) similar to its wild populations (H(BT) = 0.428) and a higher genetic structure ((B) = 0.405; (B) =0. 212). In contrast, the genetic diversity in the blue agave commercial system (H(B) = 0.118) was 73% lower. Changes to agave spirits certification laws to allow the conservation of current genetic, ecological and cultural diversity can play a key role in the preservation of the traditional agroecosystems.

Brazilian readers and contextual reference Brazilian readers and contextual reference

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Lilia M. O. Carioni

2008-04-01

Full Text Available This article describes an experiment carried out using Brazilian university students at UFSC, the purpose being to check comprehension relationships between two types of contextual reference and two languages, Portuguese and English. A major stimulus for the research was the question: are Brazilian students' difficulties in reading English related more to English language difficulties or to difficulties in processing text in general?

Life Expectancy of Brazilian Neurosurgeons.

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Botelho, Ricardo Vieira; Jardim Miranda, Bárbara Cristina; Nishikuni, Koshiro; Waisberg, Jaques

2018-06-01

Life expectancy (LE) refers to the number of years that an individual is expected to survive. Emphasis is frequently placed on the relationship between LE and the conditions under which a population lives, but fewer studies have investigated the relationship between stress factors associated with specific professions and their effects on LE. The aim of this study is to evaluate Brazilian neurosurgeons' life expectancies (BNLEs) and compare them with those of physicians (both Brazilian and foreign) from other fields, as well as with Brazilian nondoctors. The Brazilian Society of Neurosurgery death registry was used to obtain data that compared LEs from non-neurosurgeon physicians, as described in the national and international literature. BNLEs were also compared with the LEs of Brazilian citizens. Fifty-one neurosurgeons died between 2009 and 2016. All were males. The mean age at death was 68.31 ± 17.71 years. Among all-cause mortality, the breakdown was 20% cardiovascular diseases, 39% malignancies, 10% external factors, 6% gastrointestinal disorders, 12% neurologic illnesses, and 14% unknown causes. BNLE was shorter than LE of male Brazilian citizens. LE was similar among neurosurgeons and other doctors but shorter compared with Brazilian citizens. Further research is needed to provide data that can add to and confirm these results. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Brazilian Nuclear Energy Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carvalho, H.G. de

1980-01-01

A survey is initially of the international-and national situation regarding energetic resources. The Brazilian Nuclear Energy Policy and the Brazilian Nuclear Program are dealt with, as well as the Nuclear Cooperation agreement signed with the Federal Republic of Germany. The situation of Brazil regarding Uranium and the main activities of the Brazilian Nuclear Energy Commission are also discussed [pt

The ecological footprint of Acca sellowiana domestication maintains the residual vertebrate diversity in threatened highlands of Atlantic Forest.

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Bogoni, Juliano André; Graipel, Maurício Eduardo; Peroni, Nivaldo

2018-01-01

Past and contemporary human actions are causing numerous changes in patterns and processes at various ecosystem scales and trophic levels, including unintended downstream changes, such as species interactions. In its native range Acca sellowiana (Feijoa) combines some characteristics of human interactions: incipient domestication, restricted to subtropical Atlantic Forest highlands, associated with the threatened conifer Araucaria angustifolia (Araucaria), within a domesticated landscape with anthropogenic forest patches, and provides fruit at a time of resource shortage (Araucaria seeds-pinhão). We quantify the trophic relationships between Feijoa and vertebrates, and evaluate the influences on interactions caused by environmental variations, Feijoa domestication evidences, spatial distance and fruit availability. In four sites within protected areas, we selected 28 focal individuals of Feijoa (seven/site) and collected three temporal replicas between 2015 and 2016, when we measured productivity and frugivory via 45-second videos taken with camera traps. Using ecological network, rarefaction curves and variation partitioning analyses, we evaluate the frugivory network topology, the spatiotemporal structure of communities in relation to fruit availability and the influence of predictive variables on frugivory. We found a large spatiotemporal variation in productivity of Feijoa and that 20 species consumed Feijoa fruits, with a species degree of 2.8 (±5.7) and average Feijoa degree of 14.4 (±10.1), in a modular network with intermediary connectance. Rarefaction curves showed that richness and the independent records are congruent with the fruit amount. Variation partitioning showed that, for the focal individuals, canopy area, green coverage, patch size and distance to water influenced frugivory, and the Feijoa domestication influenced significantly the mammalian frugivory. Feijoa is an important resource that provides food during the time of year when Pinhão is

The ecological footprint of Acca sellowiana domestication maintains the residual vertebrate diversity in threatened highlands of Atlantic Forest

Science.gov (United States)

2018-01-01

Past and contemporary human actions are causing numerous changes in patterns and processes at various ecosystem scales and trophic levels, including unintended downstream changes, such as species interactions. In its native range Acca sellowiana (Feijoa) combines some characteristics of human interactions: incipient domestication, restricted to subtropical Atlantic Forest highlands, associated with the threatened conifer Araucaria angustifolia (Araucaria), within a domesticated landscape with anthropogenic forest patches, and provides fruit at a time of resource shortage (Araucaria seeds—pinhão). We quantify the trophic relationships between Feijoa and vertebrates, and evaluate the influences on interactions caused by environmental variations, Feijoa domestication evidences, spatial distance and fruit availability. In four sites within protected areas, we selected 28 focal individuals of Feijoa (seven/site) and collected three temporal replicas between 2015 and 2016, when we measured productivity and frugivory via 45-second videos taken with camera traps. Using ecological network, rarefaction curves and variation partitioning analyses, we evaluate the frugivory network topology, the spatiotemporal structure of communities in relation to fruit availability and the influence of predictive variables on frugivory. We found a large spatiotemporal variation in productivity of Feijoa and that 20 species consumed Feijoa fruits, with a species degree of 2.8 (±5.7) and average Feijoa degree of 14.4 (±10.1), in a modular network with intermediary connectance. Rarefaction curves showed that richness and the independent records are congruent with the fruit amount. Variation partitioning showed that, for the focal individuals, canopy area, green coverage, patch size and distance to water influenced frugivory, and the Feijoa domestication influenced significantly the mammalian frugivory. Feijoa is an important resource that provides food during the time of year when Pinh

The Araucaria Project: The Distance to the Fornax Dwarf Galaxy from Near-infrared Photometry of RR Lyrae Stars

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Karczmarek, Paulina; Pietrzyński, Grzegorz; Górski, Marek; Gieren, Wolfgang; Bersier, David

2017-12-01

We have obtained single-phase near-infrared (NIR) magnitudes in the J and K bands for 77 RR Lyrae (RRL) stars in the Fornax Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy. We have used different theoretical and empirical NIR period-luminosity-metallicity calibrations for RRL stars to derive their absolute magnitudes, and found a true, reddening-corrected distance modulus of 20.818+/- 0.015{{(statistical)}}+/- 0.116{{(systematic)}} mag. This value is in excellent agreement with the results obtained within the Araucaria Project from the NIR photometry of red clump stars (20.858 ± 0.013 mag), the tip of the red giant branch (20.84+/- 0.04+/- 0.14 mag), as well as with other independent distance determinations to this galaxy. The effect of metallicity and reddening is substantially reduced in the NIR domain, making this method a robust tool for accurate distance determination at the 5% level. This precision is expected to reach the level of 3% once the zero points of distance calibrations are refined thanks to the Gaia mission. NIR period-luminosity-metallicity relations of RRL stars are particularly useful for distance determinations to galaxies and globular clusters up to 300 kpc, that lack young standard candles, like Cepheids. Based on data collected with the VLT/HAWK-I instrument at ESO Paranal Observatory, Chile, as a part of programme 082.D-0123(B).

Effective population size estimation in seed orchards: A case study of Pinus nigra ARNOLD and Fraxinus excelsior L./ F. angustifolia VAHL.

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Machanská Eva

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Effective population size as a parameter closely correlating with the genetic and genotypic diversity of the seed orchard output is an important indicator of seed orchard functioning. It is determined by the variation of male and female gametic contributions of parental genotypes (including those outside the seed orchard, influenced by the variation in male and female gamete production, reproductive phenology, pollen dispersal within seed orchard and other factors. We assessed male and female fecundity, as well as temporal course of male and female flowering in two seed orchards of Pinus nigra ARNOLD and Fraxinus excelsior L./F. angustifolia VAHL. in Slovakia. In both cases, male and female gametic contributions of plus-tree clones were modeled on the basis of fecundity and flowering phenology, and were used to calculate status number as an estimator of effective population size. In the seed orchard of Pinus nigra, marker-aided verification of clonal fidelity revealed unexpectedly high proportion of misplaced ramets (29.9% and alien genotypes (44.4%. Monitoring of reproductive processes in 2002 and 2003 showed high variation in both male and female fecundity, and pollen shedding preceding female receptivity in Pinus nigra. All these factors contributed to a very low relative status effective number, representing 8.6% to 38.6% of the population census (depending from the management option in relation to misplaced and alien genotypes. In the mixed seed orchard of Fraxinus excelsior and F. angustifolia, the proportion of misplaced and alien genotypes was much lower (22.4% and 12.3%, respectively. However, a high fecundity variation and protogyny resulted in a low relative status number (18.8% to 29.5% of the census number of clones also in this seed orchard. Practical implications of these findings are shortly discussed and practical management options are proposed.

Sports Injuries in Brazilian Blind Footballers

OpenAIRE

Silva, MPME; Morato, MP; Bilzon, JLJ; Duarte, E

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the characteristics and prevalence of sports-related injuries in visually disabled athletes of the Brazilian football 5-a-side team. The participants were 13 male athletes, all classified as B1 visual class, members of the Brazilian team, who played in five consecutive international competitions. Data were collected using the Brazilian Paralympic Committee and the Brazilian Confederation of Sports for the Blind report form. From the total of 13 athletes...

Chemical characterization of essential oils from Drimys angustifolia miers (Winteraceae) and antibacterial activity of their major compounds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Santos, Thalita G.; Dognini, Jocinei; Begnini, Ieda M.; Rebelo, Ricardo A., E-mail: ricardorebelo@furb.br [Universidade Regional de Blumenau (FURB), SC (Brazil). Dept. de Quimica; Verdi, Marcio [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil). Dept. de Botanica; Gasper, Andre L. de [Universidade Regional de Blumenau (FURB), SC (Brazil). Dept. de Ciencias Naturais; Dalmarco, Eduardo M. [Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianopolis, SC (Brazil). Dept. de Analises Clinicas

2013-01-15

Essential oils have been extensively studied in recent years as a natural source of new antimicrobial agents. In this work, essential oils of leaf and branch from Drimys angustifolia growing in Southern Brazil were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatographies with flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and with mass spectrometer (GC-MS). Drimenol and bicyclogermacrene were isolated by column chromatography from branch and leaf essential oils, respectively. Oils, isolated compounds and combinations of them were assayed against Gram-(+) and Gram-(-) bacteria. The oils showed to be more active against Bacillus cereus, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) 125 and 250 {mu}g mL{sup -1} for branch and leaf oils, respectively, strongly inhibiting bacterial growth. Bicyclogermacrene was more active then drimenol, providing a MIC value of 167 {mu}g mL-1 against B. cereus. Synergism was not observed in any of the combinations tested. (author)

Chemical characterization of essential oils from Drimys angustifolia miers (Winteraceae) and antibacterial activity of their major compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos, Thalita G.; Dognini, Jocinei; Begnini, Ieda M.; Rebelo, Ricardo A.; Verdi, Marcio; Gasper, Andre L. de; Dalmarco, Eduardo M.

2013-01-01

Essential oils have been extensively studied in recent years as a natural source of new antimicrobial agents. In this work, essential oils of leaf and branch from Drimys angustifolia growing in Southern Brazil were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatographies with flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and with mass spectrometer (GC-MS). Drimenol and bicyclogermacrene were isolated by column chromatography from branch and leaf essential oils, respectively. Oils, isolated compounds and combinations of them were assayed against Gram-(+) and Gram-(–) bacteria. The oils showed to be more active against Bacillus cereus, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) 125 and 250 μg mL -1 for branch and leaf oils, respectively, strongly inhibiting bacterial growth. Bicyclogermacrene was more active then drimenol, providing a MIC value of 167 μg mL-1 against B. cereus. Synergism was not observed in any of the combinations tested. (author)

Evaluation of Anti-Oxidant Activity of Lavandula angustifolia using DPPH Method

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Masoud Soheili

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background: Stress oxidative factors are known to causes diseases resulting from metabolic disorders. Therefore, preventing, or at least decreasing the amount of these factors may have a positive impact on prevention or improvement of the metabolic problems. Recently, the herbal medicines are more considered due to more effectiveness. We designed the present study to evaluate anti-oxidant effect of aqueous extract of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia. Materials and Methods: For extract preparation, the dry aerial part of lavender mixed with boiling water for 4 hours and then the container was filtered and condensed in a bain marie. Finally, the extract was powdered by freeze dryer. The anti-oxidant activities of the herbal medicine samples in 5, 10, 20 and 40 ppm concentrations were determined via DPPH method. This method is based on free radical scavenging of 2, 2- dipheny L-1-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH reflected in the color and absorbance changes in spectrophotometery method in 520 nm. Finally the IC50 was calculated and compared with that of for vitamin C as a standard. Results: All doses of the aqueous extract of the lavender showed dose- dependent potent anti-oxidant activity, So that, their differences were significant compared to control sample. The IC50 of the herbal medicine was 24.66 ppm that was less than the vitamin C of 2.3 ppm. Conclusion: As a potent anti-oxidant, the lavender aqueous extract can be effective in treatment of metabolic diseases.

„IN VITRO” EFFECT OF SOME INDUSTRIAL BY-PRODUCTS ON LAVANDULA ANGUSTIFOLIA MILL. EXPLANT GROWTH

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Corneliu Tanase

2013-12-01

Full Text Available After many studies, it was observed that lavender has many therapeutic effects, such as sedation, activities spasmolytic, antiviral, antibacterial. Thus, given the importance of lavender in different areas of human life, in the present study, we studied the influence of natural products bioregulatoars separated from industrial by-products on some lavender stems explants. These explants were inoculated in vitro on MS nutrient media. In these culture media were added polyphenolic extracts obtained from spruce bark and hemp shives, and evaluated their influence on lavender stems explants. The results obtained were compared with those obtained for the control variant, where MS culture medium was used as standard. It was found that the addition of aqueous extract from spruce bark of concentration of 130 mg GAE / L, in the growth of explants of Lavandula angustifolia Mill, an increase in the elongation of the main stem, number of leaves formed, the amount of photoassimilating pigments synthesized and causes the phenomenon of shoots formation. At a higher concentration of the extract (26 mgGAE/100g values are lower.

Brazilian energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Shaughnessy, H.

1997-04-01

Brazilian Energy provides all the information necessary for energy companies to invest and operate in Brazil, including: a review of Brazil's natural resources; an assessment of privatisation strategies at the federal, state and regional level; an analysis of the electricity industry and the future for Electrobras; an analysis of the oil industry and, in particular, Petrobras; a discussion of the fuel alcohol industry; the discovery of local natural gas, its prospects and the involvement of the auto industry; an assessment of the problems facing the coal industry and its future; a discussion of the regulatory framework for the newly privatised companies; the importance of intra-regional energy links and the booming membership of Mercosur; the difficulties experienced by foreign investors doing business in Brazil; brief profiles of the key energy companies; profiles of key people influencing the privatisation process in Brazil. Brazilian energy is essential reading for those wishing to advise and assist Brazil in this period of change and development, as well as those who wish to invest or become key players in the Brazilian energy sector. (author)

In Vitro and In Vivo Efficacy Studies of Lavender angustifolia Essential Oil and Its Active Constituents on the Proliferation of Human Prostate Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yunqi; Chen, Ran; Wang, Yun; Qing, Chen; Wang, Wei; Yang, Yixin

2016-01-01

Lavandula angustifolia is the most widely cultivated Lavandula species. The extraction of its flower and leaves has been used as herbal medicine. In this study, the in vitro antitumor activities were tested on human prostate cancer PC-3 and DU145 cell lines. Flow cytometry technology was applied to study apoptosis induction and cell cycle arrest. The PC-3 cell line was used to establish subcutaneous xenograft tumors in nude mice. Paraffin sections from xenograft tumor specimens were used in the TUNEL (terminal deocynucleotide transferase dUTP nick end labeling) assay and an immunohistochemistry assay to detect cell proliferation markers Ki67 and PCNA. Lavender essential oil, linalool, and linalyl acetate showed stronger inhibitory effect on PC-3 cells than on DU145 cells. The apoptotic cell populations observed in PC-3 cells treated with lavender essential oil, linalool, and linalyl acetate were 74.76%, 67.11%, and 56.14%, respectively. The PC-3 cells were mainly arrested in the G2/M phase. In the xenograft model with PC-3 cell transplantation, essential oil and linalool significantly suppressed tumor growth. The immunosignals of Ki67 and PCNA in the essential oil, linalool, and linalyl acetate treatment groups were significantly lower than that of the control group in xenograft tumor sections. The TUNEL assay indicated that each of the 3 phytochemicals significantly induced apoptosis compared to the control group. This study provides novel insight and evidence on the antiproliferative effect of L angustifolia essential oil and its major constituents on human prostate cancer. The antitumor effect was associated with cell proliferation inhibition and apoptosis induction in xenograft tumors. PMID:27151584

Targeted and Untargeted Metabolomics to Explore the Bioavailability of the Secoiridoids from a Seed/Fruit Extract (Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl in Human Healthy Volunteers: A Preliminary Study

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Rocío García-Villalba

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The bark, seeds, fruits and leaves of the genus Fraxinus (Oleaceae which contain a wide range of phytochemicals, mostly secoiridoid glucosides, have been widely used in folk medicine against a number of ailments, yet little is known about the metabolism and uptake of the major Fraxinus components. The aim of this work was to advance in the knowledge on the bioavailability of the secoiridoids present in a Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl seed/fruit extract using both targeted and untargeted metabolomic analyses. Plasma and urine samples from nine healthy volunteers were taken at specific time intervals following the intake of the extract and analyzed by UPLC-ESI-QTOF. Predicted metabolites such as tyrosol and ligstroside-aglycone glucuronides and sulfates were detected at low intensity. These compounds reached peak plasma levels 2 h after the intake and exhibited high variability among the participants. The ligstroside-aglycone conjugates may be considered as potential biomarkers of the Fraxinus secoiridoids intake. Using the untargeted approach we additionally detected phenolic conjugates identified as ferulic acid and caffeic acid sulfates, as well as hydroxybenzyl and hydroxyphenylacetaldehyde sulfate derivatives which support further metabolism of the secoiridoids by phase I and (or microbial enzymes. Overall, the results of this study suggest low uptake of intact secoiridoids from a Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl extract in healthy human volunteers and metabolic conversion by esterases, glycosidases, and phase II sulfo- and glucuronosyl transferases to form smaller conjugated derivatives.

Micropropagation of Araucaria excelsa R. Br. var. glauca Carrière from orthotropic stem explants.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarmast, Mostafa Khoshhal; Salehi, Hassan; Khosh-Khui, Morteza

2012-07-01

The objectives of the present work were in vitro propagation of Araucaria excelsa R. Br. var. glauca Carrière (Norfolk Island pine) with focus on the evaluation of the mean number of shoots per explant (MNS/E) and mean length of shoots per explants (MLS/E) produced by different parts of the orthotropic stem of A. excelsa R. Br. var. glauca in response to plant growth regulators. Norfolk Island pine axillary meristems responded very well to the 2-iso-pentenyl adenine (2iP) and thidiazuron (TDZ) levels. Explants taken from stem upper segments in the media containing 2iP had a higher MNS/E (3.47) and MLS/E (6.27 mm) in comparison to those taken from stem lower segments, which were 0.71 and 0.51 mm, respectively. Using 0.045 μM TDZ in the MS medium not only resulted in 4.60 MNS/E with 7.08 mm MLS/E but proliferated shoots showed a good performance as well. Investigating the best position of stem explant on mother plant as well as the best concentrations of growth regulators were performed which were useful for efficient micropropagation of this plant. Thirty three percent of explants were rooted in the MS medium containing 3 % sucrose, supplemented with 7.5 μM of both NAA and IBA for 2 weeks before transferring to a half strength MS medium without any growth regulator. Plantlets obtained were acclimatized and transferred to the greenhouse with less than 20 % mortality. This procedure considered the first successful report for regeneration and acclimatization of A. excelsa R. Br. var. glauca plantlet through main stem explants.

Formation and distribution of sennosides in cassia angustifolia, as determined by a sensitive and specific radioimmunnoassay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Atzorn, R.; Weiler, E.W.; Zenk, M.H.

1981-01-01

A radioimmunoassay for the quantitation of nanogram-amounts of sennoside B and related compounds in plant extracts is described. The assay makes use of (/sup 3/H)-8-glucosidorheinanthrone of high specific activity (5.2 Ci/mmol) whose synthesis is reported here. From this material, (/sup 3/H)-sennoside A and (/sup 3/H)-sennoside B have also been synthesized. The assay is applied to the analysis of sennoside formation and distribution in Cassia angustifolia VAHL. High levels of sennosides in dried leaves and fruits have been observed whereas the seed alone, as well as stems and roots, contain very little sennoside. In flowers, as much as 4-5% of the dry weight consists of sennoside B and other immunoreactive constituents. Sennosides have been found in cotyledons of three day old seedlings in concentrations comparable to that of the mature leaf. Upon dehydration, leaf levels of sennoside B rise steadily, this rise being inversely correlated with the water loss. The absolute levels of sennoside B formed this way are the same as compared to rapid drying at 60/sup 0/C.

Formation and distribution of sennosides in cassia angustifolia, as determined by a sensitive and specific radioimmunnoassay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atzorn, R.; Weiler, E.W.; Zenk, M.H.

1981-01-01

A radioimmunoassay for the quantitation of nanogram-amounts of sennoside B and related compounds in plant extracts is described. The assay makes use of [ 3 H]-8-glucosidorheinanthrone of high specific activity (5.2 Ci/mmol) whose synthesis is reported here. From this material, [ 3 H]-sennoside A and [ 3 H]-sennoside B have also been synthesized. The assay is applied to the analysis of sennoside formation and distribution in Cassia angustifolia VAHL. High levels of sennosides in dried leaves and fruits have been observed whereas the seed alone, as well as stems and roots, contain very little sennoside. In flowers, as much as 4-5% of the dry weight consists of sennoside B and other immunoreactive constituents. Sennosides have been found in cotyledons of three day old seedlings in concentrations comparable to that of the mature leaf. Upon dehydration, leaf levels of sennoside B rise steadily, this rise being inversely correlated with the water loss. The absolute levels of sennoside B formed this way are the same as compared to rapid drying at 60 0 C. (orig.)

Evidences of delayed size recovery in Araucaria angustifolia populations after post-glacial colonization of highlands in Southeastern Brazil

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Valdir M. Stefenon

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Up to date, little is known about the relationship between historical demography and the current genetic structure of A. Angus As a first effort towards overcoming this lack, microsatellite data scored in six populations and isozyme allele frequencies published for 11 natural stands of this species were analysed in order to assess molecular signatures of populations' demographic history. Signatures of genetic bottlenecks were captured in all analysed populations of southeastern Brazil. Among southern populations, signatures of small effective population size were observed in only three out of 13 populations. Southern populations likely experienced faster recovery of population size after migration onto highlands. Accordingly, current genetic diversity of the southern populations gives evidence of fast population size recovery. In general, demographic history of A. Angusmatches climatic dynamics of southern and southeastern Brazil during the Pleistocene and Holocene. Palynological records and reconstruction of the past climatic dynamics of southeastern and southern Brazil support the hypothesis of different population size recovery dynamics for populations from these regions.Até o momento, pouco se conhece sobre a relação entre história demográfica e a presente estrutura genética da A. Angus Como uma primeira tentativa em transpor esta deficiência, dados de microssatélites coletados em seis populações e freqüências alélicas de isoenzimas publicadas para 11 populações naturais desta espécie foram analisadas com o objetivo de acessar assinaturas moleculares da história demográfica populacional. Assinaturas de gargalos genéticos foram capturadas em todas as populações analisadas provenientes do Sudeste do Brasil. Entre as populações do Sul, assinaturas de pequeno tamanho populacional efetivo foram observadas em somente três entre 13 populações. Populações do Sul provavelmente apresentaram uma rápida recuperação do tamanho efetivo após a migração para os planaltos. Em acordança, a presente diversidade genética das populações do Sul apresenta evidências de uma rápida recuperação do tamanho populacional. Em geral, a história demográfica da A. Angus concorda com as dinâmicas climáticas do Sul e Sudeste do Brasil durante o Pleistoceno e o Holoceno. Estudos palinológicos e reconstrução de dinâmicas climáticas do Sul e Sudeste do Brasil suportam a hipótese de diferentes dinâmicas de recuperação do tamanho populacional em populações destas regiões.

Brazilian sparkling wine: A successful trajectory

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Wurz Douglas André

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to explore the evolution of internal and external commercialization of Brazilian sparkling wines during the period between 1986 and 2015, giving an overview of the current situation and its market trends, and highlighting the importance of Brazil in the world scenario for sparkling wines. This research is based on quantitative data sources provided by different institutions: International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV, Brazilian Union of Viticulture (UVIBRA, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA and Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA. Brazil is a promising country for the sparkling wine market. From 1986–2015, there was an increase of 465.6% in the sales of sparkling wine in the Brazilian domestic market, especially the last ten, which accounted for an increase of 215.7%. In 1998, Brazilian sparkling wines accounted for 70.5% of sparkling wines sold in Brazil. Today, they represent 82.1%of national market, and proved to be one of the most prestigious products from Brazilian viticulture when compared, for example, to non-sparkling wines, which 79% are imported wines. Of the imported sparkling wines consumed in Brazil, six countries account for 98.5% of the market (France: 32.7%; Italy: 24.8% and Spain: 21.9%. The volume exportation of Brazilian sparkling wine has grown significantly in recent years (4,210.2%, with Paraguay, China, Uruguay, the United States, France and the United Kingdom being the major buyers. The evolution of exports shows that Brazilian sparkling wine becomes an alternative to those produced in traditional countries, such as France, Italy and Spain, due to their quality and price. There is an increase in the commercialization of sparkling wines in the Brazilian domestic market, in addition to the growing participation of Brazil in the volume of exports in the world market, placing Brazil in a leading position in the production and sale of sparkling wines.

Prebiotic Potential of Agave angustifolia Haw Fructans with Different Degrees of Polymerization

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José Rodolfo Velázquez-Martínez

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Inulin-type fructans are the most studied prebiotic compounds because of their broad range of health benefits. In particular, plants of the Agave genus are rich in fructans. Agave-derived fructans have a branched structure with both β-(2→1 and β-(2→6 linked fructosyl chains attached to the sucrose start unit with a degree of polymerization (DP of up to 80 fructose units. The objective of this work was to assess the prebiotic potential of three Agave angustifolia Haw fructan fractions (AFF with different degrees of polymerization. The three fructan fractions were extracted from the agave stem by lixiviation and then purified by ultrafiltration and ion exchange chromatography: AFF1, AFF2 and AFF3 with high (3–60 fructose units, medium (2–40 and low (2–22 DP, respectively. The fructan profile was determined with high-performance anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD, which confirmed a branched fructan structure. Structural elucidation was performed by Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy. The AFF spectrum shows characteristic fructan bands. The prebiotic effect of these fractions was assessed in vitro through fermentation by Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus strains. Four growth patterns were observed. Some bacteria did not grow with any of the AFF, while other strains grew with only AFF3. Some bacteria grew according to the molecular weight of the AFF and some grew indistinctly with the three fructan fractions.

Structure and floristic composition of five caiva area in north plateau of Santa Catarina State, Brazil Estrutura e composição florística de cinco áreas de caíva no planalto norte de Santa Catarina

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Ana Lúcia Hanisch

2010-12-01

Full Text Available

Caivas are remnants areas of Mixed Ombrophylous Forest, whose inferior stratum is composed of native pastures used for animal consume. The aim of this work was to evaluate the structure and floristic  composition of five caivas areas. Plots of one hectare were used. Every individual with DBH ≥ 5 cm were measured and identified. The parameters of density, frequency, dominance, Importance Value (IV were calculated. These results showed 24 families and 52 species. The families with the higher number of species were Lauraceae, Myrtaceae, Aquifoliaceae and Sapindaceae and with the higher number of individuals were Myrtaceae, Araucariaceae, Aquifoliaceae and Lauraceae. The Shannon diversity index value showed high floristic diversity in the caivas and the Sorensen index showed floristic similarity among the five caivas areas. Araucaria angustifolia, Myrcia sp. Ocotea porosa, Cinnamodendron dinisii and Ilex paraguariensis were the five most important species based on Importance Value. The results confirmed that the caivas areas represent an important reservoir of native tree species, although they were being management for a long time.

doi: 10.4336/2010.pfb.30.64.303

Caívas são remanescentes de Floresta Ombrófila Mista, com diferentes densidades arbóreas, cujo estrato herbáceo é formado por pastagens nativas ou  naturalizadas utilizadas para pastejo animal. Este trabalho avaliou a composição florística e a estrutura arbórea de cinco caívas bem estabelecidas. Foram utilizadas parcelas de um hectare em cada caíva, onde foram medidos e identificados todos os indivíduos com DAP ≥ 5 cm e calculados os parâmetros fitossociológicos de densidade, frequência, dominância e valor de importância. Verificou-se a ocorrência de 24 famílias e 52 espécies. As famílias com maior número de espécies foram Lauraceae, Myrtaceae, Aquifoliaceae e Sapindaceae; e as famílias com maior n

Hydrological studies in Brazilian Northeast

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1981-01-01

Studies carried on as a result of collaboration between the Federal University of Ceara, Brazil (research team) and the Brazilian Northeastern Bank (financing agency), aiming at a better knowledge of the hydrological problems of Brazilian Northeastern region, are described. (I.C.R.) [pt

Análisis cuantitativos de los principales constituyentes químicos de raíces de Echinacea purpurea y E. Angustifolia producidas en Costa Rica1

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Jorge Loaiza

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Se cuantificó los fenilpropanoides libres: ácido clorogénico y ácido cichórico, glicosídicos (equinacósido; así como las alcamidas presentes en extractos de raíces de las plantas medicinales Echinacea purpurea y E. angustifolia, producidas en 3 localidades de Costa Rica: Los Santos a 1650 msnm, Santa Bárbara de Heredia a 1250 msnm y Ojo de Agua a 850 msnm. Conforme disminuyó la altitud de las zonas de siembra, también disminuyó la concentración de los metabolitos analizados. La concentración de los fenilpropanoides y del equinacósido (sintetizado exclusivamente por E. angustifolia producidos en Costa Rica, fue 100 y 34% mayor, respectivamente, que la concentración reportada para una muestra control proveniente de EE.UU. Las alcamidas se produjeron en un rango de 0,89-2,31% comparado con 0,004-0,36% reportado en EE.UU. En Costa Rica la presencia de alcamidas fue similar para las 3 zonas en estudio. Sin embargo, 2 de ellas presentaron un grado de isomerismo diferente al reportado en muestras de EE.UU. Estos resultados indican que en condiciones tropicales, no solo se puede producir Echinacea en un menor tiempo, sino también que las cantidades de metabolitos secundarios son mayores a las producidas por la planta en sus áreas de origen. La presencia de compuestos con diferente grado de isomerismo podría presentar nuevas alternativas de uso de esos metabolitos.

Physiological and Biochemical Responses of Lavandula angustifolia to Salinity Under Mineral Foliar Application

Science.gov (United States)

Chrysargyris, Antonios; Michailidi, Evgenia; Tzortzakis, Nikos

2018-01-01

Saline water has been proposed as a solution to partially cover plant water demands due to scarcity of irrigation water in hot arid areas. Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) plants were grown hydroponically under salinity (0–25–50–100 mM NaCl). The overcome of salinity stress was examined by K, Zn, and Si foliar application for the plant physiological and biochemical characteristics. The present study indicated that high (100 mM NaCl) salinity decreased plant growth, content of phenolics and antioxidant status and essential oil (EO) yield, while low-moderate salinity levels maintained the volatile oil profile in lavender. The integrated foliar application of K and Zn lighten the presumable detrimental effects of salinity in terms of fresh biomass, antioxidant capacity, and EO yield. Moderate salinity stress along with balanced concentration of K though foliar application changed the primary metabolites pathways in favor of major volatile oil constituents biosynthesis and therefore lavender plant has the potential for cultivation under prevalent semi-saline conditions. Zn and Si application, had lesser effects on the content of EO constituents, even though altered salinity induced changings. Our results have demonstrated that lavender growth/development and EO production may be affected by saline levels, whereas mechanisms for alteration of induced stress are of great significance considering the importance of the oil composition, as well. PMID:29731759

Lavandula angustifolia extract improves deteriorated synaptic plasticity in an animal model of Alzheimer's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Soheili, Masoud; Tavirani, Mostafa Rezaei; Salami, Mahmoud

2015-11-01

Neurodegenerative Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with profound deficits in synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity. Long-term potentiation (LTP), an experimental form of synaptic plasticity, is intensively examined in hippocampus. In this study we evaluated the effect of aqueous extract of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) on induction of LTP in the CA1 area of hippocampus. In response to stimulation of the Schaffer collaterals the baseline or tetanized field extracellular postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) were recorded in the CA1 area. The electrophysiological recordings were carried out in four groups of rats; two control groups including the vehicle (CON) and lavender (CE) treated rats and two Alzheimeric groups including the vehicle (ALZ) and lavender (AE) treated animals. The extract inefficiently affected the baseline responses in the four testing groups. While the fEPSPs displayed a considerable LTP in the CON animals, no potentiation was evident in the tetanized responses in the ALZ rats. The herbal medicine effectively restored LTP in the AE group and further potentiated fEPSPs in the CE group. The positive effect of the lavender extract on the plasticity of synaptic transmission supports its previously reported behavioral effects on improvement of impaired spatial memory in the Alzheimeric animals.

Brazilian Portuguese Ethnonymy and Europeanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Stephens, Thomas M.

1994-01-01

Delineates the incorporation and analyzes the impact of European borrowings in Brazilian racio-ethnic terminology. This overview covers French, Italian, Spanish, and English influences. Borrowings from European languages have had a small impact on the calculus of Brazilian racio-ethnic terms. (43 references) (Author/CK)

The rise of Brazilian agriculture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Hans Grinsted; Vink, Nick; Sandrey, Ron

2014-01-01

of Brazilian agricultural policies, namely farmer support, the research and technology transfer system and land issues. The implications for South African agriculture can be summarized as the recognition that history, geography, the development path and agricultural policies all matter. The article......The purpose of this article is to explore some of the possible lessons for South African agriculture from the Brazilian experience. To this end, the article discusses the performance of Brazilian agriculture in terms of land and labour use, production, and exports. This is followed by aspects...... then identifies five important lessons for agricultural development in South Africa....

Fabrication and Characterization of Sansevieria trifasciata, Pandanus amaryllifolius and Cassia angustifolia as Photosensitizer for Dye Sensitized Solar Cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cari; Supriyanto, Agus; Fadli, Ulfa Mahfudli; Prasada, Ashari Bayu

2016-01-01

Dye sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC) is one of the electric cells photochemical consisting of photoelectrode, dye, counter electrode, and electrolyte. The aims of the research to determine of the optical and electrical characteristic of the extract Sansevieria trifasciata, Pandanus amaryllifolius, and Cassia angustifolia. The study is also aimed to determine the effect of natural dyes extract to increase the efficiency of solar cells based DSSC. Sandwich structures formed in the sample consisted of working electrode pair Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) and the counter electrode platinum (Pt). Dye extraction process is performed by stirring for 1 hour and then allowed to stand for 24 hours. Absorbance test is measure by using UV-Vis spectrophotometer Lambda 25, conductivity test by using a two-point probes Elkahfi 100, and characterization of current and voltage (I-V) by using a Keithley 2602A. The results showed that the greatest efficiency of 0.160% at Dye Pandanus amaryllifolius. (paper)

Fabrication and Characterization of Sansevieria trifasciata, Pandanus amaryllifolius and Cassia angustifolia as Photosensitizer for Dye Sensitized Solar Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Cari; Supriyanto, Agus; Mahfudli Fadli, Ulfa; Bayu Prasada, Ashari

2016-04-01

Dye sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC) is one of the electric cells photochemical consisting of photoelectrode, dye, counter electrode, and electrolyte. The aims of the research to determine of the optical and electrical characteristic of the extract Sansevieria trifasciata, Pandanus amaryllifolius, and Cassia angustifolia. The study is also aimed to determine the effect of natural dyes extract to increase the efficiency of solar cells based DSSC. Sandwich structures formed in the sample consisted of working electrode pair Titanium dioxide (TiO2) and the counter electrode platinum (Pt). Dye extraction process is performed by stirring for 1 hour and then allowed to stand for 24 hours. Absorbance test is measure by using UV-Vis spectrophotometer Lambda 25, conductivity test by using a two-point probes Elkahfi 100, and characterization of current and voltage (I-V) by using a Keithley 2602A. The results showed that the greatest efficiency of 0.160% at Dye Pandanus amaryllifolius.

Efficiency Determinants in Brazilian Football Clubs

OpenAIRE

Marcelo Machado de Freitas; Rafael Araújo Sousa Farias; Leonardo Flach

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to analyze the efficiency of Brazilian football clubs in generating revenues and the reasons behind it. To achieve this goal, we applied quantitative methods including Data Envelopment Analysis and Tobit regression modeling to data on the best clubs from 2012 to 2014, according to the Brazilian Football Confederation ranking. The results allowed for the inference that the largest Brazilian clubs, such as Grêmio (RS), Palmeiras (SP) and Vasco (RJ), were not efficie...

Summary of some studies on Kalmia angustifolia L.: A problem species in newfoundland forestry. Information report No. N-X-296

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Titus, B D; Sidhu, S S; Mallik, A U

1996-12-31

The shrub known as sheep laurel or lambkill (Kalmia angustifolia L.) is commonly found as an understory component of black spruce forests, and can proliferate rapidly after stand disturbances. Subsequent regeneration and growth of spruce on Kalmia-dominated sites is often poor, and a greater understanding of the ecology of Kalmia and its interactions with black spruce is required for the management of such sites. This report reviews a series of field, greenhouse, and laboratory studies on the biology of Kalmia. It describes the phytological associations of the shrub in Newfoundland, its method of reproduction and propagation, seed germination requirements, soil requirements for adequate regeneration, and histology. Study results reported include the factors inhibiting black spruce growth by Kalmia and the response of Kalmia to control treatments. The report concludes with silvicultural recommendations to address the Kalmia problem.

Cloning and functional characterization of β-phellandrene synthase from Lavandula angustifolia.

Science.gov (United States)

Demissie, Zerihun A; Sarker, Lukman S; Mahmoud, Soheil S

2011-04-01

En route to building genomics resources for Lavandula, we have obtained over 14,000 ESTs for leaves and flowers of L. angustifolia, a major essential oil crop, and identified a number of previously uncharacterized terpene synthase (TPS) genes. Here we report the cloning, expression in E. coli, and functional characterization of β-phellandrene synthase, LaβPHLS. The ORF--excluding the transit peptide--for this gene encoded a 62.3 kDa protein that contained all conserved motifs present in plant TPSs. Expression in bacteria resulted in the production of a soluble protein that was purified by Ni-NTA agarose affinity chromatography. While the recombinant LaβPHLS did not utilize FPP as a substrate, it converted GPP (the preferred substrate) and NPP into β-phellandrene as the major product, with K (m) and k (cat) of 6.55 μM and 1.75 × 10(-2) s(-1), respectively, for GPP. The LaβPHLS transcripts were highly abundant in young leaves where β-phellandrene is produced, but were barely detectable in flowers and older leaves, where β-phellandrene is not synthesized in significant quantities. This data indicate that β-phellandrene biosynthesis is transcriptionally and developmentally regulated. We also cloned and expressed in E. coli a second TPS-like protein, LaTPS-I, that lacks an internal stretch of 73 amino acids, including the signature DDxxD divalent metal binding motif, compared to other plant TPSs. The recombinant LaTPS-I did not produce detectable products in vitro when assayed with GPP, NPP or FPP as substrates. The lack of activity is most likely due to the absence of catalytically important amino acid residues within the missing region.

SBR Brazilian organophilic/clay nanocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guimaraes, Thiago R.; Valenzuela-Diaz, Francisco R.; Morales, Ana Rita; Paiva, Lucilene B.

2009-01-01

The aim of this work is the obtaining of SBR composites using a Brazilian raw bentonite and the same bentonite treated with an organic salt. The clays were characterized by XRD. The clay addition in the composites was 10 pcr. The composites were characterized by XRD and had measured theirs tension strength (TS). The composite with Brazilian treated clay showed TS 233% higher than a composite with no clay, 133% higher than a composite with Cloisite 30B organophilic clay and 17% lower than a composite with Cloisite 20 A organophilic clay. XRD and TS data evidence that the composite with Brazilian treated clay is an intercalated nanocomposite. (author)

Effect of gamma radiations, ethyl methane sulfonate and sodium azide on the sennoside content in Cassia angustifolia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khalatkar, A.S.; Bhargava, Y.R.

1987-01-01

Cassia angustifolia commonly known as Tinnevelly Senna is an excellent source of sennosides. The leaflets of this plant constitute the principal raw material. To investigate the effect(s) of mutagenic treatments on phytochemical characteristics, the sand treated dry seeds of Senna were treated with different doses of gamma radiations, ethyl methane sulfonate and sodium azide for 18 hours duration at 24 ± 2°C. The treated population in M1 generation exhibited different degree of stimulation in growth. Other parameters were also affected by all the three mutagenic treatments. Seeds collected from M1 generation were sown and M2 plant progenies were raised. Morphological mutations with desirable characters were further investigated. Biochemical estimation of sennoside from the leaflets in vegetative and blooming phases was carried out. Of the three mutagens, 0.006% sodium azide yielded maximum sennoside in the vegetative phase; while, in the blooming phase, it was highest with 20 kR of gamma radiations. Seeds of these plant types hold promise for enhancing the sennoside yields per gram of tissue

Effect of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and melissa (Melissa Officinalis) waste on quality and shelf life of bread.

Science.gov (United States)

Vasileva, Ivelina; Denkova, Rositsa; Chochkov, Rosen; Teneva, Desislava; Denkova, Zapryana; Dessev, Tzvetelin; Denev, Petko; Slavov, Anton

2018-07-01

The effect of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and melissa (Melissa Officinalis) waste on preparation, characteristics and shelf life of bread was investigated. It was found that lavender and melissa waste, generated yearly in large amounts, were rich on polyphenols (especially rosmarinic acid) and aroma compounds, and exhibited high antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. The bread with 2.5% lavender waste was characterized with the highest loaf volume and loaf specific volume. The total dietary fiber increased three times and the polyphenols and flavonoids increased more than four times for breads with added 5% lavender and melissa waste, compared to control sample. The breads with 2.5% and 5% added lavender waste had increased shelf life (up to 96 h) compared to control, and no fungal or bacterial spoilage was observed during storage at 22 °C, 30 °C and 37 °C for four days. The sensory evaluation demonstrated that the consumers preferred mainly bread with 2.5% lavender waste. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Directions and deviations in the Brazilian nuclear policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leal, M.C.

1982-01-01

The emergence of the Brazilian nuclear policy as a subject of interest to the Brazilian society, the conflicts characterizing its formulation and implementation between 1945 and 1958 and the political criteria for executing a Brazilian nuclear program are presented. (M.C.K.) [pt

BRAZILIAN EXPORTS OF MANUFACTURED WOOD

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Rafael de Azevedo Calderon

2010-08-01

Full Text Available The present work deals with the Brazilian exports of sawnwood of non-coniferous, veneer sheets and plywood, from 1961 to 2002. The data regarding the three studied products, sawnwood of non-coniferous, veneer sheets and plywood, were joined through the method of Fisher so that an econometric evaluation of the market of the three products could be carried out. Supply and demand models of the Brazilian exports were specified. The results were satisfactory and they match with the literature. The supply of exports presented a positive answer in relation to the exporter's remuneration, to the production, to the use of the installed capacity (cycles of domestic economical activity and to the tendency, and negative in relation to the internal demand. The demand for the Brazilian exports was influenced positively by the world income, participation index and tendency, and negatively for the relative price. The low elasticity-price of the found demand can have implications in the conservation of the Brazilian forest resources because the exporters can increase the prices, reduce the amounts and still increase the incomes.

Jorge Amado and the internationalization of brazilian literature

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Elizabeth Lowe

2013-02-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7968.2013v1n31p119 Jorge Amado (1912-2001 is the most translated Brazilian writer and the literary figure that has shaped the reception of Brazilian literature in the world.  He is credited with opening the international literary market to the post-dictatorship generation of Brazilian writers.  Yet Amado is also a controversial figure.  The debate around him is sparked by what some believe is sexual and ethnic stereotyping in his post-1958 works and the reinforcement of "paternalistic "racial views. His reception therefore is mixed. For his English-language readers, he is a fascinating source of exotic and titillating narratives about the vast, unknown country of Brazil, and for Brazilians he is either a "great ambassador of Brazilian culture around the world" or a faux populist who disguises sexist and racist attitudes behind charming prose. This paper will address Amado's literary career, his unique contributions to Brazilian letters, the challenges of translating his work, and his influence on the production of a new Brazilian literature for export

Isolation of dihydroflavonol 4-reductase cDNA clones from Angelonia x angustifolia and heterologous expression as GST fusion protein in Escherichia coli.

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Christian Gosch

Full Text Available Blue Angelonia × angustifolia flowers can show spontaneous mutations resulting in white/blue and white flower colourations. In such a white line, a loss of dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR activity was observed whereas chalcone synthase and flavanone 3-hydroxylase activity remained unchanged. Thus, cloning and characterization of a DFR of Angelonia flowers was carried out for the first time. Two full length DFR cDNA clones, Ang.DFR1 and Ang.DFR2, were obtained from a diploid chimeral white/blue Angelonia × angustifolia which demonstrated a 99% identity in their translated amino acid sequence. In comparison to Ang.DFR2, Ang.DFR1 was shown to contain an extra proline in a proline-rich region at the N-terminus along with two exchanges at the amino acids 12 and 26 in the translated amino acid sequence. The recombinant Ang.DFR2 obtained by heterologous expression in yeast was functionally active catalyzing the NADPH dependent reduction of dihydroquercetin (DHQ and dihydromyricetin (DHM to leucocyanidin and leucomyricetin, respectively. Dihydrokaempferol (DHK in contrast was not accepted as a substrate despite the presence of asparagine in a position assumed to determine DHK acceptance. We show that substrate acceptance testing of DFRs provides biased results for DHM conversion if products are extracted with ethyl acetate. Recombinant Ang.DFR1 was inactive and functional activity could only be restored via exchanges of the amino acids in position 12 and 26 as well as the deletion of the extra proline. E. coli transformation of the pGEX-6P-1 vector harbouring the Ang.DFR2 and heterologous expression in E. coli resulted in functionally active enzymes before and after GST tag removal. Both the GST fusion protein and purified DFR minus the GST tag could be stored at -80°C for several months without loss of enzyme activity and demonstrated identical substrate specificity as the recombinant enzyme obtained from heterologous expression in yeast.

Managing migration: the Brazilian case

OpenAIRE

Eduardo L. G. Rios-Neto

2005-01-01

The objective of this paper is to present the Brazilian migration experience and its relationship with migration management. The article is divided into three parts. First, it reviews some basic facts regarding Brazilian immigration and emigration processes. Second, it focuses on some policy and legal issues related to migration. Finally, it addresses five issues regarding migration management in Brazil.

INTERNATIONALIZATION OF BRAZILIAN FRANCHISE CHAINS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

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Pedro Lucas de Resende Melo

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The primary goal of this paper is to comprehend the fundamental organizational differences between Brazilian franchise chains that only operate in the home market and Brazilian franchise chains that operate internationally. The sample chosen for this study comprehends 96 Brazilian franchises operating in the home market and 67 franchises with international operations; logistic regression was used to analyze data obtained from these sources. Our findings suggest that the development of a brand in international operations can be strategic for certain Brazilian franchise chains; this seems to be, however, a scarce resource for many franchises and it could be developed through international operations. With regard to the fees charged, the outcomes demonstrate that Brazilian franchises with international operations tend to charge lower fees from its franchisees to install new units. Regarding the monitoring and control of franchises, there is evidence that the monitoring capability is one of the determining factors in the development of Brazilian franchises international operations.

Dominance of foreign citations in Brazilian orthopedics journals☆☆☆

Science.gov (United States)

Teixeira, Renan Kleber Costa; Yamaki, Vitor Nagai; Rosa, Rita de Cássia Rodrigues; de Barros, Rui Sergio Monteiro; Botelho, Nara Macedo

2014-01-01

Objective To evaluate whether there is any preference for citing journals from other countries to the detriment of Brazilian journals, in three Brazilian orthopedics journals. Methods All the references of articles published in 2011 by the journals Acta Ortopédica Brasileira, Coluna/Columna and Revista Brasileira de Ortopedia were evaluated to as certain how many of these came from Brazilian journals and how many from foreign journals. Results 3813 references distributed among 187 articles were analyzed. Out of this total, 306 (8.02%) were from Brazilian journals. There was no difference between the three journals analyzed. There were 76 articles (40.64%) without any citations of articles in Brazilian journals and only two articles (1%) cited more Brazilian articles than articles published elsewhere. Conclusion There is a need for Brazilian researchers to cite articles from Brazilian journals more often. PMID:26229879

Lavandula angustifolia extract improves deteriorated synaptic plasticity in an animal model of Alzheimer’s disease

Science.gov (United States)

Soheili, Masoud; Tavirani, Mostafa Rezaei; Salami, Mahmoud

2015-01-01

Objective(s): Neurodegenerative Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is associated with profound deficits in synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity. Long-term potentiation (LTP), an experimental form of synaptic plasticity, is intensively examined in hippocampus. In this study we evaluated the effect of aqueous extract of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) on induction of LTP in the CA1 area of hippocampus. In response to stimulation of the Schaffer collaterals the baseline or tetanized field extracellular postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) were recorded in the CA1 area. Materials and Methods: The electrophysiological recordings were carried out in four groups of rats; two control groups including the vehicle (CON) and lavender (CE) treated rats and two Alzheimeric groups including the vehicle (ALZ) and lavender (AE) treated animals. Results: The extract inefficiently affected the baseline responses in the four testing groups. While the fEPSPs displayed a considerable LTP in the CON animals, no potentiation was evident in the tetanized responses in the ALZ rats. The herbal medicine effectively restored LTP in the AE group and further potentiated fEPSPs in the CE group. Conclusion: The positive effect of the lavender extract on the plasticity of synaptic transmission supports its previously reported behavioral effects on improvement of impaired spatial memory in the Alzheimeric animals. PMID:26949505

Lavandula angustifolia extract improves deteriorated synaptic plasticity in an animal model of Alzheimer’s disease

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Masoud Soheili

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Objective(s:Neurodegenerative Alzheimer’s disease (AD is associated with profound deficits in synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity. Long-term potentiation (LTP, an experimental form of synaptic plasticity, is intensively examined in hippocampus. In this study we evaluated the effect of aqueous extract of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia on induction of LTP in the CA1 area of hippocampus. In response to stimulation of the Schaffer collaterals the baseline or tetanized field extracellular postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs were recorded in the CA1 area. Materials and Methods: The electrophysiological recordings were carried out in four groups of rats; two control groups including the vehicle (CON and lavender (CE treated rats and two Alzheimeric groups including the vehicle (ALZ and lavender (AE treated animals. Results: The extract inefficiently affected the baseline responses in the four testing groups. While the fEPSPs displayed a considerable LTP in the CON animals, no potentiation was evident in the tetanized responses in the ALZ rats. The herbal medicine effectively restored LTP in the AE group and further potentiated fEPSPs in the CE group. Conclusion:The positive effect of the lavender extract on the plasticity of synaptic transmission supports its previously reported behavioral effects on improvement of impaired spatial memory in the Alzheimeric animals.

Influence of calcium content of tissue on hyperhydricity and shoot-tip necrosis of in vitro regenerated shoots of Lavandula angustifolia Mill.

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Marília Pereira Machado

2014-10-01

Full Text Available In the present study, the effects of two CaCl2.2H2O levels (440 and 1320 mg L-1 and two subcultures were evaluated on in vitro shoots of Lavandula angustifolia cv. Provence Blue. Ca2+ content of the apical, middle and basal portion of shoots was determined. Increasing CaCl2.2H2O level in the culture medium increased tissue Ca2+ content and decreased hyperhydricity. Shoot-tip necrosis also decreased with 1320 mg L-1 CaCl2.2H2O, but it did not occur in the second subculture. The middle and basal portion had higher Ca2+ content than apical portion. In non-hyperhydric tissues, there were smaller and more juxtaposed cells. Scanning electron microscopy of the leaves demonstrated that trichomes from in vitro leaf surface occurred in smaller quantities.

Dynamic of biochemical soil properties in rainfed agave angustifolia haw. fields in semiard zone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cruz, A. B.; Cervantes, T. L.; Pacheco, R. P.; Martinez, M. D. L. R.; Perez, A. B.

2015-01-01

This study determined (a) the activity of the selected enzymes of C (invertase and cellulase), N (urease), P (acid phosphatase, AcP and alkaline phosphatase, AlkP) cycling, as well as soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) in the rhizosphere of Agave angustifolia Haw. (maguey espadin) cultivated in valley, hill and mountain soils in Tlacolula, Oaxaca (Mexico), and (b) changes in selected biochemical soil properties associated with seasonality and plant age. Three maguey espadin plantations with two replicates per topography were selected. Rhizosphere soil sampling was carried out for one year. AcP and urease activities were highest in mountain sites. AlkP and cellulase activities were highest in hill and mountain sites. Invertase activity and SMBC were not different among sites. Phosphatase activity showed no temporal changes. Cellulase and invertase activities were highest in December; maximum urease activity was in October and February. SMBC was highest in August. AcP activity was highest in 0-2 years old plants. AlkP activity and SMBC were highest in 2.1-4 years old plants. Urease, cellulase and invertase activity was not affected by plant age. Significant effects for the site*seasonality*plant age interaction suggest that biochemical soil properties were influenced by site. Mountain soils displayed the highest enzyme activity, which can accelerate soil organic matter turnover and contribute to the longterm sustainability of maguey espadin cropping under rainfed conditions. (author)

Exploring Pharmacological Mechanisms of Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Essential Oil on Central Nervous System Targets

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Víctor López

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Lavender essential oil is traditionally used and approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA as herbal medicine to relieve stress and anxiety. Some animal and clinical studies reveal positive results in models of anxiety and depression although very little research has been done on molecular mechanisms. Our work consisted of evaluating the effects of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia essential oil on central nervous system well-established targets, such as MAO-A, SERT, GABAAand NMDA receptors as well as in vitro models of neurotoxicity. The results showed that lavender essential oil and its main components exert affinity for the glutamate NMDA-receptor in a dose-dependent manner with an IC50 value of 0.04 μl/mL for lavender oil. In addition, lavender and linalool were also able to bind the serotonin transporter (SERT whereas they did not show affinity for GABAA-benzodiazepine receptor. In three different models of neurotoxicity, lavender did not enhance the neurotoxic insult and improved viability of SH-SY5Y cells treated with hydrogen peroxide. According to our data, the anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects attributed to lavender may be due to an antagonism on the NMDA-receptor and inhibition of SERT. This study suggests that lavender essential oil may exert pharmacological properties via modulating the NMDA receptor, the SERT as well as neurotoxicity induced by hydrogen peroxide.

Exploring Pharmacological Mechanisms of Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) Essential Oil on Central Nervous System Targets

Science.gov (United States)

López, Víctor; Nielsen, Birgitte; Solas, Maite; Ramírez, Maria J.; Jäger, Anna K.

2017-01-01

Lavender essential oil is traditionally used and approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) as herbal medicine to relieve stress and anxiety. Some animal and clinical studies reveal positive results in models of anxiety and depression although very little research has been done on molecular mechanisms. Our work consisted of evaluating the effects of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) essential oil on central nervous system well-established targets, such as MAO-A, SERT, GABAAand NMDA receptors as well as in vitro models of neurotoxicity. The results showed that lavender essential oil and its main components exert affinity for the glutamate NMDA-receptor in a dose-dependent manner with an IC50 value of 0.04 μl/mL for lavender oil. In addition, lavender and linalool were also able to bind the serotonin transporter (SERT) whereas they did not show affinity for GABAA-benzodiazepine receptor. In three different models of neurotoxicity, lavender did not enhance the neurotoxic insult and improved viability of SH-SY5Y cells treated with hydrogen peroxide. According to our data, the anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects attributed to lavender may be due to an antagonism on the NMDA-receptor and inhibition of SERT. This study suggests that lavender essential oil may exert pharmacological properties via modulating the NMDA receptor, the SERT as well as neurotoxicity induced by hydrogen peroxide. PMID:28579958

Effect of phosphate solubilizing bacteria on the growth of Agave angustifolia Haw (Maguey Espadin)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cruz, A.B.; Gutierrez, G.M.

2015-01-01

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the potential effects of phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) on the growth of maguey espadin (Agave angustifolia Haw.). A total of nine strains of PSB, previously isolated in the maguey rhizosphere and identified as PSBVa, PSBVb, PSBVf, PSBHa, PSBHc, PSBHd, PSBMg, PSBMh and PSBMi were tested on maguey plants grown in phosphorus-deficient sterilized and unsterilized soils of three sites where maguey is grown (valley, hill and mountain) under greenhouse conditions. Aerial dry weight and the total weight of maguey plants inoculated with PSBMh in unsterile mountain soil increased by 12.14% and 10.99% respectively, compared with the uninoculated control. Total root dry weight increased by 17.85% with PSBMh in sterile mountain soils and by 11.64% with PSBMg in unsterile mountain soils, with respect to the uninoculated sterile and unsterile control respectively. Plant stem diameter increased by 13.61% with PSBVb in unsterile valley soil, compared to the uninoculated control. Root length was 56.84% higher with PSBMi in unsterile mountain soils than the uninoculated control. Plant leaf number increased by 35% with PSBHd in unsterile hill soil, with respect to the uninoculated control. In all treatments, the available phosphorus at harvest was higher than pre-planting levels. This study suggests that isolated PSBMh, PSBMg and PSBMi are the most efficient biofertilizers for maguey espadin cultivation. (author)

Futebol mulato: racial constructs in Brazilian football

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Tiago Fernandes Maranhao

2011-05-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to review Gilberto Freyre’s ideas about futebol mulato and the way these ideas have spread the notion of the Brazilian mulatto as a symbol of a ‘racial democracy’, unique in Brazil, around the world. The notion first appeared in 1938 in an article by Freyre for the Diários Associados, an important Brazilian newspaper. Football (soccer was employed by Freyre as the special arena where the multiracial Brazilian nation could shine and show the world a different way of being, opposed to the white and ‘rational’ way of European football. In Freyre’s work, the so-called ‘football-art’ was compared to poetry, while the European style was equated with prose. This essay argues that Freyre’s ideas were useful in constructing the Brazilian identity, a nation of harmony in all its aspects, including the area of race, and how the idea of the mulatto has been used to minimise social disparities within Brazilian society. Freyre’s ideas remain contemporary; many Brazilian intellectuals still refer to these concepts. As well, the press in this huge country, and especially in World Cup years, uses the concepts of mulatto and football-art to characterize Brazil and differentiate it from other countries.

The Brazilian national system of forest permanent plots

Science.gov (United States)

Yeda Maria Malheiros de Oliveira; Maria Augusta Doetzer Rosot; Patricia Povoa de Mottos; Joberto Veloso de Freitas; Guilherme Luis Augusto Gomide; < i> et al< /i>

2009-01-01

The Brazilian National System of Forest Permanent Plots (SisPP) is a governmental initiative designed and being implemented in partnership by the Ministry of Environment (MMA), represented by the National Forest Programme (PNF) and the Brazilian Forest Service (SFB) and the Embrapa Forestry (a research center of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation - Embrapa...

THE ARAUCARIA PROJECT. A DISTANCE DETERMINATION TO THE LOCAL GROUP SPIRAL M33 FROM NEAR-INFRARED PHOTOMETRY OF CEPHEID VARIABLES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gieren, Wolfgang; Pietrzynski, Grzegorz; Graczyk, Dariusz, E-mail: wgieren@astro-udec.cl, E-mail: pietrzyn@hubble.cfm.udec.cl [Warsaw University Observatory, Al. Ujazdowskie 4, 00-478 Warsaw (Poland); and others

2013-08-10

Motivated by an amazing range of reported distances to the nearby Local Group spiral galaxy M33, we have obtained deep near-infrared photometry for 26 long-period Cepheids in this galaxy with the ESO Very Large Telescope. From the data, we constructed period-luminosity relations in the J and K bands which together with previous optical VI photometry for the Cepheids by Macri et al. were used to determine the true distance modulus of M33, and the mean reddening affecting the Cepheid sample with the multiwavelength fit method developed in the Araucaria Project. We find a true distance modulus of 24.62 for M33, with a total uncertainty of {+-}0.07 mag which is dominated by the uncertainty on the photometric zero points in our photometry. The reddening is determined as E(B - V) = 0.19 {+-} 0.02, in agreement with the value used by the Hubble Space Telescope Key Project of Freedman et al. but in some discrepancy with other recent determinations based on blue supergiant spectroscopy and an O-type eclipsing binary which yielded lower reddening values. Our derived M33 distance modulus is extremely insensitive to the adopted reddening law. We show that the possible effects of metallicity and crowding on our present distance determination are both at the 1%-2% level and therefore minor contributors to the total uncertainty of our distance result for M33.

Scientometrics: Nature Index and Brazilian science.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Valter

2016-09-01

A recent published newspaper article commented on the (lack of) quality of Brazilian science and its (in) efficiency. The newspaper article was based on a special issue of Nature and on a new resource for scientometrics called Nature Index. I show here arguments and sources of bias that, under the light of the principle in dubio pro reo, it is questionable to dispute the quality and efficiency of the Brazilian science on these grounds, as it was commented on the referred article. A brief overview of Brazilian science is provided for readers to make their own judgment.

Avaliação do comportamento de vigas de bambu laminado colado submetidas à flexão

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Douglas Mateus de Lima

Full Text Available O presente trabalho apresenta e discute um estudo experimental de vigas de bambu laminado colado (BLC. Utilizaram-se ripas provenientes do bambu Dendrocalamus giganteus para a confecção de vigas de seção transversal retangular, as quais foram preparadas com quatro diferentes disposições de nós e de emendas. Dois tipos de adesivos foram utilizados: um à base de resorcinol-formaldeído, e outro à base de poliacetato de vinila (PVA. As vigas foram ensaiadas à flexão por meio de quatro pontos de carga. Os resultados foram comparados com vigas de referências, de dimensões similares, confeccionadas com duas espécies de madeiras de reflorestamento: Araucaria angustifolia e Eucalyptus grandis. O modo de ruptura das vigas foi em função da disposição dos nós e do tipo de emendas, além do tipo de adesivo utilizado. Curvas de carga vs. deslocamento são apresentadas, e foi observado que as vigas confeccionadas com adesivo à base de resorcinol-formaldeído apresentaram desempenho estrutural superior ao das vigas confeccionadas com PVA e ao das de referência.

ESTUDO DA REGENERAÇÃO NATURAL, BANCO DE SEMENTES E CHUVA DE SEMENTES NA RESERVA GENÉTICA FLORESTAL DE CAÇADOR, SC

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Solon Jonas Longhi

1996-12-01

Full Text Available Este estudo foi realizado na Reserva Genética Florestal de Caçador, no Estado de Santa Catarina no período de agosto de 1995 a janeiro de 1996. Para o estudo da regeneração natural foram instaladas 10 parcelas de 250 m² (10m x 25m. No interior das mesmas foram coletados a camada de solo juntamente com a serapilheira em até 3cm de profundidade em 40 pontos amostrais de 0,5m x 0,5m para a análise do banco de sementes no solo, e instalados 20 coletores com área de 0,5 m x 0,5 m para a avaliação da chuva de sementes. Os resultados mostram que apesar da Araucaria angustifolia ser a espécie dominante no estrato superior da floresta não apresenta indivíduos na regeneração natural e a Mimosa scabrella foi a espécie arbórea mais importante presente no banco de sementes no solo. As relações entre os três parâmetros avaliados evidenciam uma distribuição irregular das espécies na área de estudo.

Foraging behavioral of Phylloscartes ventralis (Aves, Tyrannidae in native and planted forests of southern Brazil

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André de Mendonça-Lima

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Few studies have related the effects of silviculture practices to the behavior of bird species in the Neotropics. The present study examined the foraging behavior of Phylloscartes ventralis (Temminck, 1824 in a native forest and in silviculture areas of Pinus elliotti and Araucaria angustifolia with different structures and ages. We tested two general hypotheses: (1 areas of commercial forest plantation change the foraging behavior of P. ventralis in relation to native forest, and (2 the foraging behavior of P. ventralis in silviculture areas with understories (complex structures is different from its behavior in areas without understory. The results showed that P. ventralis changed its foraging behavior depending on the type of forest, and on the presence of an understory in silviculture areas. Main changes involved the height and angle of substrate where the prey was captured. Phylloscartes ventralis showed the same set of attack maneuvers, with more maneuvers type in young Pinus planted without understory. The frequency of use of attack maneuvers was more similar in areas of silviculture with understory and in the native forest. The results highlight the importance of an understory structure and the utilization of native plant species in silviculture practices, to the foraging behavior of native bird species.

INFLUENCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS IN TREE COMPONENT OF FOREST FRAGMENTS IN SÃO FRANCISCO DE PAULA - RIO GRANDE DO SUL

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Daniele Guarienti Rorato

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to characterize the influence of the soil and topography in the tree component of the fragments, in around the Divisa Reservoir, in the region of the Campos de Cima da Serra, Southern Brazil. The vegetation survey was conducted in four fragments, with each plot (10 x 20 m performed the identification and measurement of the circumference at breast height (CAP of subjects with CAP ≥ 30 cm. The vegetation data were subjected to cluster analysis. In addition, environmental variables were obtained as an average slope of plots and soil samples at 0-20 cm depth. The correlation between vegetation data and environmental data was performed by means of Canonical Correspondence Analysis. The soil physical characteristics showed no influence on the groups formed and species. In the geldings, the constant presence of cattle influenced negatively the structure of the understory, as well as the chemical characteristics of the soil. Aluminium and aluminum saturation have higher influenced on the predominant species of riparian vegetation as influenced copper and sulfur species present in geldings. Species such as Araucaria angustifolia, Eugenia uruguayensis, Blepharocalyx salicifolius, Calyptranthes concinna, Lithraea brasiliensis, Myrsine coriacea, Ocotea pulchella and Sebastiania commersoniana are adapted to riparian and can be used in the recovery and enrichment of these environments.

Efficiency Determinants in Brazilian Football Clubs

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Marcelo Machado de Freitas

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to analyze the efficiency of Brazilian football clubs in generating revenues and the reasons behind it. To achieve this goal, we applied quantitative methods including Data Envelopment Analysis and Tobit regression modeling to data on the best clubs from 2012 to 2014, according to the Brazilian Football Confederation ranking. The results allowed for the inference that the largest Brazilian clubs, such as Grêmio (RS, Palmeiras (SP and Vasco (RJ, were not efficient in any period under analysis. Others, such as Guarani (SP and Guaratinguetá (SP, were efficient in all of years under consideration. With the Tobit regression model, we were able to determine that winning titles and the elite status of a given club are decisive factors in achieving efficiency. Included among the strategies that allow for greater efficiency in Brazilian clubs are the better utilization of stadiums and club assets, maximization of the financial worth of player popularity, and joining these with titles and a place in the A Series. Finally, the results of this study contribute to the strategic development of the football business, highlighting the positive effects that efficiency yields for clubs, thus supporting the growing body of research on sports management in Brazilian academia.

Chinese Competition and Brazilian Exports of Manufactures

OpenAIRE

Jenkins, Rhys

2014-01-01

In recent years concerns have been raised over the impact of Chinese competition on Latin American exports, particularly those from Mexico. This article shows that Brazilian manufactured exports too have been negatively affected, and that this has been reflected in the “primarization” of Brazilian exports and a declining share in the import markets of its major customers. A variety of different indicators were used to analyse the extent to which Brazilian exports have faced competition from C...

2. Brazilian Congress on Cell Biology and 7. Brazilian Colloquium on Electron Microscopy - Abstracts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-01-01

Immunology, virology, bacteriology, genetics and protozoology are some of the subjects treated in the 2. Brazilian Congress on Cell Biology. Studies using radioisotopic techniques and ultrastructural cytological studies are presented. Use of optical - and electron microscopy in some of these studies is discussed. In the 7. Brazilian Colloquium on Electron Microscopy, the application of this technique to materials science is discussed (failure analysis in metallurgy, energy dispersion X-ray analysis, etc). (I.C.R.) [pt

Bird community in an Araucaria forest fragment in relation to changes in the surrounding landscape in Southern Brazil

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Pedro Scherer-Neto

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The dynamics of the bird community in a small forest fragment was evaluated along seven years in relation to changes in the surrounding landscape. The study area is an Araucaria forest fragment in Southern Brazil (state of Paraná. The sampling period covered the years 1988 through 1994 and the mark-release-recapture method was utilized. The landscape analysis was based on Landsat TM images, and changes in exotic tree plantations, native forest, open areas (agriculture, pasture, bare soil, and abandoned field, and "capoeira"(native vegetation < 2 m were quantified. The relationship between landscape changes and changes in abundance diversity of forest birds, open-area birds, forest-edge birds, and bamboo specialists was evaluated. Richness estimates were run for each year studied. The richness recorded in the study area comprised 96 species. The richness estimates were 114, 118 and 110 species for Chao 1, Jackknife 1 and Bootstrap, respectively. The bird community varied in species richness, abundance and diversity from year to year. As for species diversity, 1991, 1993 and 1994 were significantly different from the other years. Changes in the landscape contributed to the increase in abundance and richness for the groups of forest, open-area and bamboo-specialist species. An important factor discussed was the effect of the flowering of "taquara" (Poaceae, which contributed significantly to increasing richness of bamboo seed eaters, mainly in 1992 and 1993. In general, the results showed that landscape changes affected the dynamics and structure of the bird community of this forest fragment over time, and proved to have an important role in conservation of the avian community in areas of intensive forestry and agricultural activities.

Smoking: what has been addressed in Brazilian journals.

Science.gov (United States)

Prado, Gustavo Faibischew; Lombardi, Elisa Maria Siqueira; Morais, Anna Miethke; Martins, Stella Regina; Santos, Ubiratan de Paula

2012-12-01

The topic of tobacco smoking, in its several aspects, has been receiving increasing attention among researchers over the past few years, which has been reflected in more data and more solid scientific literature on the subject in national journals. This article aims to review the studies that focused on smoking published between January 2010 and June 2012, in Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia (Brazilian Archives of Cardiology), Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research, Clinics (Sao Paulo), Jornal Brasileiro de Pneumologia (Brazilian Journal of Pulmonology), Revista da Associação Médica Brasileira (Journal of the Brazilian Medical Association) and Revista Brasileira de Cirurgia Cardiovascular (Brazilian Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery). During the aforementioned period 58 articles were published, 52 of which were original ones, addressing several aspects of smoking, such as effects on health, epidemiology, cessation and experimental studies.

3rd BRAZILIAN CONSENSUS ON Helicobacter pylori

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Luiz Gonzaga Coelho

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Significant progress has been obtained since the Second Brazilian Consensus Conference on Helicobacter pylori Infection held in 2004, in São Paulo, SP, Brazil, and justify a third meeting to establish updated guidelines on the current management of H. pylori infection. The Third Brazilian Consensus Conference on H pylori Infection was organized by the Brazilian Nucleus for the Study of Helicobacter, a Department of the Brazilian Federation of Gastroenterology and took place on April 12-15, 2011, in Bento Gonçalves, RS, Brazil. Thirty-one delegates coming from the five Brazilian regions and one international guest, including gastroenterologists, pathologists, epidemiologists, and pediatricians undertook the meeting. The participants were allocated in one of the five main topics of the meeting: H pylori, functional dyspepsia and diagnosis; H pylori and gastric cancer; H pylori and other associated disorders; H pylori treatment and retreatment; and, epidemiology of H pylori infection in Brazil. The results of each subgroup were submitted to a final consensus voting to all participants. Relevant data were presented, and the quality of evidence, strength of recommendation, and level of consensus were graded. Seventy per cent and more votes were considered as acceptance for the final statement. This article presents the main recommendations and conclusions to guide Brazilian doctors involved in the management of H pylori infection.

Indoor air quality in Brazilian universities.

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Jurado, Sonia R; Bankoff, Antônia D P; Sanchez, Andrea

2014-07-11

This study evaluated the indoor air quality in Brazilian universities by comparing thirty air-conditioned (AC) (n = 15) and naturally ventilated (NV) (n = 15) classrooms. The parameters of interest were indoor carbon dioxide (CO2), temperature, relative humidity (RH), wind speed, viable mold, and airborne dust levels. The NV rooms had larger concentration of mold than the AC rooms (1001.30 ± 125.16 and 367.00 ± 88.13 cfu/m3, respectively). The average indoor airborne dust concentration exceeded the Brazilian standards (indoor air quality in Brazilian university classrooms affects the health of students. Therefore, indoor air pollution needs to be considered as an important public health problem.

Trends in breastfeeding research by Brazilian nurses

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Mônica Oliveira B. Oriá

Full Text Available Exclusive breastfeeding is acknowledged as important for survival, optimal growth, and development of infants. The current review presents a synthesis of research output by Brazilian nurses on breastfeeding over the last 20 years, analyzes the theoretical and methodological issues emerging from studies on breastfeeding in Brazil, and provides directions for future research and practice by nurses in the area breastfeeding. Studies included in this review were identified through LILACS searches of Portuguese-language sources. Articles were organized and analyzed chronologically by comparing the evolution of the Brazilian Breastfeeding Program. The incomplete research output of the Brazilian nursing profession in regard to breastfeeding research needs to be addressed. In addition, specific cultural, sociological, and anthropological characteristics of Brazilian regional settings remain to be explored. Emphasis on potential confounders and critical interrelations is warranted.

Brazilian women in politics.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanders, T G

1987-01-01

Women are gradually gaining influence in Brazilian politics, especially since recent advances in the women's movement, but they still play a limited role. There have been journals devoted to feminism and some notable feminists since 1850. In 1932 suffragettes in Brazil gained women the right to vote. Women's associations burgeoned in the 1940s and 1950s, culminating in a peak in number of women in national elected positions in 1965. A repressive military regime reversed the process, which resumed in 1975. 1975 was also significant for the Brazilian women's movement because of the U.N. Women's Year. Several large, influential feminist political action groups were formed, typically by upper class women with leftist views, although some church and union groups from lower classes also appeared. In 1979-1981, the coherence of these groups fell into schism and fragmentation, because of disagreements over the feminist political doctrines and roles, views on legality of abortion, and special interest groups such as lesbians. Another bitter dispute is opposition by leftist women to BEMFAM, the Brazilian Society of Family Welfare, which provides family planning for the poor: leftists oppose BEMFAM because it is supported by funds from "imperialist" countries such as the U.S. There are several types of feminists groups: those that emphasize health, sexuality and violence; those composed of lesbians; those originating from lower classes and unions; publicly instituted organizations. Brazilian law forbids discrimination against women holding public office, but in reality very few women actually do hold office, except for mayors of small towns and a few administrators of the Education and Social Security ministries. Political office in Brazil is gained by clientism, and since women rarely hold powerful positions in business, they are outsiders of the system. Brazilian women have achieved much, considering the low female literacy rate and traditional power system, but their

Global power and Brazilian nuclear decisions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Metri, Paulo, E-mail: pmetri@terra.com.br [Clube de Engenharia, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2017-07-01

Brazilian society declares no intention to development a nuclear artifact. This is on its Constitution. The submarine of nuclear propulsion may be used as a weapon of defense and, therefore, has a peaceful objective. Nationalism must be applied only to benefit the society. Nationalist attention has always been devoted, at various occasions, to the Brazilian nuclear sector. However, since Brazilian society has many needs and the Brazilian government always had numerous energy options, this sector has not been developed as it could be. Other successful applications of nuclear technology, besides electric generation, are not considered here. At present, the country is experiencing a moment of harassment of liberal forces. It is difficult to know if the population understands what is going on, due to the traditional media control. This media belongs to the capital. The rise and the fall of the nationalist strand in a country follow a global tendency and also depend of actions of the international capital. In nationalist periods, more decisions with positive social impact are taken. Therefore, sovereignty is necessary to increase the benefits to society. Unfortunately, the Brazilians deceived by the companies of mass communication and corrupt political leaderships allow the country to be dominated. Even the armed forces had their projects paralyzed. The nuclear sector, as all other, suffers with the low budget and the future is difficult to predict. (author)

Global power and Brazilian nuclear decisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metri, Paulo

2017-01-01

Brazilian society declares no intention to development a nuclear artifact. This is on its Constitution. The submarine of nuclear propulsion may be used as a weapon of defense and, therefore, has a peaceful objective. Nationalism must be applied only to benefit the society. Nationalist attention has always been devoted, at various occasions, to the Brazilian nuclear sector. However, since Brazilian society has many needs and the Brazilian government always had numerous energy options, this sector has not been developed as it could be. Other successful applications of nuclear technology, besides electric generation, are not considered here. At present, the country is experiencing a moment of harassment of liberal forces. It is difficult to know if the population understands what is going on, due to the traditional media control. This media belongs to the capital. The rise and the fall of the nationalist strand in a country follow a global tendency and also depend of actions of the international capital. In nationalist periods, more decisions with positive social impact are taken. Therefore, sovereignty is necessary to increase the benefits to society. Unfortunately, the Brazilians deceived by the companies of mass communication and corrupt political leaderships allow the country to be dominated. Even the armed forces had their projects paralyzed. The nuclear sector, as all other, suffers with the low budget and the future is difficult to predict. (author)

Chemical composition, antischistosomal and cytotoxic effects of the essential oil of Lavandula angustifolia grown in Southeastern Brazil

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André L.L. Mantovani

Full Text Available This paper reports on the chemical composition, the in vitroantischistosomal effects, and the cytotoxicity of the essential oil from the leaves of Lavandula angustifolia Mill., Lamiaceae, grown in the Southeastern Brazil. Borneol (22.4%, epi-α-muurolol (13.4%, α-bisabolol (13.1%, precocene I (13.0%, and eucalyptol (7.9% were the major essential oil constituents. Incubation with essential oil at 200 μg/ml killed all the adult S. mansoni worms after 24 h (LC50117.7 and 103.9 μg/ml at 24 and 120 h of incubation, respectively. At a concentration of 50 μg/ ml, the essential oil significantly decreased the motor activity and reduced the percentage of egg development after 120 h. In addition, the essential oil separated all the coupled S. mansoni worm pairs into individual male and female at 25 and 50 μg/ml within 120 and 24 h, respectively. This oil was cytotoxic to GM07492-A cells at only concentrations higher than 200 µg/ml (IC50243.7 µg/ml. These data indicate that LA-EO exhibits moderate in vitro activity against adult S. mansoniand exerts remarkable effects on eggs development.

Optimization of the bamboo guadua angustifolia kunth in the elaboration of glued laminated elements for constructive use

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Díaz, G A; Cruz, R A; Chávez, A M

2013-01-01

Bamboo is considered one of the best timber resources in the world because for its mechanical properties and high sustainability; this research aims to improve the mechanical properties of the laminated glued bamboo Guadua Angustifolia Kunth (GAK) for use as structural elements, starting from de very manufacture process; this is important because it is possible to observe variations in the flexural strength and the elastic modulus in GAK samples taken from different heights and thickness of the culm. In order to analyze the influence of these final mechanical properties variations in the laminated, the height of the culm where samples are extracted (cepa, basa and sobrebasa) it is taken as a variable from where different types of laminated were manufactured, seeking to make optimal the configuration based in the transversal section area and the material strength. Three assemblies were designed varying the overlap of the adhesion lines and it concluded that the highest strength average values were obtained in the laminated composites manufactured with samples taken from the bottom of the culm (basa), which is possible because in these elements there are less adhesion lines than the other ones (middle, top and mixed) or the better matching of themselves

The nuclear importation and exportation - The Brazilian situation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coimbra, G.L.

1985-01-01

The panorama of Brazilian economy emphasizing the measurements adopted by Brazilian government referring to importation and exportation policy is presented. The Brazilian Nuclear Program knows the nuclear trade gives good economic perspective. In the context of importation and exportation policy the laws concerned to nuclear trade transactions, taxes, national organizations responsible by the external trade policy and their attributions are presented. (M.C.K.) [pt

BRAZILIAN NEWS PORTALS CHARACTERISTICS

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Heloiza G. Herckovitz

2011-02-01

Full Text Available A content analysis of four Brazilian news media portals found that economic news dominated the top headlines with little attention paid to education, the environment and welfare. Other trends included a focus on local events and national news sources, reliance on few sources, mostly official ones, and a low percentage of news that fitted the concept of newsworthiness (a combination of both social significance and deviance concepts. Other findings of a study of 432 top news stories published by UOL, Estadão, iG and Terra during a 15-day period between February and March 2008 indicate that the top portions of the portals’ front pages carry news that lacks story depth, editorial branding, and multimedia applications. The results suggest that online news portals are in their infancy although Brazil has the largest online population of Latin America. This study hopes to shed light on the gatekeeping process in Brazilian news portals. Brazilian media portals have yet to become a significant editorial force able to provide knowledge about social issues and public affairs in a socially responsible fashione.

Brazilian Studies and Brazilianists: Conceptual remarks

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Vinicius Mariano de Carvalho

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This article discusses the concept of Brazilian Studies. It does not intend to outline a defence for a new discipline, or to propose paradigms for that elusive field called ‘area studies’. It will, bring some reflections on epistemological and methodological issues realted to what it is been called Brazilian Studies.

ANGUSTIFOLIA, a Plant Homolog of CtBP/BARS Localizes to Stress Granules and Regulates Their Formation

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Hemal Bhasin

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The ANGUSTIFOLIA (AN gene in Arabidopsis is important for a plethora of morphological phenotypes. Recently, AN was also reported to be involved in responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. It encodes a homolog of the animal C-terminal binding proteins (CtBPs. In contrast to animal CtBPs, AN does not appear to function as a transcriptional co-repressor and instead functions outside nucleus where it might be involved in Golgi-associated membrane trafficking. In this study, we report a novel and unexplored role of AN as a component of stress granules (SGs. Interaction studies identified several RNA binding proteins that are associated with AN. AN co-localizes with several messenger ribonucleoprotein granule markers to SGs in a stress dependent manner. an mutants exhibit an altered SG formation. We provide evidence that the NAD(H binding domain of AN is relevant in this context as proteins carrying mutations in this domain localize to a much higher degree to SGs and strongly reduce AN dimerization and its interaction with one interactor but not the others. Finally, we show that AN is a negative regulator of salt and osmotic stress responses in Arabidopsis suggesting a functional relevance in SGs.

Litter dwelling mygalomorph spiders (Araneae: Microstigmatidae, Nemesiidae from Araucaria forests in southern Brazil, with the description of five new species Aranhas migalomorfas que habitam a serapilheira (Araneae: Microstigmatidae, Nemesiidae de florestas de Araucária no sul do Brasil, com a descrição de cinco espécies novas

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Rafael P. Indicatti

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Six mygalomorph spiders species belonging to two families, were collected in the Centro de Pesquisa e Conservação da Natureza Pró-Mata, São Francisco de Paula, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Five of those species, five are new. Microstigmatidae: Xenonemesia araucaria sp. nov., males differ from those of X. platensis Goloboff, 1988 and X. otti Indicatti, Lucas & Brescovit, 2007 by the curved and very long embolus in the male palp. Females differ from the remaining species of the genus in the seminal receptacle very long and sinuous or twisted. Nemesiidae: Acanthogonatus ericae sp. nov. - males resemble those of A. tacuariensis (Pérez-Miles & Capocasale, 1982 and A. quilocura Goloboff, 1995 by the serrated, curved and long embolus but are distinguished by the presence of a flange on the apex of the embolus. Females differ from the remaining Acanthogonatus by the short copulatory ducts, arising from the apex of the basal dome. Stenoterommata arnolisei sp. nov. is distinguished from the remaining species of the genus by the large sub-apical area of bulb, with a great number of keels, extending to the median region in the male palp and by the long copulatory ducts and spermathecae arising from internal border of basal dome in the female genitalia. S. grimpa sp. nov.: males resemble those of S. arnolisei sp. nov. by the shape of the palpal bulb and by the short embolus, but differ in the keels, restricted to the apical region. Females differ from remaining Stenoterommata by the presence of two spermathecae in the rounded fused basal dome. S. curiy sp. nov.: males resemble those of S. grimpa sp. nov. by the shape of palpal bulb and the very short embolus, but differ by the translucid keels restricted to the larger distal region. The presence of S. palmar Goloboff, 1995 is confirmed for Brazil. Males of S. palmar are distinguished from the remaining species of the genus by the long, slender and slightly distally curved embolus. Females are

The new Brazilian national forest inventory

Science.gov (United States)

Joberto V. de Freitas; Yeda M. M. de Oliveira; Doadi A. Brena; Guilherme L.A. Gomide; Jose Arimatea Silva; < i> et al< /i>

2009-01-01

The new Brazilian national forest inventory (NFI) is being planned to be carried out through five components: (1) general coordination, led by the Brazilian Forest Service; (2) vegetation mapping, which will serve as the basis for sample plot location; (3) field data collection; (4) landscape data collection of 10 x 10-km sample plots, based on high-resolution...

Efecto nodriza intra-específico de Kageneckia angustifolia D. Don (Rosaceae sobre la germinación de semillas y sobrevivencia de plántulas en el bosque esclerófilo montano de Chile central Intra-specific nurse effect of Kageneckia angustifolia D. Don (Rosaceae and its effect on seed germination and seedling survival in the montane sclerophyllous forest of central Chile

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ALEJANDRO PEÑALOZA

2001-09-01

Full Text Available El bosque esclerófilo montano de Chile central (32-33° S, 1.500-2.100 m de altitud está dominado por poblaciones de Kageneckia angustifolia (Rosaceae, especie semidecidua de verano que forma un dosel muy abierto. Esto sugiere que, a diferencia de lo que ocurre en el matorral esclerófilo de menor altitud donde el cerrado dosel de árboles y arbustos generan condiciones microclimáticas diferentes a los espacios abiertos, en el bosque montano no existiría una marcada diferencia microclimática entre bajo el dosel y los espacios abiertos. Por otro lado, en el bosque montano, las precipitaciones ocurren principalmente en forma de nieve, la que se acumula preferentemente en los espacios entre los árboles, pudiendo facilitar el reclutamiento de nuevos individuos en este microhábitat, fenómeno que se conoce como efecto nodriza. Se estudió el probable efecto nodriza a nivel intra-específico de K. angustifolia comparando el microclima de los ambientes bajo dosel y los espacios abiertos, y el efecto de la acumulación de nieve en la germinación de semillas y sobrevivencia de plántulas de en un bosque esclerófilo montano ubicado en el Santuario de la Naturaleza Yerba Loca, 50 km al este de Santiago (33° S, 1.600 m de altitud. De acuerdo a las variables microclimáticas estudiadas (PAR, humedad del aire y suelo, y temperatura del aire y suelo, en el bosque montano no existen diferencias microclimáticas entre los espacios abiertos y bajo el dosel. Sólo la acumulación de nieve fue significativamente mayor en los espacios abiertos. La germinación fue menor y más tardía en los espacios abiertos, lo que estaría relacionado con la mayor acumulación de nieve. Las plántulas originadas más tempranamente tienen más tiempo para desarrollarse y pasar en forma exitosa la sequía estival en comparación con las plántulas que emergen más tardíamente. Esto explicaría la menor sobrevivencia de las plántulas en los espacios abiertosThe montane

Next Generation Sequencing and Transcriptome Analysis Predicts Biosynthetic Pathway of Sennosides from Senna (Cassia angustifolia Vahl., a Non-Model Plant with Potent Laxative Properties.

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Nagaraja Reddy Rama Reddy

Full Text Available Senna (Cassia angustifolia Vahl. is a world's natural laxative medicinal plant. Laxative properties are due to sennosides (anthraquinone glycosides natural products. However, little genetic information is available for this species, especially concerning the biosynthetic pathways of sennosides. We present here the transcriptome sequencing of young and mature leaf tissue of Cassia angustifolia using Illumina MiSeq platform that resulted in a total of 6.34 Gb of raw nucleotide sequence. The sequence assembly resulted in 42230 and 37174 transcripts with an average length of 1119 bp and 1467 bp for young and mature leaf, respectively. The transcripts were annotated using NCBI BLAST with 'green plant database (txid 33090', Swiss Prot, Kyoto Encylcopedia of Genes & Genomes (KEGG, Cluster of Orthologous Gene (COG and Gene Ontology (GO. Out of the total transcripts, 40138 (95.0% and 36349 (97.7% from young and mature leaf, respectively, were annotated by BLASTX against green plant database of NCBI. We used InterProscan to see protein similarity at domain level, a total of 34031 (young leaf and 32077 (mature leaf transcripts were annotated against the Pfam domains. All transcripts from young and mature leaf were assigned to 191 KEGG pathways. There were 166 and 159 CDS, respectively, from young and mature leaf involved in metabolism of terpenoids and polyketides. Many CDS encoding enzymes leading to biosynthesis of sennosides were identified. A total of 10,763 CDS differentially expressing in both young and mature leaf libraries of which 2,343 (21.7% CDS were up-regulated in young compared to mature leaf. Several differentially expressed genes found functionally associated with sennoside biosynthesis. CDS encoding for many CYPs and TF families were identified having probable roles in metabolism of primary as well as secondary metabolites. We developed SSR markers for molecular breeding of senna. We have identified a set of putative genes involved in

Next Generation Sequencing and Transcriptome Analysis Predicts Biosynthetic Pathway of Sennosides from Senna (Cassia angustifolia Vahl.), a Non-Model Plant with Potent Laxative Properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Rama Reddy, Nagaraja Reddy; Mehta, Rucha Harishbhai; Soni, Palak Harendrabhai; Makasana, Jayanti; Gajbhiye, Narendra Athamaram; Ponnuchamy, Manivel; Kumar, Jitendra

2015-01-01

Senna (Cassia angustifolia Vahl.) is a world's natural laxative medicinal plant. Laxative properties are due to sennosides (anthraquinone glycosides) natural products. However, little genetic information is available for this species, especially concerning the biosynthetic pathways of sennosides. We present here the transcriptome sequencing of young and mature leaf tissue of Cassia angustifolia using Illumina MiSeq platform that resulted in a total of 6.34 Gb of raw nucleotide sequence. The sequence assembly resulted in 42230 and 37174 transcripts with an average length of 1119 bp and 1467 bp for young and mature leaf, respectively. The transcripts were annotated using NCBI BLAST with 'green plant database (txid 33090)', Swiss Prot, Kyoto Encylcopedia of Genes & Genomes (KEGG), Cluster of Orthologous Gene (COG) and Gene Ontology (GO). Out of the total transcripts, 40138 (95.0%) and 36349 (97.7%) from young and mature leaf, respectively, were annotated by BLASTX against green plant database of NCBI. We used InterProscan to see protein similarity at domain level, a total of 34031 (young leaf) and 32077 (mature leaf) transcripts were annotated against the Pfam domains. All transcripts from young and mature leaf were assigned to 191 KEGG pathways. There were 166 and 159 CDS, respectively, from young and mature leaf involved in metabolism of terpenoids and polyketides. Many CDS encoding enzymes leading to biosynthesis of sennosides were identified. A total of 10,763 CDS differentially expressing in both young and mature leaf libraries of which 2,343 (21.7%) CDS were up-regulated in young compared to mature leaf. Several differentially expressed genes found functionally associated with sennoside biosynthesis. CDS encoding for many CYPs and TF families were identified having probable roles in metabolism of primary as well as secondary metabolites. We developed SSR markers for molecular breeding of senna. We have identified a set of putative genes involved in various

Citizenship and decoloniality in Brazilian education

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Viviane Conceição Antunes

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Reflecting on the importance of multiculturalism in teaching process and observing the otherness are primarily a challenge. This enables us to rethink what we have within ourselves, also to reconstitute memories involving discriminatory and unethical attitudes, which takes place in social fellowship. Based on the studies of Walsh (2007, 2009, Gomes (2007 and Tavares (2011, this work relies on decoloniality studies, mainly on the relevance of the history of Africa and Africanness in Brazilian education. Our corpus of analysis is found in the "Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais para a Educação Básica" (DCN, 2013, the Brazilian Legislative Syllabus for Basic Education. Our focus is on the chapters concerning the Native-Brazilian and Quilomboa Education and ethnic-racial relations. Our most important aims are: to show the intercultural theoretical framework in which they are based on; to understand the immediate link established between the Native-Brazilian education and intercultural perspective; to clarify how the African diaspora was carried out in this particular case. Based on some Excel resources we were able to: 1 stablish the predominance of functional framework of interculturalism throughout these chapters, along with some critical features of interculturalism, as the issue of curricular decoloniality; 2 observe the established relationship between bilingualism and multiculturalism in the guidelines of Native-Brazilian education; and 3 identify a search for an effective inclusion of Africanness in curricula supported by the historical recognition and visibility of their sociocultural contribution.

References from Brazilian medical journals in national publications.

Science.gov (United States)

Teixeira, Renan Kleber Costa; Botelho, Nara Macedo; Petroianu, Andy

2013-01-01

To assess whether there is a preference for international journal citation to the detriment of national ones in ten Brazilian medical journals, in two different periods. All references in the articles published in Arquivos Brasileiros de Oftalmologia, Revista Brasileira de Cirurgia Cardiovascular, Revista da Associação Médica Brasileira, São Paulo Medical Journal, Arquivos Brasileiros de Endocrinologia e Metabologia, Clinics, Jornal Brasileiro de Pneumologia, Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical, Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria e Acta Ortopédica Brasileira in the years 2011 and 2007 were analyzed, assessing the number of articles published in national and international journals. A total of 36,125 references from 1,462 articles published in the 10 aforementioned journals were analyzed. Of the total number, 4.242 (11.74%) were from Brazilian journals. There was no significant difference between the two analyzed periods. A total of 453 (30,98%) of the articles studied non-cited brazilian papers,and 81 (5.54%) articles had more Brazilian than international references. Of total references analyzed, 11.74% were related to articles published in Brazilian journals. This number, when compared to the percentage of Brazilian articles published in the medical area, demonstrates a good number of citations of national articles. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Efeito da variação do ph e da temperatura de síntese no desempenho de adesivos à base de creosoto vegetal desmetilado-formaldeído Effect ph variation and synthesis temperature on the performance of thermosetting adhesive formulations based on demethylated wood creosote-formaldehyde

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Crístian Bacelar Santos

2003-08-01

Full Text Available O objetivo deste trabalho foi a produção de adesivos para madeira a partir de creosoto desmetilado. Para isto, foram sintetizadas diferentes formulações de adesivos para madeira a partir de creosoto desmetilado e paraformaldeído, variando-se o pH inicial da formulação (12,00, 12,25, 12,50, 12,75, 13,00, 13,25 e 13,50 e a temperatura de síntese (60 e 70 °C, para possibilitar a verificação dos melhores pHs e da melhor temperatura para elaboração do adesivo. Foi verificado, por meio da avaliação do gel time, que a melhor temperatura de síntese foi 70 °C. Foram realizadas, então, análises por DSC (calorimetria diferencial exploratória, para obtenção dos parâmetros cinéticos e caracterização das formulações adesivas de creosoto desmetilado sintetizadas a 70 °C. Os adesivos foram utilizados para colagem, a quente (160 °C e sob pressão (12 kgf/cm², de lâminas de Araucaria angustifolia. Após a colagem, foram realizados os ensaios de resistência mecânica ao cisalhamento por tração, para condição seca e úmida. Verificou-se que a resistência da linha de cola e a porcentagem de falha na madeira para os adesivos de creosoto desmetilado sintetizados a 70 °C foram inferiores às do adesivo de fenol-formaldeído sintetizado em laboratório, que foi utilizado como padrão.The objective of this work was the production of adhesives based on demethylated creosote for bonding of wood. Different formulations of demethylated wood bcreosote/formaldehyde were evaluated aiming at improving their bonding properties. The initial pH value and the synthesis temperature were varied in order to obtain the best values for producing the adhesives. Thus, seven pH values (12.00, 12.25, 12.50, 12.75, 13.00, 13.25, and 13.50 and two different temperatures (60 °C and 70 °C were applied. It was observed by gel time evaluation that the best synthesis temperature was 70 °C. The kinetic parameters were obtained through DSC analysis

The Role of Agriculture on the Recent Brazilian Economic Growth

OpenAIRE

Spolador, Humberto Francisco Silva; Roe, Terry L.

2012-01-01

This paper investigates the contribution of the Brazilian agriculture to economic growth of the Brazilian economy. It draws upon the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) data base, and other time series data to construct a multi-sector Ramsey model that shows the transition growth of the Brazilian agricultural sector and its effects on growth of the Brazilian economy, with particular emphasis given to the years 1994–2010.

Study of brazilian market of advanvced ceramics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Veiga, M.M.; Soares, P.S.M.; SIlva, A.P. da; Alvarinho, S.B.

1989-01-01

The brazilian actual market survey of advanced ceramics, divided in sectors according to their function is described. The electroelectronics, magnetics, optics, mechanics and nuclears ceramics are presented. A forecasting of the brazilian market in advanced ceramics are also mentioned. (C.G.C.) [pt

The Brazilian sugarcane innovation system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tosi Furtado, Andre; Gaya Scandiffio, Mirna Ivonne; Barbosa Cortez, Luis Augusto

2011-01-01

Ethanol has recently been of great interest worldwide because it is a viable economic alternative to petroleum products and it is a renewable source of energy that mitigates the emission of greenhouse gases. Brazilian bioethanol from sugarcane is the most successful case at the world level because of its low cost and low level of greenhouse gas emissions. Brazil's success with sugarcane cannot be understood as based solely on a natural comparative advantage, but as a result of efforts that culminated in a positive trajectory of technological learning, relying mostly on incremental innovations. The purpose of this article is to analyze the key aspects of the innovation system built around the Brazilian sugarcane industry. It is based on the national innovation systems approach according to which innovation results from the interaction of different institutional actors. Institutional arrangements are analyzed as the basis for the innovative process, in particular R and D and the innovation policies and strategies of the main players in the sugarcane sector, including sugar and ethanol mills, industrial goods suppliers, public and private research institutions, and governmental agencies. - Research Highlights: → The Brazilian success in bioethanol is due to the sugarcane innovation system. → Private funds for R and D became central after IAA closure. → Nowadays Brazilian innovation system is transforming to keep its leadership. → Public funds for research in the second generation bioethanol.

Spatially Different Tissue-Scale Diffusivity Shapes ANGUSTIFOLIA3 Gradient in Growing Leaves.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawade, Kensuke; Tanimoto, Hirokazu; Horiguchi, Gorou; Tsukaya, Hirokazu

2017-09-05

The spatial gradient of signaling molecules is pivotal for establishing developmental patterns of multicellular organisms. It has long been proposed that these gradients could arise from the pure diffusion process of signaling molecules between cells, but whether this simplest mechanism establishes the formation of the tissue-scale gradient remains unclear. Plasmodesmata are unique channel structures in plants that connect neighboring cells for molecular transport. In this study, we measured cellular- and tissue-scale kinetics of molecular transport through plasmodesmata in Arabidopsis thaliana developing leaf primordia by fluorescence recovery assays. These trans-scale measurements revealed biophysical properties of diffusive molecular transport through plasmodesmata and revealed that the tissue-scale diffusivity, but not the cellular-scale diffusivity, is spatially different along the leaf proximal-to-distal axis. We found that the gradient in cell size along the developmental axis underlies this spatially different tissue-scale diffusivity. We then asked how this diffusion-based framework functions in establishing a signaling gradient of endogenous molecules. ANGUSTIFOLIA3 (AN3) is a transcriptional co-activator, and as we have shown here, it forms a long-range signaling gradient along the leaf proximal-to-distal axis to determine a cell-proliferation domain. By genetically engineering AN3 mobility, we assessed each contribution of cell-to-cell movement and tissue growth to the distribution of the AN3 gradient. We constructed a diffusion-based theoretical model using these quantitative data to analyze the AN3 gradient formation and demonstrated that it could be achieved solely by the diffusive molecular transport in a growing tissue. Our results indicate that the spatially different tissue-scale diffusivity is a core mechanism for AN3 gradient formation. This provides evidence that the pure diffusion process establishes the formation of the long-range signaling

Assessment of the Economic Structure of Brazilian Agribusiness

Science.gov (United States)

Rodrigues Moreira, Vilmar; Kureski, Ricardo; Pereira da Veiga, Claudimar

2016-01-01

This paper presents an economic assessment of Brazilian agribusiness and its relationship with other economic sectors. It was found that, in 2011, agribusiness had a share of 18.45% (basic prices) and 19.77% (market prices) of Brazilian GDP. The tax burden of agribusiness (20.68%) was higher than that of other sectors (13.59%), despite agribusiness being a major contributor to the generation of foreign exchange, employment, and essential products, such as food. Brazilian agribusiness is a major employer, responsible for 29.39% of national employment. However, its average income is lower than in the other sectors of the Brazilian economy. Finally, agribusiness was found to be the biggest generator of foreign exchange, with a positive balance of trade. It was possible to conclude that agribusiness forms a strong link between agriculture and livestock, industry, and services in other economic sectors. For this reason, it can be said that the development of agribusiness is highly relevant to the process of Brazilian economic development and is therefore important to the progress of economic policies. PMID:27243040

Assessment of the Economic Structure of Brazilian Agribusiness.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodrigues Moreira, Vilmar; Kureski, Ricardo; Pereira da Veiga, Claudimar

2016-01-01

This paper presents an economic assessment of Brazilian agribusiness and its relationship with other economic sectors. It was found that, in 2011, agribusiness had a share of 18.45% (basic prices) and 19.77% (market prices) of Brazilian GDP. The tax burden of agribusiness (20.68%) was higher than that of other sectors (13.59%), despite agribusiness being a major contributor to the generation of foreign exchange, employment, and essential products, such as food. Brazilian agribusiness is a major employer, responsible for 29.39% of national employment. However, its average income is lower than in the other sectors of the Brazilian economy. Finally, agribusiness was found to be the biggest generator of foreign exchange, with a positive balance of trade. It was possible to conclude that agribusiness forms a strong link between agriculture and livestock, industry, and services in other economic sectors. For this reason, it can be said that the development of agribusiness is highly relevant to the process of Brazilian economic development and is therefore important to the progress of economic policies.

Assessment of the Economic Structure of Brazilian Agribusiness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vilmar Rodrigues Moreira

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an economic assessment of Brazilian agribusiness and its relationship with other economic sectors. It was found that, in 2011, agribusiness had a share of 18.45% (basic prices and 19.77% (market prices of Brazilian GDP. The tax burden of agribusiness (20.68% was higher than that of other sectors (13.59%, despite agribusiness being a major contributor to the generation of foreign exchange, employment, and essential products, such as food. Brazilian agribusiness is a major employer, responsible for 29.39% of national employment. However, its average income is lower than in the other sectors of the Brazilian economy. Finally, agribusiness was found to be the biggest generator of foreign exchange, with a positive balance of trade. It was possible to conclude that agribusiness forms a strong link between agriculture and livestock, industry, and services in other economic sectors. For this reason, it can be said that the development of agribusiness is highly relevant to the process of Brazilian economic development and is therefore important to the progress of economic policies.

The Brazilian Multipurpose Reactor (RMB) Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perrotta, Jose Augusto [Comissao Nacional de Energia Nuclear (CNEN), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2012-07-01

Full text: The Plan of Action on Science, Technology and Innovation (PACT 2007-2010) of the Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation (MCTI), aligned to the governmental strategies for the Brazilian Nuclear Program, established as a goal the study and definition of the Brazilian Multipurpose Reactor (RMB). The RMB research reactor is designed to perform three main functions: radioisotope production for medicine, industry, agriculture and environmental applications; fuel and material irradiation testing in support to the Brazilian nuclear energy program; and to provide neutron beams for scientific and applied research. The main project facilities are: nuclear pool type reactor with a flux level compatible to the multipurpose uses; hot cells laboratory for Mo-99 and I-131 processing; hot cells laboratory for radioisotope processing; hot cells laboratory for irradiated material post irradiation analysis; neutron beams laboratory building with scientific equipment and instrumentation for researching; radiochemistry laboratory; radioactive waste treatment facility; support laboratories for operation and researching; and buildings for researchers and operators. This speech presents the RMB project status, giving some technical and management details on its development and its future perspectives for new jobs in research activities for the Brazilian technical and scientific community. (author)

The Brazilian Multipurpose Reactor (RMB) Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perrotta, Jose Augusto

2012-01-01

Full text: The Plan of Action on Science, Technology and Innovation (PACT 2007-2010) of the Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation (MCTI), aligned to the governmental strategies for the Brazilian Nuclear Program, established as a goal the study and definition of the Brazilian Multipurpose Reactor (RMB). The RMB research reactor is designed to perform three main functions: radioisotope production for medicine, industry, agriculture and environmental applications; fuel and material irradiation testing in support to the Brazilian nuclear energy program; and to provide neutron beams for scientific and applied research. The main project facilities are: nuclear pool type reactor with a flux level compatible to the multipurpose uses; hot cells laboratory for Mo-99 and I-131 processing; hot cells laboratory for radioisotope processing; hot cells laboratory for irradiated material post irradiation analysis; neutron beams laboratory building with scientific equipment and instrumentation for researching; radiochemistry laboratory; radioactive waste treatment facility; support laboratories for operation and researching; and buildings for researchers and operators. This speech presents the RMB project status, giving some technical and management details on its development and its future perspectives for new jobs in research activities for the Brazilian technical and scientific community. (author)

Sports injuries in Brazilian blind footballers.

Science.gov (United States)

Magno e Silva, M P; Morato, M P; Bilzon, J L J; Duarte, E

2013-03-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the characteristics and prevalence of sports-related injuries in visually disabled athletes of the Brazilian football 5-a-side team. The participants were 13 male athletes, all classified as B1 visual class, members of the Brazilian team, who played in five consecutive international competitions. Data were collected using the Brazilian Paralympic Committee and the Brazilian Confederation of Sports for the Blind report form. From the total of 13 athletes, 11 succumbed to some form of injury during the 5 competitions, which incorporated 23 matches, representing a prevalence of 84.6%. A total of 35 sports injuries were recorded, giving a clinical incidence of 2.7 injuries per athlete and an injury risk of 0.85 and an incidence rate of 0.12 injuries per match. Traumatic injuries (80%) were more common than overuse injuries (20%) (psports-related injuries in 5-a-side football in blind athletes. The results are important in guiding strategies to inform the implementation of preventive pathways and provide a strong rationale for the compulsory use of additional protective equipment. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

The Brazilian business and growth cycles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chauvet Marcelle

2002-01-01

Full Text Available This paper uses several produceres to date and analyse the Brazilian business and growth cycles. In particular, a Markov switching model is fitted to quarterly and annual real production data. The smoothed probabilities of the Markov states are used as predictive rules to define different phases of cyclical fluctuations of real Brazilian production. The results are compared with different non-parametric rules. All methods implemented yield similar dating and reveal asymmetries across the different states of the Brazilian business and growth cycles, in which slowdowns and recessions are short and abrupt, while high growth phases and expansions are longer and less steep. The resulting dating of the Brazilian economic cycles can be used as a reference point for construction and evaluation of the predictive performance of coincident, leading, or lagging indicators of economic activity. In addition, the filtered probabilities obtained from the Markov switching model allow early recognition of the transition to a new business cycle phase, wich can be used, for example, for evaluation of the adequate strength and timing of countercyclical policies, for reassessment of projected sales or profits by businesses and investors, or for monitoring of inflation pressures.

Is there publication bias towards brazilian articles on cancer?

Science.gov (United States)

Loureiro, Luiz Victor Maia; Callegaro, Donato; Rocha, Altieres de Arruda; Prado, Bernard Lobato; Mutão, Taciana Sousa; Donnarumma, Carlos del Cistia; del Giglio, Auro

2013-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective: To investigate whether Brazilian articles on cancer are published in journals with an impact factor and/or repercussion (measured by the number of citations) inferior to those that come from foreign organizations. Methods: A search was carried out in PubMed for the MeSH term “neoplasm” with the limits clinical trial, affiliation of the Brazilian author(s), and interval from July 1st, 2009 to June 30, 2010. Selected for matching were non-Brazilian related articles published from three months prior to three months after the date of publication of the Brazilian study. The numbers of citations were obtained from two databases, as well as the impact factor for the journals in which the articles were published. Results: Fortythree national and 876 related international articles were identified. The Brazilian publications had a mean impact factor of 3.000 versus 3.430 of the international ones (p=0.041). There was no statistically significant difference as to the number of citations between the two groups. The affiliation of the first author with a Brazilian or foreign organization did not significantly influence the number of citations or the impact factor. Conclusion: Brazilian articles are significantly less accepted in journals with higher impact factors, although it does not compromise its repercussion on the scientific community. PMID:23579739

RMB. The new Brazilian multipurpose research reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perrotta, Jose Augusto; Soares, Adalberto Jose

2015-01-01

Brazil has four research reactors (RR) in operation: IEA-R1, a 5 MW pool type RR; IPR-R1, a 100 kW TRIGA type RR; ARGONAUTA, a 500 W Argonaut type RR, and IPEN/MB-01, a 100 W critical facility. The first three were constructed in the 50's and 60's, for teaching, training, and nuclear research, and for many years they were the basic infrastructure for the Brazilian nuclear developing program. The last, IPEN/MB-01, is the result of a national project developed specifically for qualification of reactor physics codes. Considering the relative low power of Brazilian research reactors, with exception of IEAR1, none of the other reactors are feasible for radioisotope production, and even IEA-R1 has a limited capacity. As a consequence, since long ago, 100% of the Mo-99 needed to attend Brazilian nuclear medicine services has been imported. Because of the high dependence on external supply, the international Moly-99 supply crisis that occurred in 2008/2009 affected significantly Brazilian nuclear medicine services, and as presented in previous IAEA events, in 2010 Brazilian government formalized the decision to build a new research reactor. The new reactor named RMB (Brazilian Multipurpose Reactor) will be a 30 MW open pool type reactor, using low enriched uranium fuel. The facility will be part of a new nuclear research centre, to be built about 100 kilometres from Sao Paulo city, in the southern part of Brazil. The new nuclear research centre will have several facilities, to use thermal and cold neutron beams; to produce radioisotopes; to perform neutron activation analysis; and to perform irradiations tests of materials and fuels of interest for the Brazilian nuclear program. An additional facility will be used to store, for at least 100 years, all the fuel used in the reactor. The paper describes the main characteristics of the new centre, emphasising the research reactor and giving a brief description of the laboratories that will be constructed, It also presents the

RMB. The new Brazilian multipurpose research reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perrotta, Jose Augusto; Soares, Adalberto Jose [Comissao Nacional de Energia Nuclear (CNEN) (Brazil)

2015-01-15

Brazil has four research reactors (RR) in operation: IEA-R1, a 5 MW pool type RR; IPR-R1, a 100 kW TRIGA type RR; ARGONAUTA, a 500 W Argonaut type RR, and IPEN/MB-01, a 100 W critical facility. The first three were constructed in the 50's and 60's, for teaching, training, and nuclear research, and for many years they were the basic infrastructure for the Brazilian nuclear developing program. The last, IPEN/MB-01, is the result of a national project developed specifically for qualification of reactor physics codes. Considering the relative low power of Brazilian research reactors, with exception of IEAR1, none of the other reactors are feasible for radioisotope production, and even IEA-R1 has a limited capacity. As a consequence, since long ago, 100% of the Mo-99 needed to attend Brazilian nuclear medicine services has been imported. Because of the high dependence on external supply, the international Moly-99 supply crisis that occurred in 2008/2009 affected significantly Brazilian nuclear medicine services, and as presented in previous IAEA events, in 2010 Brazilian government formalized the decision to build a new research reactor. The new reactor named RMB (Brazilian Multipurpose Reactor) will be a 30 MW open pool type reactor, using low enriched uranium fuel. The facility will be part of a new nuclear research centre, to be built about 100 kilometres from Sao Paulo city, in the southern part of Brazil. The new nuclear research centre will have several facilities, to use thermal and cold neutron beams; to produce radioisotopes; to perform neutron activation analysis; and to perform irradiations tests of materials and fuels of interest for the Brazilian nuclear program. An additional facility will be used to store, for at least 100 years, all the fuel used in the reactor. The paper describes the main characteristics of the new centre, emphasising the research reactor and giving a brief description of the laboratories that will be constructed, It also

Implementation of the Brazilian national repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tello, Cledola Cassia Oliveira de

2013-01-01

Ionizing radiation in Brazil is used in electricity generation, medicine, industry, agriculture and for research and development purposes. All these activities can generate radioactive waste. At this point, in Brazil, the use of nuclear energy and radioisotopes justifies the construction of a national repository for radioactive wastes of low and intermediate-level. According to Federal Law No. 10308, Brazilian National Commission for Nuclear Energy (CNEN) is responsible for designing and constructing the intermediate and final storages for radioactive wastes. Additionally, a restriction on the construction of Angra 3 is that the repository is under construction until its operation start, attaining some requirements of the Brazilian Environmental Regulator (IBAMA). The RBMN Project (Repository for Low and Intermediate-Level Radioactive Wastes) aims at the implantation of a National Repository for disposal of low and intermediate-level of radiation wastes. This Project has some aspects that are unique in the Brazilian context, especially referring to the time between its construction and the end of its institutional period. This time is about 360 years, when the area will be released for unrestricted uses. It means that the Repository must be safe and secure for more than three hundred years, which is longer than half of the whole of Brazilian history. This aspect is very new for the Brazilian people, bringing a new dimension to public acceptance. Another point is this will be the first repository in South America, bringing a real challenge for the continent. The current status of the Project is summarized. (author)

Biochemical composition and antioxidant properties of Lavandula angustifolia Miller essential oil are shielded by propolis against UV radiations.

Science.gov (United States)

Gismondi, Angelo; Angelo, Gismondi; Canuti, Lorena; Lorena, Canuti; Grispo, Marta; Marta, Grispo; Canini, Antonella; Antonella, Canini

2014-01-01

UV radiations are principal causes of skin cancer and aging. Suntan creams were developed to protect epidermis and derma layers against photodegradation and photooxidation. The addition of antioxidant plant extracts (i.e. essential oil) to sunscreens is habitually performed, to increase their UV protective effects and to contrast pro-radical and cytotoxic compounds present in these solutions. According to these observations, in the present work, the alteration of chemical composition and bioactive properties of Lavandula angustifolia Miller essential oil, exposed to UV light, was investigated. UV induced a significant deterioration of lavender oil biochemical profile. Moreover, the antioxidant activity of this solution, in in vitro tests and directly on B16-F10 melanoma cells, greatly decreased after UV treatment. Our results also showed that essential oil was shielded from UV stress by propolis addition. Even after UV treatment, bee glue highly protected lavender oil secondary metabolites from degradation and also preserved their antiradical properties, both in in vitro antioxidant assays and in cell oxidative damage evaluations. This research proposed propolis as highly efficient UV protective and antiradical additive for sunscreens, cosmetics and alimentary or pharmaceutical products containing plant extracts. © 2013 The American Society of Photobiology.

The Brazilian Back Complaints in the Elders (Brazilian BACE) study: characteristics of Brazilian older adults with a new episode of low back pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Jesus-Moraleida, Fabianna Resende De; Ferreira, Paulo Henrique; Ferreira, Manuela Loureiro; Silva, Juscelio Pereira Da; Assis, Marcella Guimarães; Pereira, Leani Souza Máximo

Low back pain (LBP) is little explored in the aging population especially when considering age-relevant and culturally dependent outcomes. We aimed to describe socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of Brazilian older people with a new episode of LBP presenting to primary care. We sourced baseline information on socio-demographic, pain-related and clinical characteristics from 602 older adults from the Brazilian Back Complaints in the Elders (Brazilian BACE) study. We analyzed differences in pain, disability, functional capacity and psychosocial factors between sub-groups based on age (i.e. participants aged 55-74 or ≥75 years), education (i.e. those with four years or less of schooling or those with more than four years of schooling) and income (i.e. participants who reported earning two or less minimal wages or three and more). Participants presented severe LBP (7.18/10, SD: 2.59). Younger participants were slightly more disabled (mean difference 1.29 points, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.03/5.56), reporting poorer physical health, and less fall-related self-efficacy (mean difference of 2.41, 95% CI 0.35/4.46). Those less educated, and those with income equal or less than two minimum wages had more disability, pain catastrophizing and worse functional capacity. This was the first study showing that Brazilian older adults with LBP present high levels of functional disability and psychological distress, especially those with low socioeconomic status. Copyright © 2017 Associação Brasileira de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Fisioterapia. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Brazilian energy statistics - 1988. Annual bulletin of the Brazilian National Committee of the World Energy Conference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-01-01

This bulletin deals with the primary sources that carry most weight in the Brazilian energy balance: hydraulic energy, petroleum, natural gas and coal. It contains data on ethyl alcohol derived from sugar cane and some information about the Brazilian Action Plan for the petroleum sector, nuclear energy, ecology and Chernobyl. Graphs, annual statistics and long range data of electric power, petroleum and derivates, natural gas, coal and alcohol are also included. 19 figs., 15 tabs

Brazilian energy balance 2006: calendar year 2005

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-01-01

This report shows the energy flows of different primary and secondary sources, from the production to the final consumption in all the sectors of the Brazilian economy, for the calendar year 2006. It is divided into nine chapters: energy analysis and aggregated data; energy supply and consumption by source 1990/2005; energy consumption by sector 1990/2005; energy import and export 1990/2005; transformation center balances 1990/2005; Brazilian energy resources and reserves 1974/2005; energy and socio-economic 1990/2005; federal states data and appendices including installed capacity; world energy data; general structure of the Brazilian Energy Balance; treatment of information; conversion units and consolidated Energy Balance 1970-2005

Cesium accumulation in native trees from the Brazilian Cerrado

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franca, E.J.D.; Miranda, M.V.F.E.S.; Santos, T.O.; Cantinha, R.S.; Fernandes, E.A.D.N.

2016-01-01

Even considered not essential for plants, cesium may cycle within forest ecosystems. Taking into account the lack of knowledge on the distribution of this chemical element in Brazilian ecosystems, this work encompasses the unexpected cesium accumulation in native plant leaves from Cerradao, a Brazilian hotspot of world biodiversity. Some trees were Cs accumulators, achieving mass fractions in leaves 700 times higher (up to 12.7 mg kg -1 ) when compared to other Brazilian native tree leaves from the Atlantic Forest. In fact, such trace element accumulation in leaves was not previously noticed for Brazilian ecosystems despite the intra- and inter-species variability observed in Cerrado tree leaves. (author)

Breast cancer screening: updated recommendations of the Brazilian College of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, Brazilian Breast Disease Society, and Brazilian Federation of Gynecological and Obstetrical Associations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Linei Augusta Brolini Dellê Urban

Full Text Available Abstract Objective: To present the current recommendations for breast cancer screening in Brazil, as devised by the Brazilian College of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, the Brazilian Breast Disease Society, and the Brazilian Federation of Gynecological and Obstetrical Associations. Materials and methods: We analyzed scientific studies available in the Medline and Lilacs databases. In the absence of evidence, the recommendations reflected the consensus of a panel of experts. Recommendations: Annual mammography screening is recommended for women 40-74 years of age. Among women ≥ 75 years of age, annual mammography screening should be reserved for those with an expected survival > 7 years. Complementary ultrasound should be considered for women with dense breasts. Complementary magnetic resonance imaging is recommended for women at high risk. When available, an advanced form of mammography known as tomosynthesis can be considered as a means of screening for breast cancer.

Efficacy of Elaeagnus angustifolia Topical Gel in the Treatment of Symptomatic Oral Lichen Planus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jamileh Beigom Taheri

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Background and aims. The purpose of this study was to determine efficacy of 19% Elaeagnus angustifolia (EA topical gel in the treatment of symptomatic oral lichen planus. Materials and methods. Patients with symptomatic oral lichen planus referring to the Department of Oral Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences were asked to participate in the study. Twenty-eight patients who were histopathologically diagnosed with lichen planus were divided into two groups (15 in the case and 13 in the control groups. The subjects were randomly assigned to either topical gel of EA or placebo in a double-blind manner. They were then instructed to apply the medication on dried lesions three times daily. Pain and size of the lesions were evaluated after 2 weeks. Data were analyzed by SPSS 12.0 software, using t-test, paired t-test, Fisher’s exact test and chi-square test. Results. Twenty-eight patients (m/f: 7/21 with symptomatic oral lichen planus participated in the study. Fifteen patients (m/f: 4/11 received E A gel and 13 patients (m/f: 3/10 received placebo. There was a 75% decrease in pain (33.3% in the case and 7.7% in the control groups, and a decrease of 50% in size (33.3% in the case group and 75% only in 7.6% of the case group. Conclusion. The results suggest that 19% EA gel is efficient in the treatment of symptomatic oral lichen planus, with antiinflammatory and analgesic effects, as well.

Transcultural Diabetes Nutrition Algorithm: Brazilian Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fabio Moura

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The prevalence of obesity, pre-diabetes, and type 2 diabetes (T2D is increasing worldwide, especially in the developing nations of South America. Brazil has experienced an exponential increase in the prevalence of these chronic non-communicable diseases. The rising prevalence is probably due to changing eating patterns, sedentary living, and a progressive aging of the population. These trends and their underlying causes carry untoward consequences for all Brazilians and the future of Brazilian public health and the healthcare system. Lifestyle changes that include healthy eating (nutrition therapy and regular physical activity (structured exercise represent efficient inexpensive measures to prevent and/or treat the aforementioned disorders and are recommended for all afflicted patients. Regrettably, the implementation of lifestyle changes is fraught with clinical and personal challenges in real life. The transcultural Diabetes Nutrition Algorithm (tDNA is a therapeutic tool intended to foster implementation of lifestyle recommendations and to improve disease-related outcomes in common clinical settings. It is evidence-based and amenable to cultural adaptation. The Brazilian Diabetes Association, Society of Cardiology and Ministry of Health guidelines for nutrition therapy and physical exercise were considered for the Brazilian adaptation. The resultant tDNA-Brazil and its underlying recommendations are presented and explained.

Earning management in Brazilian financial institutions

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Adriana Bruscato Bortoluzzo

2016-06-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The present study aims to study earnings management in a significant sample of 123 banks in the Brazilian market between 2001 and 2012. Given the important role that banks play in a country's economy, it is important to understand that there are discretionary factors involved in the reporting of a financial institution's profitability. Credit provisioning guidelines for Brazilian financial institutions are described in Resolution 2682/99 of the National Monetary Council (Conselho Monetário Nacional. Because of the discretion allowed in this resolution, loan loss provision is used as instrument of earnings management, which is not an illegal practice, but this behavior does affect the risk perception of agents and analysts, and they should be aware of it and understand it. We found that credit provisioning is used as an earnings management mechanism to smooth the net income of Brazilian financial institutions. Brazilian banks tend to avoid not only negative net income pre-loan loss provisions and taxes, but also negative net income pre-loan loss provisions and taxes in relation to the previous period. Contrary to the previous studies, it is not clear if banks avoid lower net income pre-loan loss provisions and taxes than a given peer group.

Comparison of phenolic acids and flavonoids contents in various cultivars and parts of common lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) derived from Poland.

Science.gov (United States)

Adaszyńska-Skwirzyńska, M; Dzięcioł, M

2017-11-01

The aim of study was to compare the content of phenolic acids and flavonoids in two cultivars of Lavandula angustifolia: 'Blue River' and 'Ellagance Purple', including flowers and leafy stalks. Total phenolics and total flavonoids contents were determined by UV-Vis spectroscopy. The contents of total phenolics in leafy stalks (3.71-4.06 mg g -1 d.m.) were higher than in flowers (1.13-1.14 mg g -1 d.m.). Similarly, higher total contents of flavonoids were determined in leafy stalks (3.41-3.51 mg g -1 d.m.), as compared with flowers (0.86-0.91 mg g -1 d.m.). Phenolic acids and flavonoids were identified and quantified using HPLC and UPLC methods. Three phenolic acids were determined: rosmarinic, ferulic and caffeic acid. Lavender extracts contained also flavonoids from group of apigenin, luteolin and quercetin. Higher amounts of luteolin diglucuronide and luteolin glucuronide were found in leafy stalks in comparison to flowers. Obtained results indicate that leafy stalks of lavender can be also valuable source of antioxidant compounds.

Co-processed extracts of Cassia angustifolia Vahl, Fabaceae, and Maytenus ilicifolia (Schrad. Planch., Celastraceae, for production of high load tablets

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Verônica M. L. Alves

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of a co-processing technique for improving the manufacturing properties of Maytenus ilicifolia (Schrad. Planch., Celastraceae, and Cassia angustifolia Vahl, Fabaceae, extracts in order to obtain tablets containing a high dose of such extracts. An experimental mixture design was used to optimise the formulation composition. Flowability parameters, such as compressibility index, time flow and angle of repose, were determined. Additional important industrial parameters, such as granulometry, bulk density and moisture stability, were also studied. The results demonstrated that co-processing technique was able to improve the flowability of vegetal extracts, making these materials suitable for a direct compression process. The contour plots revealed that formulations with a higher amount of lactose produced the best flow results as well as a larger particle size and a greater bulk density. Tablets from co-processed extracts containing lactose as majority diluent showed appropriate physical-chemical characteristics and presented a more stable moisture sorption behaviour compared to commercial gelatine capsules.

REPELLENCE OF NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC SUBSTANCES TO THE CONSUMING WILD MAMMALS OF Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol. Kuntze SEEDS AT FIELD SOWING

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Guilherme O. S. Ferraz de Arruda

2009-10-01

Full Text Available This work aimed at testing some natural and synthetic substances, not phytotoxics and not lethal for the fauna, to verify the repellence action for the consuming wild animals of Parana-Pine seeds, in two direct sowing experiments in the field. In experiment I, there was the direct application of the treatments in the Parana-Pine seeds and, in the experiment II, there was the application of the treatments only in the surface of the plantation hollows, after the sowing of Parana-Pine seeds. The Parana-Pine seeds and the treatments were prepared at Laboratory of Center of Agroveterinary Sciences, University of Santa Catarina State, at Lages city, Brazil. The experiments were carried to a native-antropic field area at Lages city. It was adopted the experimental design of randomized blocks for both experiments. Experiment I was composed of 15 treatments, 10 seeds per treatment, with 4 replications, and experiment II was composed of 11 treatments, 10 seeds per treatment, with 4 replications. The tested substances, isolated or in mixtures, were: fruit of red pepper, root of parsley, stem and leaf of wormwood herb, lemon scented gum essential oil, linseed oil, castor bean oil, rosin, copper oxychloride, copper sulphate, sulphur, látex ink and calcium lignosulfonate. Through the periodic inspections, during 167 and 165 days respectively for the experiments I and II, data were collected and organized through the attacked and not attacked Paraná-Pine seeds, being submitted to statistical analysis later. The predation rates were considered high for both experiments: 86,7% in experiment I and 84,3% in experiment II. In the experiment with treated Parana-Pine seeds, the longer time for the beginning of the predation was 104 days after the sowing, while, in the experiment with treatment in the environment (hollows, it was 64 days after the sowing. Solution of rosin and alcohol + lemon scented gum oil, applied in the seeds, presented potential for reduction of the predation level. The treatments with linseed oil presented changeable behaviors, equally to the treatments with latex ink, in the experiment with treated Parana-Pine seeds. In the experiment with treated hollows, the lignosulfonate of calcium in mixture with extracts of pepper, with root of parsley and with wormwood herb presented significant effect of reduction on the predation. The solution of linseed with red pepper extracts and with root of parsley extract also had significant effect for reduction of the predation of these seeds, in the experiment with treated hollows.

Brazilian minerals annual report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1977-01-01

Statistics of Brazilian mineral resources and production in 1977 are presented. Data included refer also to economic aspects, market, taxes, government incentives, manpower, exportation, importation, etc [pt

Phytochemical Screening and Biological Activity of Mentha × piperita L. and Lavandula angustifolia Mill. Extracts

Science.gov (United States)

Alexa, Ersilia; Radulov, Isidora; Obistioiu, Diana; Sumalan, Renata Maria; Morar, Adriana

2018-01-01

The present study aimed to investigate the phytochemical composition of Mentha × piperita L. (MP) and Lavandula angustifolia Mill. (LA) extracts in terms of hydroxycinnamic acid (HCAs) content, in particular, caffeic (CA), p-cumaric (CU), ferulic (FE), and rosmarinic (RS) acids using LC-MS. Also, the in vitro antimicrobial effect against Staphylococcus aureus and the antiproliferative activity against two cancerous cell lines (A375 and MDA-MB-231) using the MTT assay were tested. The extracts were prepared using aromatic water which resulted from the extraction of oils from plants as extraction medium, with/without acid. The results showed that RS and FE represent the majority of HCAs compounds; the highest content of FE is found in LA (7.47 mg·g–1d.m.), and the maximum content of RS in MP (6.36 mg·g–1d.m.). Regarding the antimicrobial effect against Staphylococcus aureus, the two extracts showed a simulative role on the growth rate of Staphyloccocus aureus, but a slightly inhibitory effect (69.12%) can be attributed to the acidic environment. In terms of biological activity against MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma cell line, and A375 human melanoma cell line, at the highest employed concentration, 150 μg·mL–1, the tested extracts present a weak antiproliferative effect. PMID:29552454

ANGUSTIFOLIA mediates one of the multiple SCRAMBLED signaling pathways regulating cell growth pattern in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwak, Su-Hwan; Song, Sang-Kee; Lee, Myeong Min; Schiefelbein, John

2015-09-25

In Arabidopsis thaliana, an atypical leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinase, SCRAMBLED (SCM), is required for multiple developmental processes including root epidermal cell fate determination, silique dehiscence, inflorescence growth, ovule morphogenesis, and tissue morphology. Previous work suggested that SCM regulates these multiple pathways using distinct mechanisms via interactions with specific downstream factors. ANGUSTIFOLIA (AN) is known to regulate cell and tissue morphogenesis by influencing cortical microtubule arrangement, and recently, the AN protein was reported to interact with the SCM protein. Therefore, we examined whether AN might be responsible for mediating some of the SCM-dependent phenotypes. We discovered that both scm and an mutant lines cause an abnormal spiral or twisting growth of roots, but only the scm mutant affected root epidermal patterning. The siliques of the an and scm mutants also exhibited spiral growth, as previously reported, but only the scm mutant altered silique dehiscence. Interestingly, we discovered that the spiral growth of roots and siliques of the scm mutant is rescued by a truncated SCM protein that lacks its kinase domain, and that a juxtamembrane domain of SCM was sufficient for AN binding in the yeast two-hybrid analysis. These results suggest that the AN protein is one of the critical downstream factors of SCM pathways specifically responsible for mediating its effects on cell/tissue morphogenesis through cortical microtubule arrangement. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Phytochemical Screening and Biological Activity of Mentha × piperita L. and Lavandula angustifolia Mill. Extracts

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Ersilia Alexa

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The present study aimed to investigate the phytochemical composition of Mentha × piperita L. (MP and Lavandula angustifolia Mill. (LA extracts in terms of hydroxycinnamic acid (HCAs content, in particular, caffeic (CA, p-cumaric (CU, ferulic (FE, and rosmarinic (RS acids using LC-MS. Also, the in vitro antimicrobial effect against Staphylococcus aureus and the antiproliferative activity against two cancerous cell lines (A375 and MDA-MB-231 using the MTT assay were tested. The extracts were prepared using aromatic water which resulted from the extraction of oils from plants as extraction medium, with/without acid. The results showed that RS and FE represent the majority of HCAs compounds; the highest content of FE is found in LA (7.47 mg·g–1d.m., and the maximum content of RS in MP (6.36 mg·g–1d.m.. Regarding the antimicrobial effect against Staphylococcus aureus, the two extracts showed a simulative role on the growth rate of Staphyloccocus aureus, but a slightly inhibitory effect (69.12% can be attributed to the acidic environment. In terms of biological activity against MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma cell line, and A375 human melanoma cell line, at the highest employed concentration, 150 μg·mL–1, the tested extracts present a weak antiproliferative effect.

Environmental heterogeneity explains the genetic structure of Continental and Mediterranean populations of Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl.

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Martina Temunović

Full Text Available Tree species with wide distributions often exhibit different levels of genetic structuring correlated to their environment. However, understanding how environmental heterogeneity influences genetic variation is difficult because the effects of gene flow, drift and selection are confounded. We investigated the genetic variation and its ecological correlates in a wind-pollinated Mediterranean tree species, Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl, within a recognised glacial refugium in Croatia. We sampled 11 populations from environmentally divergent habitats within the Continental and Mediterranean biogeographical regions. We combined genetic data analyses based on nuclear microsatellite loci, multivariate statistics on environmental data and ecological niche modelling (ENM. We identified a geographic structure with a high genetic diversity and low differentiation in the Continental region, which contrasted with the significantly lower genetic diversity and higher population divergence in the Mediterranean region. The positive and significant correlation between environmental and genetic distances after controlling for geographic distance suggests an important influence of ecological divergence of the sites in shaping genetic variation. The ENM provided support for niche differentiation between the populations from the Continental and Mediterranean regions, suggesting that contemporary populations may represent two divergent ecotypes. Ecotype differentiation was also supported by multivariate environmental and genetic distance analyses. Our results suggest that despite extensive gene flow in continental areas, long-term stability of heterogeneous environments have likely promoted genetic divergence of ashes in this region and can explain the present-day genetic variation patterns of these ancient populations.

Brazilian Studies Then and Now

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Anthony Pereira

2012-09-01

Full Text Available In 1912 the Brazilian diplomat and scholar Manuel de Oliveira Lima gave six lectures at Stanford University that encapsulated his views of what we now call Brazilian Studies. This article summarizes Oliveira Lima’s lectures. It then points out three aspects of Oliveira Lima’s worldview that are problematic from the perspective of the twenty-first century: his Eurocentrism; the unproblematic nature of the nation-state in his thinking; and his largely negative view of Brazil’s racial heritage. The third part of the essay analyzes three aspects of Oliveira Lima’s lectures that are still contemporary. These are the need to establish an adequate comparative context for the study of Brazil; the difficulty of justifying an academic discipline that revolves around the study of a single country; and the challenge of uniting disparate and specialized disciplines in order to appreciate Brazil’s complexity and trajectory in the modern world. In the conclusion, some guidelines for maintaining Brazilian Studies as a vibrant field are suggested.

Brazilian and Cape Verdian literatures for Afro-Brazilian learning

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Norma Sueli Rosa Lima

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This article proposes to examine the dialogue between the literary produc-tions from Brazil and Cape Verde from the point of view of the role and representation of orality (Creole / Brazilian Portuguese, colonial and post-colonial perspectives and their cultural and ethnic specificities.---DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.21881/abriluff.2016n17a385

Competitiveness in the Brazilian oil industry. The Brazilian 'oil diamond'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zamith, R.; Moutinho Dos Santos, E.

2000-01-01

It is recognized the economic benefits that might follow the opening process of the Brazilian oil and natural gas industry, which shall experience a fast expansion with the arrival of national and international private investors. However, we should not neglect the broader impact of this process on the future development of all that cluster of national agents that lived around and served the former national oil monopoly, managed by the Brazilian National Oil Company, Petrobras. This work focuses on this larger perspective, discussing about the capacity of Brazil to sustain and expand its competitiveness in the oil business as well as to obtain the maximum economic development from the exploration of its oil and gas reserves. We adopt the work of Michael Porter, from the University of Harvard, about the Competitive Advantage of Nations, as a theoretical model to analyze the Competitive Advantage of Brazil in the global oil industry. By introducing the concept of ''oil diamond'', adapted from the notion introduced by this author, we develop a new understanding of national competitiveness in the oil sector. In this paper, we present the general model as well as a brief characterization of the results found for Brazil Subsequently, we focus on just one leg of the model, for which we discuss, with more detail, about the competitive condition of the country in the opening-up scenario. This leg regards the so-called supporting and supplementary industries that constitute what is denominated in the French tradition the ''para petroleum'' industry. We analyze the conditions for the Brazilian domestic ''para petroleum industry'' to survive and grow in the new competitive environment. (authors)

Use of bioremediation and treatment of wetland for remediation of the accidental crude-oil spill of July 16, 2000 at the Petrobras Refinery Refinaria Presidente Getulio Vargas (REPAR), Araucaria, PR, Brazil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Millette, D. [Hydrogeo Plus Inc., Montreal, PQ (Canada); Falkiewicz, F.; Zamberlan, E. [Petrobras-REPAR, Araucaria (Brazil); Campos Carvalho, F.J.P. de [Universidade Federal do Parana, Curifiba (Brazil). Dept. de Solos; Neto, A.C.B.; Caicedo, N.O.L.; Motta Marques, D. [Universidad Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre (Brazil). Instituto de pesquisas hidraulicas; Linhares, M. [Petrobras, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

2003-07-01

On July 16, 2000, a pipeline supplying oil to the PETROBRAS refinery Refinaria Presidente Getulio Vargas-REPAR, located in Araucaria, Brazil, ruptured. The resulting oil spill involved approximately 4 million litres of crude oil. Workers managed to retain a vast quantity of oil within a two-kilometre area called Ponto O. The banks and floodplain of a small stream, the Arroio Saldanha, were contaminated, as well as the soil of four small wetlands. The authors presented an overview of the remediation program implemented. They focused on the soil bioremediation and treatment of wetland programs. Some of the remediation technologies used were: in situ bioremediation, injection and recovery trenches, and treatment of wetland in the vicinity of the discharge. Most of the free product from the sector adjacent to the spill site seems to have been removed by the recovery trenches. The preliminary data obtained from soil monitoring points to the efficiency of in situ bioremediation. Wetland vegetation was successfully restored and hydrocarbons appear to have been removed from the groundwater. 2 figs.

The Corporate Governance of Privately Controlled Brazilian Firms

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Érica C. R. Gorga

2009-09-01

Full Text Available We provide an overview of the corporate governance practices of Brazilian public companies, based primarily on an extensive 2005 survey of 116 companies. We focus on the 88 responding Brazilian private firms which are not majority owned by the state or a foreign company. We identify areas where Brazilian corporate governance is relatively strong and weak. Board independence is an area of weakness: The boards of most Brazilian private firms are comprised entirely or almost entirely of insiders or representatives of the controlling family or group. Many firms have zero independent directors. At the same time, minority shareholders have legal rights to representation on the boards of many firms, and this representation is reasonably common. Financial disclosure lags behind world standards. Only a minority of firms provide a statement of cash flows or consolidated financial statements. However, many provide English language financial statements, and an English language version of their website. Audit committees are uncommon, but many Brazilian firms use an alternate approach to ensuring financial statement accuracy – establishing a fiscal board. A minority of firms provide takeout rights to minority shareholders on a sale of control. Controlling shareholders often use shareholders agreements to ensure control.

Brazilian sandy beaches: characteristics, ecosystem services, impacts, knowledge and priorities

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Antonia Cecília Zacagnini Amaral

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Sandy beaches constitute a key ecosystem and provide socioeconomic goods and services, thereby playing an important role in the maintenance of human populations and in biodiversity conservation. Despite the ecological and social importance of these ecosytems, Brazilian sandy beaches are significantly impacted by human interference, chemical and organic pollution and tourism, as well as global climate change. These factors drive the need to better understand the environmental change and its consequences for biota. To promote the implementation of integrated studies to detect the effects of regional and global environmental change on beaches and on other benthic habitats of the Brazilian coast, Brazilian marine researchers have established The Coastal Benthic Habitats Monitoring Network (ReBentos. In order to provide input for sample planning by ReBentos, we have conducted an intensive review of the studies conducted on Brazilian beaches and summarized the current knowledge about this environment. In this paper, we present the results of this review and describe the physical, biological and socioeconomics features of Brazilian beaches. We have used these results, our personal experience and worldwide literature to identify research projects that should be prioritized in the assessment of regional and global change on Brazilian sandy beaches. We trust that this paper will provide insights for future studies and represent a significant step towards the conservation of Brazilian beaches and their biodiversity.

Review of the Brazilian experience in the licensing of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lederman, L.; Laborne, J.J.

1983-01-01

Survey of the licensing of the Brazilian Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) is presented. The organization and technical expertise of the Comissao Nacional de Energia Nuclear, the Brazilian Regulatory Body, is reviewed with regard to in-house experience, foreign consultants, agreements with regulatory bodies of other countries and research contracts with Brazilian univerisities. The application of the two-stage licensing process and the stage of development of Brazilian nuclear standards is described. Finally, the paper speculates about the future role of probabilistic risk assessment in the Brazilian licensing process

36th Brazilian Workshop on Nuclear Physics

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Brandão de Oliveira, José Roberto; Barbosa Shorto, Julian Marco; Higa, Renato

2014-01-01

The Brazilian Workshop on Nuclear Physics (RTFNB, acronym in Portuguese) is organized annually by the Brazilian Physics Society since 1978, in order to: promote Nuclear Physics research in the country; stimulate and reinforce collaborations among nuclear physicists from around the country; disseminate advances in nuclear physics research and its applications; disseminate, disclose and evaluate the scientific production in this field.

Brazilian uranium exploration program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marques, J.P.M.

1981-01-01

General information on Brazilian Uranium Exploration Program, are presented. The mineralization processes of uranium depoits are described and the economic power of Brazil uranium reserves is evaluated. (M.C.K.) [pt

5 Floristics and structure of a Mixed Rain Forest remnant on the Catarinense Plateau

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Carine Klauberg

2010-03-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to describe the floristics and the structure of tree species in the Parque Municipal Natural of Lages, SC, a remnant of mixed rain forest located in southern Brazil. For this, we allocated four plots (40 x 40m and each plot was divided into 16 sub-plots of 10 x 10m. Trees with dbh ≥ 5cm and height ≥ 1.3m were mapped, tagged and measured. The individuals were identified and voucher material was deposited in the herbarium. A total of 46 species were sampled, distributed in 39 genera and 27 families. The richest families in number of species were Myrtaceae, Lauraceae, Salicaceae and Sapindaceae. Seven species represented more than 60% of the total of individuals. The specific diversity was H’ = 3.05 nats.ind-1 (J’ = 0.81. The similarity among plots was 32 at 44%, indicating low similarity among plots. The spatial distribution of most of the species is classified as clumped, according to the Morisita index. This forest remains with a considerable richness and diversity with some endangered tree species such as Araucaria angustifolia and Dicksonia sellowiana. Due to its ecological importance for the local flora and fauna and the fragmentation process in the region, this remnant should be considered as a priority area for conservation.

Phytochemical and Ethno-Pharmacological Review of the Genus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Distribution, traditional uses, isolated chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of some common species of the genus Araucaria are reviewed in this paper. Almost 19 species belong to the genus, Araucaria. It is indigenous to North. America. Biflavanoid, diterpene, phenyl propanoid and lignans are abundant in ...

Structural Properties of the Brazilian Air Transportation Network.

Science.gov (United States)

Couto, Guilherme S; da Silva, Ana Paula Couto; Ruiz, Linnyer B; Benevenuto, Fabrício

2015-09-01

The air transportation network in a country has a great impact on the local, national and global economy. In this paper, we analyze the air transportation network in Brazil with complex network features to better understand its characteristics. In our analysis, we built networks composed either by national or by international flights. We also consider the network when both types of flights are put together. Interesting conclusions emerge from our analysis. For instance, Viracopos Airport (Campinas City) is the most central and connected airport on the national flights network. Any operational problem in this airport separates the Brazilian national network into six distinct subnetworks. Moreover, the Brazilian air transportation network exhibits small world characteristics and national connections network follows a power law distribution. Therefore, our analysis sheds light on the current Brazilian air transportation infrastructure, bringing a novel understanding that may help face the recent fast growth in the usage of the Brazilian transport network.

Structural Properties of the Brazilian Air Transportation Network

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GUILHERME S. COUTO

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The air transportation network in a country has a great impact on the local, national and global economy. In this paper, we analyze the air transportation network in Brazil with complex network features to better understand its characteristics. In our analysis, we built networks composed either by national or by international flights. We also consider the network when both types of flights are put together. Interesting conclusions emerge from our analysis. For instance, Viracopos Airport (Campinas City is the most central and connected airport on the national flights network. Any operational problem in this airport separates the Brazilian national network into six distinct subnetworks. Moreover, the Brazilian air transportation network exhibits small world characteristics and national connections network follows a power law distribution. Therefore, our analysis sheds light on the current Brazilian air transportation infrastructure, bringing a novel understanding that may help face the recent fast growth in the usage of the Brazilian transport network.

A genomics resource for investigating regulation of essential oil production in Lavandula angustifolia.

Science.gov (United States)

Lane, Alexander; Boecklemann, Astrid; Woronuk, Grant N; Sarker, Lukman; Mahmoud, Soheil S

2010-03-01

We are developing Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) as a model system for investigating molecular regulation of essential oil (a mixture of mono- and sesquiterpenes) production in plants. As an initial step toward building the necessary 'genomics toolbox' for this species, we constructed two cDNA libraries from lavender leaves and flowers, and obtained sequence information for 14,213 high-quality expressed sequence tags (ESTs). Based on homology to sequences present in GenBank, our EST collection contains orthologs for genes involved in the 1-deoxy-D: -xylulose-5-phosphate (DXP) and the mevalonic acid (MVA) pathways of terpenoid biosynthesis, and for known terpene synthases and prenyl transferases. To gain insight into the regulation of terpene metabolism in lavender flowers, we evaluated the transcriptional activity of the genes encoding for 1-deoxy-D: -xylulose-5-phosphate synthase (DXS) and HMG-CoA reductase (HMGR), which represent regulatory steps of the DXP and MVA pathways, respectively, in glandular trichomes (oil glands) by real-time PCR. While HMGR transcripts were barely detectable, DXS was heavily expressed in this tissue, indicating that essential oil constituents are predominantly produced through the DXP pathway in lavender glandular trichomes. As anticipated, the linalool synthase (LinS)-the gene responsible for the production of linalool, a major constituent of lavender essential oil-was also strongly expressed in glands. Surprisingly, the most abundant transcript in floral glandular trichomes corresponded to a sesquiterpene synthase (cadinene synthase, CadS), although sesquiterpenes are minor constituents of lavender essential oils. This result, coupled to the weak activity of the MVA pathway (the main route for sesquiterpene production) in trichomes, indicates that precursor supply may represent a bottleneck in the biosynthesis of sesquiterpenes in lavender flowers.

The Brazilian Twin Registry.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferreira, Paulo H; Oliveira, Vinicius C; Junqueira, Daniela R; Cisneros, Lígia C; Ferreira, Lucas C; Murphy, Kate; Ordoñana, Juan R; Hopper, John L; Teixeira-Salmela, Luci F

2016-12-01

The Brazilian Twin Registry (BTR) was established in 2013 and has impelled twin research in South America. The main aim of the initiative was to create a resource that would be accessible to the Brazilian scientific community as well as international researchers interested in the investigation of the contribution of genetic and environmental factors in the development of common diseases, phenotypes, and human behavior traits. The BTR is a joint effort between academic and governmental institutions from Brazil and Australia. The collaboration includes the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) in Brazil, the University of Sydney and University of Melbourne in Australia, the Australian Twin Registry, as well as the research foundations CNPq and CAPES in Brazil. The BTR is a member of the International Network of Twin Registries. Recruitment strategies used to register twins have been through participation in a longitudinal study investigating genetic and environmental factors for low back pain occurrence, and from a variety of sources including media campaigns and social networking. Currently, 291 twins are registered in the BTR, with data on demographics, zygosity, anthropometrics, and health history having been collected from 151 twins using a standardized self-reported questionnaire. Future BTR plans include the registration of thousands of Brazilian twins identified from different sources and collaborate nationally and internationally with other research groups interested on twin studies.

Indoor Air Quality in Brazilian Universities

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Sonia R. Jurado

2014-07-01

Full Text Available This study evaluated the indoor air quality in Brazilian universities by comparing thirty air-conditioned (AC (n = 15 and naturally ventilated (NV (n = 15 classrooms. The parameters of interest were indoor carbon dioxide (CO2, temperature, relative humidity (RH, wind speed, viable mold, and airborne dust levels. The NV rooms had larger concentration of mold than the AC rooms (1001.30 ± 125.16 and 367.00 ± 88.13 cfu/m3, respectively. The average indoor airborne dust concentration exceeded the Brazilian standards (<80 µg/m3 in both NV and AC classrooms. The levels of CO2 in the AC rooms were significantly different from the NV rooms (1433.62 ± 252.80 and 520.12 ± 37.25 ppm, respectively. The indoor air quality in Brazilian university classrooms affects the health of students. Therefore, indoor air pollution needs to be considered as an important public health problem.

From Gabriela to Juma: Female Erotic Images on Brazilian Soap Operas

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Luciana Rosar Fornazari Klanovicz

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This paper aims at discussing some images constituted as erotic on Brazilian television. The Brazilian soap operas Gabriela (Rede Globo, 1975, and Pantanal (Rede Manchete, 1990, and their main characters, Gabriela and Juma, will be analyzed in detail. The Veja Magazine had a most influent part in constituting such “erotic” subjects through the divulging and commenting of positive, seductive attributes on the bodies of the eroticized actresses. Gabriela and Juma are important characters because they support the stereotypes of a Brazilian sensuality and the strong mundane aspects, such as sex-appeal and dark bodies. The text explores the Brazilian television production (soap operas in order to map the images which have contributed to build the subjectively Brazilian eroticism.

Trust within Brazilian New Economy Organizations: an Empirical Investigation of Gender Effects Benchmarked on Brazilian Old Economy Organizations

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Marco Tulio Zanini

2009-07-01

Full Text Available It has been suggested that one of the negative aspects of the New Economy has been growing organizational survival-risk both at the firm and the sector levels. This precarious positioning of the firm has profoundly changed the work environment resulting in the dissolution of job-definition-boundaries, thereby raising the intensity of work and finally affecting the level and nature of trust in the workplace. This is the starting point for our study. Using a questionnaire developed by Gillespie, we investigated gender profiles concerning trust in Supervisors, Peers, and Team in the New and the Old Economies for Brazilian managers. The results show that, for the New Economy, Brazilian women are more willing to give trust to Supervisors whereas Brazilian men expressed higher levels of trust when dealing with Team members. The Peer results are mixed. For the Old Economy, men uniformly express higher levels of trust compared to women over all three reference groups. Finally, for gender matched comparisons, those working in the Brazilian Old Economy firms express higher levels of trust compared to their counterparts in the New Economy independent of gender or time worked. We conclude by discussing the control implications of the above results.

Rapid naming, phonological memory and reading fluency in Brazilian bilingual students.

Science.gov (United States)

Fleury, Fernanda Oppenheimer; Avila, Clara Regina Brandão de

2015-01-01

To characterize the performance of Brazilian students exposed to two languages in reading fluency, phonological memory, and rapid naming, according to grade level, and to investigate correlations between these variables. Sixty students took part in this study (50% female), enrolled in the third to the fifth grades of two elementary schools of the city of São Paulo. They constituted two groups - bilingual group: 30 Brazilian children whose mother tongue and language spoken at home was Brazilian Portuguese and who were daily exposed to English at school for a period not shorter than three years; monolingual group: 30 students, from a monolingual Brazilian elementary school, who were paired by gender, age, and grade level with the bilingual students. Foreign children, children with complaint or indication of speech and language disorder, or who had been retained were excluded. A rapid automatized naming, pseudoword repetition, and oral reading tests were administered. The bilingual children were assessed in both languages and their performances were compared among themselves and with the monolingual group, which was only assessed in Brazilian Portuguese. The bilingual group showed better performance in English, rapid naming, and pseudoword repetition tasks, whereas Brazilian Portuguese, in reading fluency. A higher number of correlations were found in Brazilian Portuguese. The results suggest that the acquisition of a second language may positively influence the abilities of rapid naming, reading rate, and accuracy. Brazilian bilingual students performed better in tasks of phonological memory in English and Brazilian Portuguese performed better in reading fluency. Different correlation patterns were found between the rapid naming, accuracy, and reading rate, in the bilingual group analysis, in both languages.

LAVENDER (LAVANDULA ANGUSTIFOLIA AROMATHERAPY AS AN ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT IN REDUCING PAIN IN PRIMIPAROUS MOTHERS IN THE ACTIVE FIRST STAGE OF LABOR

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Hilda Yani Karo Karo

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Labor and childbirth is an extremely painful process. Aromatherapy is considered as one of the nonpharmacological methods to reduce labor pain. Objective: To determine the effect of Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia aromatherapy on the level of pain in primipara in the first stage of labor. Methods: A quasy-experimental research with pretest and posttest design with control group conducted between October until November 2016. Forthy respondents selected using consecutive sampling, which 20 assigned in each group. a Numerical Rating Scale (NRS pain scale was used. Paired and independent t-test were used for data analyses. Results: The results showed that the p-value of labor pain after intervention was 0.000 (<0.05, which indicated that there was statistically mean difference of labor pain between intervention (6.10 and control group (4.05 in primipara in the first active stage of labor. Conclusion: The women in the lavender aromatherapy group reported lower intensity of labor pain. The intervention study could be practiced in the community health centers for pregnant women in order for them to apply this healing method.

DEA investment strategy in the Brazilian stock market

OpenAIRE

Newton da Costa, Jr.; Marcus Lima; Edgar Lanzer; Ana Lopes

2008-01-01

This paper presents a multi-period investment strategy using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) in the Brazilian stock market. Results show that the returns based on the DEA strategy were superior to the returns of a Brazilian stock index in most of the 22 quarters analyzed, presenting a significant Jensen's alpha.

Protein Drug Targets of Lavandula angustifolia on treatment of Rat Alzheimer's Disease

Science.gov (United States)

Zali, Hakimeh; Zamanian-Azodi, Mona; Rezaei Tavirani, Mostafa; Akbar-zadeh Baghban, Alireza

2015-01-01

Different treatment strategies of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are being studied for treating or slowing the progression of AD. Many pharmaceutically important regulation systems operate through proteins as drug targets. Here, we investigate the drug target proteins in beta-amyloid (Aβ) injected rat hippocampus treated with Lavandula angustifolia (LA) by proteomics techniques. The reported study showed that lavender extract (LE) improves the spatial performance in AD animal model by diminishing Aβ production in histopathology of hippocampus, so in this study neuroprotective proteins expressed in Aβ injected rats treated with LE were scrutinized. Rats were divided into three groups including normal, Aβ injected, and Aβ injected that was treated with LE. Protein expression profiles of hippocampus tissue were determined by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE) method and dysregulated proteins such as Snca, NF-L, Hspa5, Prdx2, Apoa1, and Atp5a1were identified by MALDI-TOF/TOF. KEGG pathway and gene ontology (GO) categories were used by searching DAVID Bioinformatics Resources. All detected protein spots were used to determine predictedinteractions with other proteins in STRING online database. Different isoforms of important protein, Snca that exhibited neuroprotective effects by anti-apoptotic properties were expressed. NF-L involved in the maintenance of neuronal caliber. Hspa5 likewise Prdx2 displays as anti-apoptotic protein that Prdx2 also involved in the neurotrophic effects. Apoa1 has anti-inflammatory activity and Atp5a1, produces ATP from ADP. To sum up, these proteins as potential drug targets were expressed in hippocampus in response to effective components in LA may have therapeutic properties for the treatment of AD and other neurodegenerative diseases. PMID:25561935

TECHNOLOGY REPRESENTATION IN SOME BRAZILIAN POEMS

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Rubel Maria Fanini

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract: This article analyses how the universe of technology and labour are depicted in literary terms in some Brazilian poems from the writers Castro Alves, Mario de Andrade and Oswald de Andrade. The poets portray this universe in the following approaches: modern technology dissociated from the Brazilian context painted as traditional and archaic; associated to industrial production and to workers’ exploitation; linked to high class entertainment and as an imported good subjected to central capitalistic economies, facing difficulties to be aggregated to local production.

luxury marketing: internationalization strategies for brazilian jewelry companies

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Chaline Gasperini

2010-04-01

Full Text Available This article seeks to make an analysis of the luxury market and of Brazilian jewelry companies. The main objective is to analyze the attraction of external marketing to luxury brands internationalization, emphasizing Brazilian jewelry companies. First, the national environment of luxury market an jewelry in Brazil is presented. In sequence, it will address the possible goals, risks and opportunities that internationalized jewelry companies face in the expansion process and its difficulties in foreign markets. Finally, some forms of internationalization will be presented based on the case of the Brazilian jewelry companies H Stern and Talento Jóias. The methodology used in this article is exploratory, with documental analysis and in depth interview. As theoretical foundations for the article, the themes luxury, exportations, company internationalization and global market were addressed. The main author(s researched were: Allérès (2006, Almeida (2007, Czinkota (2001, Grande (2007, Lipovetsky e Roux (2005. Among the main conclusions, Brazilian jewelry companies have great advantages compared to other countries, having the possibility to use Brazilian nature resources, like precious stones and gems, thus, it become more interesting and viable to innovate and conquer external market. Besides, jewelry market attractions make several entrepreneurs interested in opening business in this field, and lately internationalize them, such as H Stern case.

The impact of turn around time in Brazilian Navy inventories

OpenAIRE

Casagrande, Mauricio

2000-01-01

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. This thesis analyzes how the operation of helicopters produced and supported by manufacturers in various countries affect Brazilian Navy repairable inventories levels and costs. The research is based on a scenario where the Brazilian Navy operates 68 helicopters, manufactured by contractors in USA, France, England and Italy, and the Brazilian Navy relies on these manufacturers for depot-level maintenance. We develop a simulation model...

Amido no megagametófito de Araucaria angustifolia (Bert. O. Ktze: degradação durante a germinação e desenvolvimento do esporófito Starchy reserve of the megagametophyte of Araucaria angustifolia (Bert. O. Ktze: mobilization during germination and on the developing sporophyte

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Rosa Maris Rosado

1994-07-01

Full Text Available O pinheiro brasileiro possui um diásporo de grandes dimensões, o pinhão, rico em reservas amiláceas. A mobilização dessas reservas pelo embrião foi quantificada em secções transversais do megagametófito, em cinco estágios de desenvolvimento da plântula, sob dois tratamentos, na luz e no escuro. Na luz, o consumo das reservas do megagametófito pela plântula é mais rápido do que no escuro e, existe uma tendência ao consumo do amido realizar-se primeiro na região do megagametófito próxima ao embrião.The parana pine has a very large dispore, the "pinhão", rich in starchy reserves. The mobilization of these reserves by the embryo was quantified in transversal sections of the megagametophyte, in five stages of seedling development, sampled in the light and in the darkness. The consuption of starch grains was in plantlets grown in light than those grown in darkness. There was a tendency to quicker use up of the the megagametophyte starch near to embryo.

Organic Matter Stocks and the Interactions of Humic Substances with Metals in Araucaria Moist Forest Soil with Humic and Histic Horizons

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Daniel Hanke

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Soils with humic and histic horizons in tropical and subtropical ecosystems play an important role in determining the atmospheric C stock and its stabilization, climate regulation, water holding capacity, and environmental filtering, due to the different functions of soil organic matter (SOM. However, the processes and mechanisms that regulate SOM dynamics in these soils are not clear. The objectives of this study were: i determine the C and N stocks and ii investigate the SOM chemical fractions and their interactions with Fe and Al ions in soils with humic and histic horizons of a toposequence under Araucaria moist forest in southern Brazil. The soils sampled were classified as Humic Hapludox (top - not hydromorphic, Fluvaquentic Humaquepts (lower third - hydromorphic, and Typic Haplosaprists (floodplain - hydromorphic. The C and N contents were determined in bulk soil samples and SOM chemical fractions; in these fractions, Fe and Al co-extracted contents were also determined. The chemical composition of humin and humic acid fractions was investigated by FTIR spectroscopy. The C content in the toposequence increased from the top to the lowest position. The differences observed in SOM content and SOM chemical composition were defined by the differences in soil water regime. The amount of C stored in the subsurface horizons is about 70 % of total organic C. The carbohydrate-like structures in the humin fraction were protected from solubilization through interaction with iron oxides, which may represent an important mechanism for labile organic compound preservation in these soils. The soluble humic substances showed the highest Fe and Al contents, and their compartments have different affinities for Fe and Al.

Brazilian emergency planning for radiological accidents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendonca, A.H.

1986-01-01

Brazilian emergency planning for radiological accidents is organized to respond promptly to any emergency at nuclear power plants or other installations utilizing nuclear fuel. It consists of several committees: a general coordination committee with representatives from several federal departments, with final decision with the Brazilian Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN), and the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (SEMA). Some committees conduct support activities. For example, the Operational Coordination Committee supervises the tasks undertaken by the Army, Navy, and Air Force in response to the needs and decisions of the general coordination committee

Animal experimentation: a legal fight in Brazilian universities

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Fernanda Luiza Fontoura de Medeiros

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Vivisection, or the use of animals in experiments, testing or education is part of a context in which many people still think represent an emergency conflict that requires the choice of human interests rather than the interests of animals. In Brazil, the 1988 Federal Constitution, in Article 225, paragraph 1, item VII, prohibits the practice of cruelty to animals. To regulate the said device, was passed in 2008 the Law 11.794 / 2008, known as Arouca Law, establishing procedures for the scientific use of animals and the Law 9.605 / 2008, which deals with environmental crimes. However, according to Brazilian Constitution, is it possible to sustain the use of animals in teaching and research, especially in universities? The aim of this paper is to analyze the Brazilian legislation regarding the use of animals in testing, teaching and research, and to discuss the observation of this legislation during the lawsuits filled in recent years by animal advocacy organizations against several Brazilian universities. The results point to a disagreement between the practices prevailing in the universities, the legislation and the Brazilian Constitution.

Investigation of multifractality in the Brazilian stock market

Science.gov (United States)

Maganini, Natália Diniz; Da Silva Filho, Antônio Carlos; Lima, Fabiano Guasti

2018-05-01

Many studies point to a possible new stylized fact for financial time series: the multifractality. Several authors have already detected this characteristic in multiple time series in several countries. With that in mind and based on Multifractal Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (MFDFA) method, this paper analyzes the multifractality in the Brazilian market. This analysis is performed with daily data from IBOVESPA index (Brazilian stock exchange's main index) and other four highly marketable stocks in the Brazilian market (VALE5, ITUB4, BBDC4 and CIEL3), which represent more than 25% of the index composition, making up 1961 observations for each asset in the period from June 26 2009 to May 31 2017. We found that the studied stock prices and Brazilian index are multifractal, but that the multifractality degree is not the same for all the assets. The use of shuffled and surrogated series indicates that for the period and the actions considered the long-range correlations do not strongly influence the multifractality, but the distribution (fat tails) exerts a possible influence on IBOVESPA and CIEL3.

Brazilian medicinal plants with corroborated anti-inflammatory activities: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Ribeiro, Victor Pena; Arruda, Caroline; Abd El-Salam, Mohamed; Bastos, Jairo Kenupp

2018-12-01

Inflammatory disorders are common in modern life, and medicinal plants provide an interesting source for new compounds bearing anti-inflammatory properties. In this regard, Brazilian medicinal plants are considered to be a promising supply of such compounds due to their great biodiversity. To undertake a review on Brazilian medicinal plants with corroborated anti-inflammatory activities by selecting data from the literature reporting the efficacy of plants used in folk medicine as anti-inflammatory, including the mechanisms of action of their extracts and isolated compounds. A search in the literature was undertaken by using the following Web tools: Web of Science, SciFinder, Pub-Med and Science Direct. The terms 'anti-inflammatory' and 'Brazilian medicinal plants' were used as keywords in search engine. Tropicos and Reflora websites were used to verify the origin of the plants, and only the native plants of Brazil were included in this review. The publications reporting the use of well-accepted scientific protocols to corroborate the anti-inflammatory activities of Brazilian medicinal plants with anti-inflammatory potential were considered. We selected 70 Brazilian medicinal plants with anti-inflammatory activity. The plants were grouped according to their anti-inflammatory mechanisms of action. The main mechanisms involved inflammatory mediators, such as interleukins (ILs), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), cyclooxygenase (COX) and reactive oxygen species (ROS). The collected data on Brazilian medicinal plants, in the form of crude extract and/or isolated compounds, showed significant anti-inflammatory activities involving different mechanisms of action, indicating Brazilian plants as an important source of anti-inflammatory compounds.

Brazilian energy statistics - 1990. Annual bulletin of the Brazilian National Committee of the World Energy Council

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

This bulletin deals with the primary sources that carry most weight in the Brazilian energy balance: hydroelectric energy, petroleum, natural gas and coal. It contains data on ethyl alcohol derived from sugar cane since it is of major importance in Brazil's energy scenario. The Brazilian Power Sector's Environmental Master Plan is also described including the expansion planning and the handling of socio-environmental issues; the power sector's evolution in the treatment of socio-environmental issues; the guidelines for socio-environmental planning and management and the institutional and technical development in the socio-environmental area. 15 figs., 16 tabs

An Unusual Partnership: Brazilian-Italian Forms of Cooperation in the Nuclear Field (1951-1986)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patti, Carlo

2017-01-01

This chapter discusses the Brazilian-Italian cooperation in the nuclear field between the early 1950s and 1986. Since the late 1930s, Italian or Italian-Brazilian scientists promoted the development of studies in nuclear physics. Immediately after World War II, the Brazilian-Italian collaboration continued. Between the 1950s and the 1970s, Brazilian nuclear scientists studied in Italian institutions. Relying on primary sources from Brazilian archives and oral history interviews with protagonists of the Brazilian nuclear program, this chapter explore the relations between Italy and Brazil from 1951, the year of the establishment of the Brazilian nuclear program, until the 1980s. This study focuses on the bidirectional transfer of knowledge on sensitive technologies, and on the formal and informal cooperation between the two countries.

Radiosensitivity of three species of ground orchids (Spathoglottis plicata, S. kimballiana var. angustifolia and S. tomentosa) to acute gamma radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzales, M.A.; Tapic, R.T.; Aurigue, F.B.

2008-01-01

A radiosensitivity study coupled with tissue culture technique was conducted as preliminary to mutation breeding of the three species of ground orchids (Spathoglottis plicata, S.kimballiana var. angustifolia, and S.tomentosa). It aimed to compare the effect of dose levels of gamma radiation applied to the germinated embryos (protocorms) of the three species. Also, it sought to determine the lethal dose and optimum dose of gamma radiation on the three species. The protocorms of the three species were irradiated at 10 Gy, 20 Gy, 30 Gy, 40 Gy, and 50 Gy dose level of gamma radiation. The three species have varied radiosensitivity as affected by their individual phenotype. Results showed that as the dose level and ministered increases, percent mortality of seedlings also increases whereas, the seedlings height, number of roots and root length decreased. However, there was an increase in the number of leaves at 10 and 20 Gy dose levels due to the emergence of furcations, but further increase in the dose levels of radiation decreased the number of leaves. Furthermore, some qualitative characters such as albinism, pigmentation, forked leaves, furcations, and multiple branching came out as responses to gamma irradiation

Zebrafish in Brazilian Science: Scientific Production, Impact, and Collaboration.

Science.gov (United States)

Gheno, Ediane Maria; Rosemberg, Denis Broock; Souza, Diogo Onofre; Calabró, Luciana

2016-06-01

By means of scientometric indicators, this study investigated the characteristics of scientific production and research collaboration involving zebrafish (Danio rerio) in Brazilian Science indexed by the Web of Science (WoS). Citation data were collected from the WoS and data regarding Impact Factor (IF) were gathered from journals in the Journal Citation Reports. Collaboration was evaluated according to coauthorship data, creating representative nets with VOSviewer. Zebrafish has attained remarkable importance as an experimental model organism in recent years and an increase in scientific production with zebrafish is observed in Brazil and around the world. The citation impact of the worldwide scientific production is superior when compared to the Brazilian scientific production. However, the citation impact of the Brazilian scientific production is consistently increasing. Brazil does not follow the international trends with regard to publication research fields. The state of Rio Grande do Sul has the greatest number of articles and the institution with the largest number of publications is Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul. Journals' average IF is higher in Brazilian publications with international coauthorship, and around 90% of articles are collaborative. The Brazilian institutions presenting the greatest number of collaborations are Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Fundação Universidade Federal de Rio Grande, and Universidade de São Paulo. These data indicate that Brazilian research using zebrafish presents a growth in terms of number of publications, citation impact, and collaborative work.

Brazilian foreign affairs: social capital and the democratic discourse in South America

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Rafael Duarte Villa

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Brazilian elites as well as foreign policy-makers have long shared a common belief that the ideas of democracy and democratization should serve as some "road map" to foreign policy-making. In areas such as security, regional integration, and disarmament, the goal has been to generate a positive social capital as well as to build trusting relations with Brazilian neighbors in South America. Therefore, under the impact of ideas brought about by new world visions, Brazilian foreign policy has changed a domestic policy feature - the democratic rearrangement of the political system - into a condition and resource for foreign policy-making towards South America. The result has been a fine improvement of Brazilian image and credibility in the regional South American scenario. In other words, there has been a significant increment in "trust" towards Brazil. This argument has been developed based on extracts and transcripts from official diplomatic speeches from Brazilian foreign policy-makers as well as a historical reconstruction of Brazil's diplomatic relations with two South American countries. Our study was based on two cases: Brazilian-Venezuelan and Brazilian-Argentine relations in the 80's and the 90's.

Economic Loss to the Brazilian Regions Due to the Doha Round Failure

OpenAIRE

Pereira, Matheus Wemerson Gomes; Teixeira, Erly Cardoso; Gurgel, Angelo Costa

2009-01-01

We build a database and model to develop general equilibrium analysis of the Brazilian economy at the level of the five macro regions. The model is multiregional at global level as also at the Brazilian level. The project is coupled to the GTAP model through disaggregation of the original Brazilian input-output matrix and trade flows and follows the GTAPinGAMS structure and syntax to generate the General Equilibrium Analysis Project for the Brazilian Economy (PAEG). The regional database is t...

Viabilidade do processamento de pães com farinha de pinhão e iogurte / Viability of bread-making with Paraná-pine-nut flour and yogurt

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Darcléia Darcléia

2009-04-01

Full Text Available ResumoO pão é um alimento que resulta do cozimento de uma massa feita com farinha de certos cereais, principalmente trigo, água e sal. Hoje ele se apresenta sob numerosas variedades, condicionadas a culturas de cereais e a hábitos e necessidades dos consumidores. Os diversos tipos de pães decorrem dos diferentes tipos de farinha e de levedura utilizadas e também da forma de cozimento. O pinhão é a semente do pinho ou pinheiro-do-paraná (Araucaria angustifolia, grande ocorrência no estado do Paraná. A farinha obtida é uma fonte de proteína, carboidratos e fibras e sua aplicação na indústria de alimentos poderia contribuir para melhorar o valor nutricional de vários produtos. O iogurte provém da fermentação do leite por bactérias lácticas selecionadas resultando em um produto de alta qualidade sensorial, com propriedades profiláticas e efeitos benéficos sobre a flora intestinal. O presente trabalho visa à substituição parcial da farinha de trigo pela farinha de pinhão e da água pelo iogurte. Os resultados dos testes de aceitação dos pães sem adição de farinha de pinhão e iogurte, com 5e 15%, 5e 25%, 10 e 15% e 10% e 25% de farinha de pinhão e iogurte, respectivamente, indicaram uma diferença significativa ao nível de 5% quanto à preferência dos julgadores. As formulações com 10% de farinha de pinhão e 15 e 25% de iogurte foram melhor aceitas pelos julgadores.AbstractBread is the result of the baking of a cereal dough that is usually made of wheat, water and salt. Nowadays, several varieties of bread exist, depending on cereal cultures and on consumer habits and needs. The many types of breads feature different types of flour and yeast, as well as of baking methods. The “pinhão” is the seed from an evergreen named “pinheiro”, the Paraná Pine (Araucaria angustifolia, abundant in Paraná state. The flour made from the Paraná-pine-nut is a source of protein, carbohydrates and fiber, and its

Efeito do monocultivo de Pinus e da queima do campo nativo em atributos biológicos do solo no Planalto Sul Catarinense Effects of native pasture burning and Pinus monoculture on changes in soil biological attributes on the Southern Plateau of Santa Catarina - Brazil

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Dilmar Baretta

2005-10-01

Full Text Available O presente estudo objetivou avaliar o impacto da queima tradicional de campo nativo e do monocultivo de Pinus sp. em Lages (SC, no CO total do solo (COT, carbono da biomassa microbiana (CBM, respiração basal (C-CO2, quociente metabólico microbiano (qCO2 e relação CBM:COT. Foram selecionadas quatro áreas representativas da região, de 0,5 ha cada, sendo: (a Campo nativo, sem queima nos últimos 50 anos (CN; (b Campo nativo submetido à queima tradicional (CNQ, ambas, pastagens naturais; (c Mata natural com predominância de Araucaria angustifolia (MATA; e (d Reflorestamento de Pinus taeda com oito anos (PINUS. Para tanto, coletaram-se seis amostras, compostas de nove subamostras de solo em cada área, na profundidade de 0-5 cm, em dezembro de 2002. Para avaliar o CBM, foi utilizado o método da fumigação-extração. O C-CO2 foi determinado em laboratório. Os maiores valores de liberação de C-CO2 foram encontrados na MATA e no PINUS, seguidos de CNQ e CN, respectivamente. Os maiores valores de CBM, COT e relação CBM:COT foram encontrados na MATA, não tendo as demais áreas estudadas apresentado diferenças entre si. O qCO2 foi maior no PINUS, seguido de CNQ, em comparação com MATA e CN. A análise multivariada mostrou ser uma ferramenta auxiliar importante ao discriminar o CBM como sendo o atributo que mais contribuiu na separação entre as áreas estudadas.The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of burning native pastures and of cultivating Pinus sp in monoculture in Lages, State of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Total organic carbon (TOC, microbial biomass carbon (MBC, microbial basal respiration (C-CO2, the microbial metabolic quotient (qCO2, and the ratio MBC/TOC were analyzed. Four representative areas of the region with 0.5 ha each were selected: (a native pasture without burning for at least 50 years (NP; (b native pasture burnt off every year (NPF; (c natural forest (NF with predominance of Araucaria angustifolia

Brazilian scientific production on herbal medicines used in dentistry

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R.D. Castro

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to critically analyze the scientific production published in specialized Brazilian journals concerning the use of medicinal plants in dentistry. A literature review was carried out using an indirect documentation technique by means of a bibliographical study. Four examiners performed independent searches in Brazilian journals of medicinal plants indexed in the database SciELO (Brazilian Journal of Pharmacognosy; Brazilian Journal of Medicinal Plants; Brazilian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences; and Acta Botanica Brasilica using the descriptors "herbal medicine/phytotherapy" or "medicinal plants" and "dentistry ". The articles published from 2002 to 2012 addressing the use of medicinal plants in dentistry were included and analyzed. The searches based on the descriptors and reading of abstracts, resulted in 155 articles. Of these, 44 were read in full and a total of 16 publications met the eligibility criteria and were selected. Laboratory studies predominated (10 and were limited to the evaluation of antimicrobial properties by means of tests for determining inhibitory, fungicidal and bactericidal concentrations. Three literature reviews and only one clinical trial with no blinding and randomization were found. It is highlighted the need for better methodological designs in the researches and greater production of clinical or in vivo studies.

Genesis of the Brazilian nuclear power plants program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Syllus, G.; Lepecki, W.

1996-01-01

The genesis of the Brazilian Nuclear Power Program is described by the authors - who participated in the events - from the beginning of the sixties, until the definition and the start of the implementation in 1975 of the Reference Nuclear Power Program. A description is made of the main events, studies and decisions that contributed to the evolution of the Program: the GTRP (Nuclear Power Plant Working Group); the Thorium Group; the Lane Group; the decision about Angra 1; CNEN's analyses about the reactor line and, finally, the creation of CBTN (Nuclear Technology Brazilian Company), which elaborated the studies that resulted in the final definition of the Program and led to the Brazilian German Agreement and the establishment of NUCLEBRAS. (author)

The Brazilian Nuclear Energy Commission and the health

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1987-01-01

The Program of Health Section / Brazilian Cnen, which was elaborated to promote the use of ionizing radiations (nuclear and x-ray techniques) in benefit of Brazilian health, with safety assurance of patients, personnels, population and environment, is presented. The Ministry of Health, industries, Medical and Physicist Associations, Universities and Research Centers are participants of this program. The activities involved in the program are: production of isotopes and radiopharmaceuticals; radiation detectors and nuclear instrumentation; radiation protection and dosimetry; education and training of human resources; applied research and new technologies. The guiding and actions that the section will adopt to attend the growing necessities of Brazilian society, considering technological powers, management, available substructure and associated difficulties are defined. (M.C.K.) [pt

Brazilian Portuguese transcultural adaptation of Barkley Deficits in Executive Functioning Scale (BDEFS

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Victor Polignano Godoy

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Considering the importance of Executive Functions to clinical and nonclinical situations, Barkley proposed a new theory of executive functioning based on an evolutionary neuropsychological perspective and clinical research using large samples of clinical and community identified adults and children as well as children with ADHD followed to adulthood. Objective The present study aims to adapt the Barkley Deficits in Executive Functions Scales (BDEFS to Brazilian Portuguese and also assess its construct validity in a sample of normal Brazilian adults. Methods The original version of scale was adapted to Brazilian Portuguese according to the guideline from the ISPOR Task Force. To assess the semantic equivalence between the original and adapted version, both of them were applied into a sample of 25 Brazilian bilingual adults. Finally, 60 Brazilian adults completed the BDEFS and the Brazilian versions of Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11 and Adult Self-Report Scale (ASRS-18 to assess convergent validity. Results The BDEFS Brazilian Portuguese version has semantic correspondence with the original version indicating that the adaptation procedure was successful. The BDEFS correlated significantly with the impulsivity and attention scores from the BIS-11 and ASRS-18 supporting its construct validity. Cronbach’s alpha (α = 0.961 indicated that the BDEFS translated version has satisfactory internal consistency. Discussion Together, these findings indicate the successful adaptation of the BDEFS to Brazilian Portuguese and support its utility in that population.

Brazilian Microbiome Project: revealing the unexplored microbial diversity--challenges and prospects.

Science.gov (United States)

Pylro, Victor Satler; Roesch, Luiz Fernando Wurdig; Ortega, José Miguel; do Amaral, Alexandre Morais; Tótola, Marcos Rogério; Hirsch, Penny Ruth; Rosado, Alexandre Soares; Góes-Neto, Aristóteles; da Costa da Silva, Artur Luiz; Rosa, Carlos Augusto; Morais, Daniel Kumazawa; Andreote, Fernando Dini; Duarte, Gabriela Frois; de Melo, Itamar Soares; Seldin, Lucy; Lambais, Márcio Rodrigues; Hungria, Mariangela; Peixoto, Raquel Silva; Kruger, Ricardo Henrique; Tsai, Siu Mui; Azevedo, Vasco

2014-02-01

The Brazilian Microbiome Project (BMP) aims to assemble a Brazilian Metagenomic Consortium/Database. At present, many metagenomic projects underway in Brazil are widely known. Our goal in this initiative is to co-ordinate and standardize these together with new projects to come. It is estimated that Brazil hosts approximately 20 % of the entire world's macroorganism biological diversity. It is 1 of the 17 countries that share nearly 70 % of the world's catalogued animal and plant species, and is recognized as one of the most megadiverse countries. At the end of 2012, Brazil has joined GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility), as associated member, to improve the access to the Brazilian biodiversity data in a free and open way. This was an important step toward increasing international collaboration and clearly shows the commitment of the Brazilian government in directing national policies toward sustainable development. Despite its importance, the Brazilian microbial diversity is still considered to be largely unknown, and it is clear that to maintain ecosystem dynamics and to sustainably manage land use, it is crucial to understand the biological and functional diversity of the system. This is the first attempt to collect and collate information about Brazilian microbial genetic and functional diversity in a systematic and holistic manner. The success of the BMP depends on a massive collaborative effort of both the Brazilian and international scientific communities, and therefore, we invite all colleagues to participate in this project.

The Brazilian investment in science and technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pinheiro-Machado R.

2001-01-01

Full Text Available An analysis of Brazilian federal expenditures in science and technology is presented is this study. The 1990-1999 data were compiled from records provided by two federal agencies (MCT and CNPq responsible for managing most of the national budget related to these activities. The results indicate that the federal investments in Brazilian science and technology stagnated during the last decade (US$ 2.32 billion in 1990, US$ 2.39 billion in 1996, and US$ 2.36 billion in 1999. In contrast, a great increase in private investments in research was acknowledged both by industry and by the government during the same period, from US$ 2.12 to US$ 4.64 billion. However, this investment did not result in an increase in invention patents granted to residents (492 in 1990 and only 232 in 1997 or in a reduction of patent costs. Despite this unfavorable scenario, the number of graduate programs in the country has increased two-fold in the last decade and the contribution of Brazilians to the database of the Institute for Scientific Information has increased 4.7-fold from 1990 (2,725 scientific publications to 2000 (12,686 scientific publications. Unstable federal resources for science, together with the poor returns of private resources in terms of developing new technologies, may jeopardize the future of Brazilian technological development.

Methylparaben concentration in commercial Brazilian local anesthetics solutions

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Gustavo Henrique Rodriguez da Silva

2012-08-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To detect the presence and concentration of methylparaben in cartridges of commercial Brazilian local anesthetics. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twelve commercial brands (4 in glass and 8 in plastic cartridges of local anesthetic solutions for use in dentistry were purchased from the Brazilian market and analyzed. Different lots of the commercial brands were obtained in different Brazilian cities (Piracicaba, Campinas and São Paulo. Separation was performed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC with UV-Vis detector. The mobile phase used was acetonitrile:water (75:25 - v/v, pH 4.5, adjusted with acetic acid at a flow rate of 1.0 ml.min-1. RESULTS: When detected in the solutions, the methylparaben concentration ranged from 0.01% (m/v to 0.16% (m/v. One glass and all plastic cartridges presented methylparaben. CONCLUSION: 1. Methylparaben concentration varied among solutions from different manufacturers, and it was not indicated in the drug package inserts; 2. Since the presence of methylparaben in dental anesthetics is not regulated by the Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA and this substance could cause allergic reactions, it is important to alert dentists about its possible presence.

Brazilian human resources in a polarized Latin America

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Elza Fátima Rosa Veloso

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This article provides an overview of human resource strategies employed by Brazilian companies in a polarized region of Latin America. Firstly, we highlighted the concerns of Brazilian managers in respect to the coming years, and to identify the current strategic approach of prominent companies in the Brazilian market. Secondly, we identified possible strategies for internationalization, particularly in the context of Latin America. The results of two surveys were used: one prospecting management trends by 2015 and another consisting of a sample of 541 companies that participate in a national survey in which HR managers answered a questionnaire. Among the results, it is noteworthy that the main issues of concern for Brazilian managers in the coming years. We found most the companies concerned with these challenges in the industries of information technology, iron and steel, and health services. Forty-nine of a total of 541 companies intend to internationalize, 17 of them towards Latin American. Their profile characterization allowed us to divide them into two groups: those focusing on the local needs of Latin American, and those looking to meet the expanding needs of Brazil or the country of their parent company.

Status of the implementation of Brazilian National Repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tello, Cledola Cassia Oliveira de

2015-01-01

In Brazil, the use of nuclear energy and radioisotopes is increasing and it already justifies the construction of a national repository for radioactive wastes of low and intermediate-level. The Brazilian National Commission for Nuclear Energy (CNEN) is legally responsible for designing and constructing intermediate and final storages for radioactive wastes generated in all Country, in accordance to Federal Law No. 10308. Additionally, the Brazilian Environmental Regulator (IBAMA) lately is imposing to the implementation of new nuclear installations (e.g. Angra 3 NPP and Brazilian Multipurpose Reactor) that the National Repository should be in construction, before the start-up of those ones. In November 2009, the RBMN Project Charter was signed. The RBMN Project aims at the implantation of a National Repository to dispose the radioactive wastes of low- and intermediate-level. Some aspects about the Repository construction are very challenging, mainly due to the licensing process, which will be made for two different regulatory bodies, nuclear and environmental. The main achievements obtained till now are the establishment of the current Brazilian radioactive waste inventory, the conceptual design and the selection of candidate sites for the repository. The current status of the Project is summarized. (author)

Brazilian guidelines on prevention of cardiovascular disease in patients with diabetes: a position statement from the Brazilian Diabetes Society (SBD), the Brazilian Cardiology Society (SBC) and the Brazilian Endocrinology and Metabolism Society (SBEM).

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Bertoluci, Marcello Casaccia; Moreira, Rodrigo Oliveira; Faludi, André; Izar, Maria Cristina; Schaan, Beatriz D; Valerio, Cynthia Melissa; Bertolami, Marcelo Chiara; Chacra, Ana Paula; Malachias, Marcus Vinicius Bolivar; Vencio, Sérgio; Saraiva, José Francisco Kerr; Betti, Roberto; Turatti, Luiz; Fonseca, Francisco Antonio Helfenstein; Bianco, Henrique Tria; Sulzbach, Marta; Bertolami, Adriana; Salles, João Eduardo Nunes; Hohl, Alexandre; Trujilho, Fábio; Lima, Eduardo Gomes; Miname, Marcio Hiroshi; Zanella, Maria Teresa; Lamounier, Rodrigo; Sá, João Roberto; Amodeo, Celso; Pires, Antonio Carlos; Santos, Raul D

2017-01-01

Since the first position statement on diabetes and cardiovascular prevention published in 2014 by the Brazilian Diabetes Society, the current view on primary and secondary prevention in diabetes has evolved as a result of new approaches on cardiovascular risk stratification, new cholesterol lowering drugs, and new anti-hyperglycemic drugs. Importantly, a pattern of risk heterogeneity has emerged, showing that not all diabetic patients are at high or very high risk. In fact, most younger patients who have no overt cardiovascular risk factors may be more adequately classified as being at intermediate or even low cardiovascular risk. Thus, there is a need for cardiovascular risk stratification in patients with diabetes. The present panel reviews the best current evidence and proposes a practical risk-based approach on treatment for patients with diabetes. The Brazilian Diabetes Society, the Brazilian Society of Cardiology, and the Brazilian Endocrinology and Metabolism Society gathered to form an expert panel including 28 cardiologists and endocrinologists to review the best available evidence and to draft up-to-date an evidence-based guideline with practical recommendations for risk stratification and prevention of cardiovascular disease in diabetes. The guideline includes 59 recommendations covering: (1) the impact of new anti-hyperglycemic drugs and new lipid lowering drugs on cardiovascular risk; (2) a guide to statin use, including new definitions of LDL-cholesterol and in non-HDL-cholesterol targets; (3) evaluation of silent myocardial ischemia and subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with diabetes; (4) hypertension treatment; and (5) the use of antiplatelet therapy. Diabetes is a heterogeneous disease. Although cardiovascular risk is increased in most patients, those without risk factors or evidence of sub-clinical atherosclerosis are at a lower risk. Optimal management must rely on an approach that will cover both cardiovascular disease prevention in

Brazilian research on extremophiles in the context of astrobiology

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Duarte, Rubens T. D.; Nóbrega, Felipe; Nakayama, Cristina R.; Pellizari, Vivian H.

2012-10-01

Extremophiles are organisms adapted to grow at extreme ranges of environmental variables, such as high or low temperatures, acid or alkaline medium, high salt concentration, high pressures and so forth. Most extremophiles are micro-organisms that belong to the Archaea and Bacteria domains, and are widely spread across the world, which include the polar regions, volcanoes, deserts, deep oceanic sediments, hydrothermal vents, hypersaline lakes, acid and alkaline water bodies, and other extreme environments considered hostile to human life. Despite the tropical climate, Brazil has a wide range of ecosystems which include some permanent or seasonally extreme environments. For example, the Cerrado is a biome with very low soil pH with high Al+3 concentration, the mangroves in the Brazilian coast are anaerobic and saline, Pantanal has thousands of alkaline-saline lakes, the Caatinga arid and hot soils and the deep sea sediments in the Brazilian ocean shelf. These environments harbour extremophilic organisms that, coupled with the high natural biodiversity in Brazil, could be explored for different purposes. However, only a few projects in Brazil intended to study the extremophiles. In the frame of astrobiology, for example, these organisms could provide important models for defining the limits of life and hypothesize about life outside Earth. Brazilian microbiologists have, however, studied the extremophilic micro-organisms inhabiting non-Brazilian environments, such as the Antarctic continent. The experience and previous results obtained from the Brazilian Antarctic Program (PROANTAR) provide important results that are directly related to astrobiology. This article is a brief synopsis of the Brazilian experience in researching extremophiles, indicating the most important results related to astrobiology and some future perspectives in this area.

Effectiveness of business strategies in Brazilian textile industry

OpenAIRE

Batista, Paulo César de Sousa; Lisboa, João Veríssimo de Oliveira; Augusto, Mário Gomes; Almeida, Fátima Evaneide Barbosa de

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT This research analyses how the interaction between strategy capabilities, strategy types, strategy formulation quality and implementation capability affect organizational performance in Brazilian textiles companies. This article proposes and tests a conceptual framework, using a structural equation modeling of a set of 211 valid questionnaires on Brazilian textiles firms. The results support links between focus strategy and marketing capabilities, and between cost leadership strategy...

Luso-Brazilian Enlightenment and the circulation of Caribbean slavery-related knowledge: the establishment of the Brazilian coffee culture from a comparative perspective.

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Marquese, Rafael de Bivar

2009-01-01

The generation of enlightened Luso-Brazilians saw Caribbean slavery agriculture as the model to be emulated in Portuguese America. To do so, at the turn of the eighteenth to the nineteenth centuries, they translated and published some texts originally elaborated in the Antilles. In this reformist environment, the coffee culture occupied a place of prominence. To understand the role of this knowledge in establishing the Brazilian coffee culture, the Brazilian case is compared with the Cuban. The intent is to demonstrate that in the Spanish colony, the productive coffee plan of Santo Domingo was implanted, while in Brazil a plan was created, supported by new standards of agricultural management that were founded on local knowledge.

Cited Brazilian papers in general surgery between 1970 and 2009

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Flavio L. Heldwein

2010-01-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: To identify the most cited articles in general surgery published by Brazilian authors. INTRODUCTION: There are several ways for the international community to recognize the quality of a scientific article. Although controversial, the most widely used and reliable methodology to identify the importance of an article is citation analysis. METHODS: A search using the Institute for Scientific Information citation database (Science Citation Index Expanded was performed to identify highly cited Brazilian papers published in twenty-six highly cited general surgery journals, selected based on their elevated impact factors, from 1970 to 2009. Further analysis was done on the 65 most-cited papers. RESULTS: We identified 1,713 Brazilian articles, from which nine papers emerged as classics (more than 100 citations received. For the Brazilian contributions, a total increase of about 21-fold was evident between 1970 and 2009. Although several topics were covered, articles covering trauma, oncology and organ transplantation were the most cited. The majority of classic studies were done with international cooperation. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified the most influential Brazilian articles published in internationally renowned general surgery journals.

Energetic transition in the electric sector: Brazilian case

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jannuzzi, Gilberto de Martino

1999-01-01

The Brazilian electric sector is essentially based on a source of renewable energy -hydroelectricity, and the national economy has increased its dependence of the electricity. The use of the electricity for unit of GDP increased in continuous form from 1970 and the country has serious difficulties in the financing of the expansion of the electric production. Energetic politics, in what concerns to the sustainable development in the Brazilian case, should direct its efforts toward a bigger investment in efficiency and energy conservation. a bigger use of supply options that they are renewable and decentralized will depend on high degree of the regulation of the electric sector during the privatization. The transition stage of the Brazilian electric sector will imply more efforts toward a handling based on the demand and a bigger efficiency

An Optimality-Theoretic Analysis of Codas in Brazilian Portuguese

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Goodin-Mayeda, C. Elizabeth

2015-01-01

Brazilian Portuguese allows only /s, N, l, r/ syllable finally, and of these, only /s/ is realized faithfully (as well as /r/ for some speakers). In order to avoid unacceptable codas, dialects of Brazilian Portuguese employ such strategies as epenthesis, nasal absorption, debucalization, and gliding. The current analysis argues that codas in…

Ecosystem Services and Potential Utilization of of Urban Typha angustifolia Wetlands of across Metropolitan Bangkok, Thailand

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Sritrairat, S.

2014-12-01

Over half the world's 7.2 billion population are living in urban habitats. While these cities only occupy 2% of the world's surface, the ecological footprint by these cities combined is far greater than that of the other 98% of the world. Bangkok, Thailand has experienced this rapid urbanization that has resulted in various environmental problems, including pollution, land subsidence, and flooding. Major flooding in 2011 has raised awareness about the importance of restoring ecosystem services in urban space to cope up with the forecasted extreme climatic conditions. Finding localized flooding, carbon and pollution mitigation methods will be important to cities. Upland reforestration has been proposed as a way to decrease these anthropogenic and climate change impacts. However, there is also a large area of wetlands in Bangkok with possibly high ecosystem services that have not been quantified. This study measure above ground and below ground carbon accumulation in wide-spread Typha angustifolia wetlands as an untapped source of ecosystem services that are worth projected. These wetlands are typically viewed as wasteland and are not being protected. We examined carbon and heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cu) pools in 7 wetlands across Bangkok with various environmental settings--from industrialized zone, to residential area, farms, and protected urban green space. The results indicate recent peat accumulation layer by these wetlands at high rate. Heavy concentration are found near contaminant source such as industries and farms. Combined with their ability to buffer storms and being habitats for wildlife, these wetlands have important values in increasing ecosystem services in urban space and should be considered for protection.

Recommendations on the use of biosimilars by the Brazilian Society of Rheumatology, Brazilian Society of Dermatology, Brazilian Federation of Gastroenterology and Brazilian Study Group on Inflammatory Bowel Disease--Focus on clinical evaluation of monoclonal antibodies and fusion proteins used in the treatment of autoimmune diseases.

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Azevedo, Valderílio Feijó; Meirelles, Eduardo de Souza; Kochen, Jussara de Almeida Lima; Medeiros, Ana Cristina; Miszputen, Sender J; Teixeira, Fábio Vieira; Damião, Adérson Osmar Mourão Cintra; Kotze, Paulo Gustavo; Romiti, Ricardo; Arnone, Marcelo; Magalhães, Renata Ferreira; Maia, Cláudia Pires Amaral; de Carvalho, André Vicente E

2015-09-01

The Brazilian Societies of Rheumatology (SBR) and Dermatology (SBD), the Brazilian Federation of Gastroenterology (FBG) and the Brazilian Study Group on Inflammatory Bowel Disease (GEDIIB) gathered a group of their respective specialists on the topic of interest to discuss the most relevant issues regarding the clinical use of biosimilar medicines in Brazil. The main aim of that meeting was to prepare a document with recommendations to guide medical specialists and to help the national regulatory and policy-making agencies as concerns the authorization for marketing biosimilars used in autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, Crohn's disease, juvenile idiopathic arthritis and ulcerative colitis. In addition to considerations on the typical differences between innovator medicines and biosimilars, the specialists established a set of seven recommendations on regulatory advances related to clinical studies, indication extrapolation, nomenclature, interchangeability, automatic substitution and pharmacovigilance. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Resistance Stories of African-Brazilian Women

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Stela Nazareth Meneghel

2005-01-01

Full Text Available This study consists of an intervention using narrative workshops as a device to stimulate the empowerment of women. Ten women, victims of gender violence, took part in a workshop developed by non-governmental organization for African-Brazilian women Maria Mulher, which gives assistance to women living in Vila Cruzeiro do Sul, in the city of Porto Alegre. The main objective of the research was to debate questions related to gender and violence, making use of stories and histories related to the feminine, specifically African-Brazilian stories. Five meetings were held, where the women told and were told stories, took part in group discussions, experiences and rituals. The workshops gave those women a space where they could tell and hear stories, take part in the rituals of the orixás [African-Brazilian deities] of the black culture and tell their personal histories using those experiences. This intervention was an attempt at invoking different subjective experiences, and made it possible to empower the women who took part in the research, contributing for the rescue of the individual and collective memory of this group.

Association of genetic variants with self-assessed color categories in Brazilians.

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Danielle Fernandes Durso

Full Text Available The Brazilian population was formed by extensive admixture of three different ancestral roots: Amerindians, Europeans and Africans. Our previous work has shown that at an individual level, ancestry, as estimated using molecular markers, was a poor predictor of color in Brazilians. We now investigate if SNPs known to be associated with human skin pigmentation can be used to predict color in Brazilians. For that, we studied the association of fifteen SNPs, previously known to be linked with skin color, in 243 unrelated Brazilian individuals self-identified as White, Browns or Blacks from Rio de Janeiro and 212 unrelated Brazilian individuals self-identified as White or Blacks from São Paulo. The significance of association of SNP genotypes with self-assessed color was evaluated using partial regression analysis. After controlling for ancestry estimates as covariates, only four SNPs remained significantly associated with skin pigmentation: rs1426654 and rs2555364 within SLC24A5, rs16891982 at SLC45A2 and rs1042602 at TYR. These loci are known to be involved in melanin synthesis or transport of melanosomes. We found that neither genotypes of these SNPs, nor their combination with biogeographical ancestry in principal component analysis, could predict self-assessed color in Brazilians at an individual level. However, significant correlations did emerge at group level, demonstrating that even though elements other than skin, eye and hair pigmentation do influence self-assessed color in Brazilians, the sociological act of self-classification is still substantially dependent of genotype at these four SNPs.

Locative inversion and agreement syntax in Brazilian Portuguese

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Juanito Ornelas de Avelar

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Adopting the Minimalist Program framework (CHOMSKY 2000, 2001, this paper suggests that, in Brazilian Portuguese, sentences with a locative prepositional phrase in preverbal position can be characterized as instances of locative inversion in which prepositional constituents occupy the grammatical subject position. It will be proposed that particularities involving the patterns of locative inversion in Brazilian Portuguese derive from properties of the subject-verb agreement in this language.

Brazilian franchisor: Entry and operation of internationalized franchise

OpenAIRE

Aguiar, Helder de Souza; Luppe, Marcos Roberto; Nascimento, Paulo Tromboni de Souza

2017-01-01

This study aimed to compare the entry and operations strategies of franchisors of developed countries into foreign countries with Brazilian counterparts. Were there significant differences? An exploratory study was conducted with 16 international franchisors operating in Brazil and 31 Brazilian franchisors operating abroad. The results show that international franchisors operating abroad prefer to use a subsidiary in the destination country. At the same time, this strategy is little used by B...

The Brazilian Portuguese Lexicon: An Instrument for Psycholinguistic Research

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Estivalet, Gustavo L.; Meunier, Fanny

2015-01-01

In this article, we present the Brazilian Portuguese Lexicon, a new word-based corpus for psycholinguistic and computational linguistic research in Brazilian Portuguese. We describe the corpus development, the specific characteristics on the internet site and database for user access. We also perform distributional analyses of the corpus and comparisons to other current databases. Our main objective was to provide a large, reliable, and useful word-based corpus with a dynamic, easy-to-use, and intuitive interface with free internet access for word and word-criteria searches. We used the Núcleo Interinstitucional de Linguística Computacional’s corpus as the basic data source and developed the Brazilian Portuguese Lexicon by deriving and adding metalinguistic and psycholinguistic information about Brazilian Portuguese words. We obtained a final corpus with more than 30 million word tokens, 215 thousand word types and 25 categories of information about each word. This corpus was made available on the internet via a free-access site with two search engines: a simple search and a complex search. The simple engine basically searches for a list of words, while the complex engine accepts all types of criteria in the corpus categories. The output result presents all entries found in the corpus with the criteria specified in the input search and can be downloaded as a.csv file. We created a module in the results that delivers basic statistics about each search. The Brazilian Portuguese Lexicon also provides a pseudoword engine and specific tools for linguistic and statistical analysis. Therefore, the Brazilian Portuguese Lexicon is a convenient instrument for stimulus search, selection, control, and manipulation in psycholinguistic experiments, as also it is a powerful database for computational linguistics research and language modeling related to lexicon distribution, functioning, and behavior. PMID:26630138

The Brazilian Portuguese Lexicon: An Instrument for Psycholinguistic Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Estivalet, Gustavo L; Meunier, Fanny

2015-01-01

In this article, we present the Brazilian Portuguese Lexicon, a new word-based corpus for psycholinguistic and computational linguistic research in Brazilian Portuguese. We describe the corpus development, the specific characteristics on the internet site and database for user access. We also perform distributional analyses of the corpus and comparisons to other current databases. Our main objective was to provide a large, reliable, and useful word-based corpus with a dynamic, easy-to-use, and intuitive interface with free internet access for word and word-criteria searches. We used the Núcleo Interinstitucional de Linguística Computacional's corpus as the basic data source and developed the Brazilian Portuguese Lexicon by deriving and adding metalinguistic and psycholinguistic information about Brazilian Portuguese words. We obtained a final corpus with more than 30 million word tokens, 215 thousand word types and 25 categories of information about each word. This corpus was made available on the internet via a free-access site with two search engines: a simple search and a complex search. The simple engine basically searches for a list of words, while the complex engine accepts all types of criteria in the corpus categories. The output result presents all entries found in the corpus with the criteria specified in the input search and can be downloaded as a.csv file. We created a module in the results that delivers basic statistics about each search. The Brazilian Portuguese Lexicon also provides a pseudoword engine and specific tools for linguistic and statistical analysis. Therefore, the Brazilian Portuguese Lexicon is a convenient instrument for stimulus search, selection, control, and manipulation in psycholinguistic experiments, as also it is a powerful database for computational linguistics research and language modeling related to lexicon distribution, functioning, and behavior.

Plasticity of illusory vowel perception in Brazilian-Japanese bilinguals.

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Parlato-Oliveira, Erika; Christophe, Anne; Hirose, Yuki; Dupoux, Emmanuel

2010-06-01

Previous research shows that monolingual Japanese and Brazilian Portuguese listeners perceive illusory vowels (/u/ and /i/, respectively) within illegal sequences of consonants. Here, several populations of Japanese-Brazilian bilinguals are tested, using an explicit vowel identification task (experiment 1), and an implicit categorization and sequence recall task (experiment 2). Overall, second-generation immigrants, who first acquired Japanese at home and Brazilian during childhood (after age 4) showed a typical Brazilian pattern of result (and so did simultaneous bilinguals, who were exposed to both languages from birth on). In contrast, late bilinguals, who acquired their second language in adulthood, exhibited a pattern corresponding to their native language. In addition, an influence of the second language was observed in the explicit task of Exp. 1, but not in the implicit task used in Exp. 2, suggesting that second language experience affects mostly explicit or metalinguistic skills. These results are compared to other studies of phonological representations in adopted children or immigrants, and discussed in relation to the role of age of acquisition and sociolinguistic factors.

Ten years of Brazilian ballast water management

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Castro, Maria Cecilia Trindade; Hall-Spencer, Jason M.; Poggian, Cecília Fonseca; Fileman, Timothy W.

2018-03-01

In 2005, Brazil addressed the environmental challenges posed by ballast water through a unilateral regulation, called the Maritime Standard N° 20 (NORMAM-20), applied to all shipping in her waters. This world-leading decision was the culmination of a process that started during the 1990‧s. Here, we summarize how these ballast water regulations were brought in and adopted and present the findings of 10 years of enforcement (2005-2015) in 39 ports along the Brazilian coast. We show that compliance with the Brazilian standard has increased significantly since the regulations were implemented (p < 0.001). After five years of implementation, non-compliance decreased probably reflecting an increase in awareness of the Brazilian Standard and a shift in the shipping industry commitment to minimize and control the spread of invasive species through ballast water. The Brazilian experience shows that very high levels (97%) of compliance with ballast water management regulations can be made to work in a region of global importance to the maritime industry. In the last decade, the rules governing ballast water in Brazil have evolved to address the demands from the maritime community and to provide updates such as imminent requirements for the use of ballast water management systems on board ships. These regulations are rarely cited when ballast water regulations are discussed internationally, yet there is much to learn from the proactive approach taken by Brazil such as what is feasible and enforceable.

Analysis of the relationship between Chalcone Isomerase gene expression level and rutin production in Ficus deltoidea var. deltoidea and F. deltoidea var. angustifolia

Science.gov (United States)

Najid, Najihah Mohd; Zain, Che Radziah Che Mohd; Zainal, Zamri

2016-11-01

Ficus deltoidea (moraceae) is a herbal plant with medicinal values. Previous studies reported that the F. deltoidea contains a high level of bioactive compounds such as flavonoids. A cDNA encodes for chalcone isomerase was identified from F. deltoidea, designated as FdCHI, which involved in the isomerization of naringenin chalcone to naringenin. Naringenin is a key branch point for the synthesis of rutin, which is believed involved in defense mechanism in the plant. Therefore, we hypothesized that there might be a direct relationship between FdCHI expression level and rutin production in leaves of F. deltoidea var. deltoidea (FDD) and F. deltoidea var. angustifolia (FDA). Our result showed that expression level of FdCHI in leaves FDD was greater than FDA. Analysis of High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) revealed that rutin was only detected in FDA leaves. Based on the results between FdCHI expression and rutin production, this study concluded that there is no relationship between FdCHI expression and rutin production in leaves of FDA and FDD.

Brazilian franchisor: Entry and operation of internationalized franchise

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Helder de Souza Aguiar

2017-11-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to compare the entry and operations strategies of franchisors of developed countries into foreign countries with Brazilian counterparts. Were there significant differences? An exploratory study was conducted with 16 international franchisors operating in Brazil and 31 Brazilian franchisors operating abroad. The results show that international franchisors operating abroad prefer to use a subsidiary in the destination country. At the same time, this strategy is little used by Brazilian franchisors, which prefer the strategy of direct franchises. For data collection, 47 directors or managers of the international expansion of Brazilian companies and the expansion directors of the international companies which operates in Brazil were interviewed. Although more expensive, the subsidiary in the target country offers greater control over the expansion of business reducing the problems caused by the distance of the country of origin. For the management of franchisors, this paper points out that the subsidiary is a natural evolution of entry and operation mode when it is desired or it is needed to control the expansion of networks in other countries. Thus, managers of franchisors in emerging countries should carefully examine the subsidiary option in the target country when their company considers accelerating international growth.

Climatically-mediated landcover change: impacts on Brazilian territory

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MARINA ZANIN

Full Text Available ABSTRACT In the face of climate change threats, governments are drawing attention to policies for mitigating its effects on biodiversity. However, the lack of distribution data makes predictions at species level a difficult task, mainly in regions of higher biodiversity. To overcome this problem, we use native landcover as a surrogate biodiversity, because it can represent specialized habitat for species, and investigate the effects of future climate change on Brazilian biomes. We characterize the climatic niches of native landcover and use ecological niche modeling to predict the potential distribution under current and future climate scenarios. Our results highlight expansion of the distribution of open vegetation and the contraction of closed forests. Drier Brazilian biomes, like Caatinga and Cerrado, are predicted to expand their distributions, being the most resistant to climate change impacts. However, these would also be affected by losses of their closed forest enclaves and their habitat-specific or endemic species. Replacement by open vegetation and overall reductions are a considerable risk for closed forest, threatening Amazon and Atlantic forest biomes. Here, we evidence the impacts of climate change on Brazilian biomes, and draw attention to the necessity for management and attenuation plans to guarantee the future of Brazilian biodiversity.

Climatically-mediated landcover change: impacts on Brazilian territory.

Science.gov (United States)

Zanin, Marina; Tessarolo, Geiziane; Machado, Nathália; Albernaz, Ana Luisa M

2017-01-01

In the face of climate change threats, governments are drawing attention to policies for mitigating its effects on biodiversity. However, the lack of distribution data makes predictions at species level a difficult task, mainly in regions of higher biodiversity. To overcome this problem, we use native landcover as a surrogate biodiversity, because it can represent specialized habitat for species, and investigate the effects of future climate change on Brazilian biomes. We characterize the climatic niches of native landcover and use ecological niche modeling to predict the potential distribution under current and future climate scenarios. Our results highlight expansion of the distribution of open vegetation and the contraction of closed forests. Drier Brazilian biomes, like Caatinga and Cerrado, are predicted to expand their distributions, being the most resistant to climate change impacts. However, these would also be affected by losses of their closed forest enclaves and their habitat-specific or endemic species. Replacement by open vegetation and overall reductions are a considerable risk for closed forest, threatening Amazon and Atlantic forest biomes. Here, we evidence the impacts of climate change on Brazilian biomes, and draw attention to the necessity for management and attenuation plans to guarantee the future of Brazilian biodiversity.

The 2014 Elections and the Brazilian Party System

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Carlos Ranulfo Melo

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The Brazilian party system presents a paradox. Although the Workers Party (PT and the Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB have controlled presidential elections for the last 20 years, their force at the other levels of electoral competition has not grown. The objective of this study is to undertake a discussion of this situation through the 2014 general elections. After attempting to explain why successive challengers have not been able to change the structure of competition for the Brazilian presidency, I will analyze the relation established between the pattern observed at this level and the other “connected” electoral disputes—both those for state executive and federal legislative office. The general conclusion is that even if the pattern continues, it is quite improbable that this will significantly impact the other levels of national political party competition.

EXTERNAL CORPORATE GOVERNANCE MECHANISMS: MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS ON THE BRAZILIAN MARKET

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Mario Augusto Parente Monteiro

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The research aims to answer the following question: What is the effectiveness of mergers and acquisitions in the Brazilian market as external corporate governance mechanism? The main objective of the study is to verify if mergers and acquisitions operations in Brazilian market may act as an external mechanism of corporate governance, replacing managers and, as a consequence of changes in management, improving financial performance. The study is exploratory, qualitative in its approach, supported by documentary research on secondary data concerning an intentional sample of Brazilian companies aiming to identify the effect of M&A operations on the corporate governance structure of the acquired firm and on its financial results. Data obtained on the website of the Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission (CVM, related to Brazilian M&A operations in the period 2005-2010, were analyzed. Although M&A operations in Brazil were found to have disciplinary nature in our sample of firms in the studied period, our results are inconclusive regarding the effectiveness of these transactions and external governance mechanisms.

Systematic risk variations (beta) convertible debenture brazilian companies

OpenAIRE

Renata Drumond Pinto Coelho Antonino; Wagner Moura Lamounier; Roberto Kaehler de Albuquerque Maranhão

2010-01-01

purpose of this article is to analyze the impact of issuing convertible debentures on the systematic risk of Brazilian companies. Some applied researches in the U.S. capital market (STEIN, 1992; LEWIS et al, 2002; RAI, 2005) indicate that convertible debentures may be used as an alternative financing source when adverse selection problem makes stock issuing unattractive financing source. The analysis of Brazilian companies that issued convertible debentures recorded in the period from 1998 to...

Analysis of Brazilian SHP policy and its regulation scenario

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tiago Filho, Geraldo Lucio; Rocha Galhardo, Camila; Cassia Barbosa, Adriana de; Mambeli Barros, Regina; Gracas Braga da Silva, Fernando das

2011-01-01

This article presents the main regulatory changes that occurred in the Brazilian power sector in 2009, along with the impacts these changes caused on the market, especially related to small hydropower (<30 MW). This study addresses regulatory issues based on inventory studies and records of basic projects, changes related to the compensation of the assured energy of SHPs in the Brazilian energy reallocation market, the socio-economic impact resulting from the construction of SHPs, SHPs in alternative resource auctions and finally the general outlook for the growth scenario for SHPs in Brazil according to the ten-year plan (2010-2019). The overall conclusions of this investigation were that the 2008/2009 biennium was a period of great changes in the regulation of small hydropower plants in Brazil, and the SHP market has shown maturity. Additionally, despite SHP being a type of technology that is completely dominated by domestic industry, in recent years, they have experienced policy disincentives caused by changes to rules that inhibit their growth. - Highlights: → Main regulatory changes in Brazilian Power Sector that have occurred in 2009. → The impact of these changes caused on market, especially about SHPs (<30 MW). → The Brazilian growth scenario for SHPs according to the ten-year plan (2010-2019). → 2008/2009 biennium was a period of changes in the Brazilian regulation of SHPs. → SHP is a type of technology that is completely dominated by domestic industry.

The role of interest rates in the Brazilian business cycles

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Nelson F. Souza-Sobrinho

2011-09-01

Full Text Available This paper offers additional insights on the relationship between interest rates and business cycles in Brazil. First, I document that Brazilian interest rates are very volatile, counter-cyclical and positively correlated with net exports, as observed in other emerging market economies. Next, I present a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model in which firms face working capital constraints and labor supply is independent of consumption. This parsimonious model, appropriately calibrated to the Brazilian economy, predicts that interest rate shocks can explain about one third of output fluctuations and delivers business cycle regularities consistent with the Brazilian data.

The mitogenome of Onchocerca volvulus from the Brazilian Amazonia focus

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James L Crainey

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We report here the first complete mitochondria genome of Onchocerca volvulus from a focus outside of Africa. An O. volvulus mitogenome from the Brazilian Amazonia focus was obtained using a combination of high-throughput and Sanger sequencing technologies. Comparisons made between this mitochondrial genome and publicly available mitochondrial sequences identified 46 variant nucleotide positions and suggested that our Brazilian mitogenome is more closely related to Cameroon-origin mitochondria than West African-origin mitochondria. As well as providing insights into the origins of Latin American onchocerciasis, the Brazilian Amazonia focus mitogenome may also have value as an epidemiological resource.

Health Service Quality Scale: Brazilian Portuguese translation, reliability and validity.

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Rocha, Luiz Roberto Martins; Veiga, Daniela Francescato; e Oliveira, Paulo Rocha; Song, Elaine Horibe; Ferreira, Lydia Masako

2013-01-17

The Health Service Quality Scale is a multidimensional hierarchical scale that is based on interdisciplinary approach. This instrument was specifically created for measuring health service quality based on marketing and health care concepts. The aim of this study was to translate and culturally adapt the Health Service Quality Scale into Brazilian Portuguese and to assess the validity and reliability of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the instrument. We conducted a cross-sectional, observational study, with public health system patients in a Brazilian university hospital. Validity was assessed using Pearson's correlation coefficient to measure the strength of the association between the Brazilian Portuguese version of the instrument and the SERVQUAL scale. Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient; the intraclass (ICC) and Pearson's correlation coefficients were used for test-retest reliability. One hundred and sixteen consecutive postoperative patients completed the questionnaire. Pearson's correlation coefficient for validity was 0.20. Cronbach's alpha for the first and second administrations of the final version of the instrument were 0.982 and 0.986, respectively. For test-retest reliability, Pearson's correlation coefficient was 0.89 and ICC was 0.90. The culturally adapted, Brazilian Portuguese version of the Health Service Quality Scale is a valid and reliable instrument to measure health service quality.

Gender equity in the Brazilian physics community at the present time

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Saitovitch, Elisa Maria Baggio; Barbosa, Marcia Cristina; Funchal, Renata Zukanovich; de Pinho, Suani Tavares Rubim; de Santana, Ademir Eugênio

2015-12-01

We present an overview of the advances and difficulties in gender equity in the Brazilian physics community at the present time. Recognizing that in some cases the level of gender equity has remained unchanged for a decade, the Commission for Relations and Gender of the Brazilian Physical Society plans not only to continue current activities but also seek new ways to address the issue, which will be discussed at the 2nd Brazilian Conference for Women in Physics, to be organized for 2015.

Migration, Quality of Life And Health of Brazilian Immigrants in Portugal

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Eliany Nazaré Oliveira

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Background: Immigrants face many challenges when settling in a foreign country, numerous factors influence this immigrant experience including the resources they bring with them and those they find in the host society. The literature has indicated that a significant number of individuals migrate in search of a better quality of life. In this context, the objective of the study was to analyze the quality of life and health of Brazilian immigrants living in Portugal, using the "Medical Outcomes Study: 36-Item Short Form Survey" (SF-36. Methods and Results: A cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach developed under the project titled: Health status and quality of life of Brazilian immigrants in Portugal conducted in the first half of 2016, with 682 Brazilian immigrant women over 18 living in Portugal. This study adopted as reference SF-36, a generic instrument for the evaluation of Quality of Life. It can be affirmed that the quality of life and health of Brazilian immigrants living in Portugal is good, since all dimensions presented values above 50%. It was evidenced that Brazilian immigrants who live alone have lower levels of quality of life and health than those who live with someone and, that Brazilian immigrants who are unemployed, have low levels of quality of life and health compared to those who are in another employment situation, and Brazilian immigrants entering the labor market with a workload of more than 40 hours per week present similar levels of quality of life and health compared to those who work fewer hours. Conclusion: In general, one can affirm that the quality of life and health of Brazilian immigrants living in Portugal is good, but due to the particularities of the migration process in the current political and international context, a systematic monitoring of living conditions and health of this population is necessary. Keywords: Emigrants and Immigrants; Quality of life; Women, Mental health

[Brazilian guidelines for marketing baby food: history, limitations and perspectives].

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Monteiro, Renata

2006-05-01

The objective of this paper is to present and discuss Brazilian policy concerning actions to protect breastfeeding, especially the history, international and national background, limitations, and perspectives of the Brazilian Guidelines for the Marketing of Baby Food, Pacifiers and Bottles. The Brazilian Guidelines, which play a crucial role in protecting breastfeeding against industry marketing strategies, were based on the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, proposed by the World Health Organization in 1981. The first version of the Brazilian Guidelines was released in 1988, and there were subsequent revisions in 1992 and 2001/2002. In 2006, the Guidelines became national law. However, the strides made over this period in terms of regulation have been few because the law is not always observed. Thus, it is essential that all actors involved, including government officials, manufacturers and sellers of baby food and other baby products, teaching and health professionals and their associations, international bodies, and non-governmental organizations make a commitment to enforce the current law.

State, federalism and educational policies: implications in brazilian education

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Karla Cristina Silva Sousa

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The article discusses the relationship between state and federalism as a political and administrative organizational form of the state and its implications in Brazilian educational policy. For that, we follow the analysis of the concepts of State, federalism, and educational policies from the classics of Machiavelli (2001, Locke (1998, Rousseau (1999, Hamilton, Jay and Madison (2003, Abrucio Arretche (1996, among others. Therefore, we see that the new Brazilian federalism based on the model proposed by the American Constitution brings the local powers – the municipalities – as new agents within the educational policy and the collaboration regime as a means of effecting cooperative federalism in Brazil. We conclude that the federalism, in Brazilian model, presents itself as demos constraining the national sub-governments.

The Brazilian Public Health in Contemporary Capitalism.

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Junqueira, Virgínia; Mendes, Áquilas N

2018-01-01

This article examines some political and economic facts that led to an intensification of austerity measures by the Brazilian government, including ones against the Unified Health System (SUS) and its progressive dismantling. In a country where fundamental human rights were never fully respected, nowadays social and labor rights are under severe attacks. The deepening of the capital crisis and the rise of interest-bearing capital dominance have been causing unemployment, social insecurity growth, and resulting public fund appropriation by the private capital. The Brazilian governments in the 1990s and 2000s have implemented deeper cuts in social policy expenditure, freezing security benefits, privatizing services, and prioritizing the payment of public debt interests. The right wing's project involves the demoralization of not only the Workers' Party but also the left as a whole, so that the adoption of austerity measures could be achieved without popular resistance. It is the duty of the Brazilian left wing to denounce such a project and to provoke firm initiatives to rebuild its bonds with the working class.

Alternative fuels: a Brazilian outlook

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreira, J.R.; Serra, G.E.

1990-01-01

This paper focuses on studies and information related to the use of alternative fuels in Brazil. The first part of this paper deals with the economics of different biomass technologies. The analysis consists of a careful costing of all operations involved. The study deals with wood, sugar cane and cassava, since these crops are exploited for commercial purposes in Brazil. Corn, although a useful raw material for producing ethanol in the United States, is not used for this purpose in Brazil. The second part deals with the industrial technologies used to convert biomass into energy. We consider several forms of energy derived from biomass and evaluate the economics of the processes. When opportune, we compare costs with those of the North American market. Market analysis and displacement of conventional energy are the subject of the third part of the paper. While the cost of each product is evaluated in most cases; in others the current market price is used. Finally, we raise the issues of institutional problems and planning and offer some conclusions on the future of biomass as an alternative energy source. The technological discussion in this paper is based on the Brazilian experience in producing ethanol and other fuels from biomass. It is possible to extrapolate the Brazilian experience to other developing countries. The observations made in this chapter are based on the conditions prevalent in the Brazilian south-central agricultural region, specifically the state of Sao Paulo. (author). 91 refs., 16 figs., 11 tabs

The brazilian indigenous planetary-observatory

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Afonso, G. B.

2003-08-01

We have performed observations of the sky alongside with the Indians of all Brazilian regions that made it possible localize many indigenous constellations. Some of these constellations are the same as the other South American Indians and Australian aborigines constellations. The scientific community does not have much of this information, which may be lost in one or two generations. In this work, we present a planetary-observatory that we have made in the Park of Science Newton Freire-Maia of Paraná State, in order to popularize the astronomical knowledge of the Brazilian Indians. The planetary consists, essentially, of a sphere of six meters in diameter and a projection cylinder of indigenous constellations. In this planetary we can identify a lot of constellations that we have gotten from the Brazilian Indians; for instance, the four seasonal constellations: the Tapir (spring), the Old Man (summer), the Deer (autumn) and the Rhea (winter). A two-meter height wooden staff that is posted vertically on the horizontal ground similar to a Gnomon and stones aligned with the cardinal points and the soltices directions constitutes the observatory. A stone circle of ten meters in diameter surrounds the staff and the aligned stones. During the day we observe the Sun apparent motions and at night the indigenous constellations. Due to the great community interest in our work, we are designing an itinerant indigenous planetary-observatory to be used in other cities mainly by indigenous and primary schools teachers.

Brazilian impact factor of physics journals - the third side of the coin

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José R. Mohallem

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The lack of correlation between the Journal Impact Factors and the most cited Brazilian papers in physics is statistically demonstrated. The existence of an effective "Brazilian Impact Factor" is observed, being its values, in general, lower than the international Impact Factors. In some cases, discrepancies from the international values are huge, leading to doubts on whether it is appropriate to use this indicator to judge Brazilian scientists.

The macro-environment for liquid Biofuels in Brazilian science and public policies

OpenAIRE

E. Talamini; H. Dewes

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is to identify the macro-environmental dimensions through which Brazilian scientists and government officials have framed issues surrounding liquid biofuels over a period of time. This study analyzes scientific papers published by researchers affiliated with Brazilian institutions and official documents of the Brazilian government related to liquid biofuels. Documents published during a ten-year period (1997--2006) were collected from electronic sources. Text-mining ...

Treatment of drug dependence with Brazilian herbal medicines

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Elisaldo A. Carlini

Full Text Available The topic "Herbal Medicines in the Treatment of Addictions" in a country must be preceded by answers to four questions: 1. Does the country in question possess a biodiversity rich enough to allow the discovery of useful medicines? 2. Do local people have tradition and culture to look for and use resources from Nature to alleviate and cure diseases, including drug dependence? 3. Is drug dependence (or addiction present in the country in question? 4. Do people of that country recognize and diagnose such problem as a serious one? Alcohol is, by far, the most serious health problem when drug abuse is considered, reaching all of Brazilian society, including the Indians. On the contrary, other drugs may be considered as minor problems and they are not the main focus of this manuscript. The people living in Brazilian hinterland don’t have access to public health systems. Consequently, these people seek assistance from "curandeiros" and "raizeiros"; the Indians are assisted by the shaman. These "folk doctors" do not know the academic medicine and therapeutics, and resort to the local plants to treat different ailments of their patients. Furthermore, alcohol abuse and dependence are not recognized by them, according to the rules and criteria of academic medicine. We have conducted a survey in many Brazilian books, Thesis concerning phytotherapy, and several databank. The results of such searches were very disappointing. No published papers from Brazilian authors concerning the use of plants for the treatment of addictions were found in the databases and there were only three very short notes in the masterly book written by Shultes and Raffauf (1990. From the Brazilian books on folk medicine employing medicinal plants, ten mentions were disclosed: most of them dealing with treatment of alcohol problems and two to counteract "Ayahuasca" dependence.

Pharmacogenomic diversity among Brazilians: Influence of ancestry, self-reported Color and geographical origin

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Guilherme eSuarez-Kurtz

2012-11-01

Full Text Available By virtue of being the product of the genetic admixture of three ancestral roots: Europeans, Africans and Amerindians, the present day Brazilian population displays very high levels of genomic diversity, which have important pharmacogenetic/-genomic (PGx implications. Recognition of this fact has prompted the creation of the Brazilian Pharmacogenomics Network (Refargen, a nationwide consortium of research groups, with the mission to provide leadership in PGx research and education in Brazil, with a population heath impact. Here, we present original data and review published results from a Refargen comprehensive study of the distribution of PGx polymorphisms in a representative cohort of the Brazilian people, comprising 1,034 healthy, unrelated adults, self-identified as white, brown or black, according to the Color categories adopted by the Brazilian Census. Multinomial log-linear regression analysis was applied to infer the statistical association between allele, genotype and haplotype distributions among Brazilians (response variables and self-reported Color, geographical region and biogeographical ancestry (explanatory variables, whereas Wright´s FST statistics was used to assess the extent of PGx divergence among different strata of the Brazilian population. Major PGx implications of these findings are: first, extrapolation of data from relatively well-defined ethnic groups is clearly not applicable to the majority of Brazilians; second, the frequency distribution of polymorphisms in several pharmacogenes of clinical relevance (e.g. ABCB1, CYP3A5, CYP2C9, VKORC varies continuously among Brazilians and is not captured by race/Color self-identification; third, the intrinsic heterogeneity of the Brazilian population must be acknowledged in the design and interpretation of PGx studies in order to avoid spurious conclusions based on improper matching of study cohorts.

Article-level metrics and the periphery: an exploration of articles by Brazilian authors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Souza, I.V.P.; Gouveia, F.C.

2016-07-01

This work-in-progress paper describes an ongoing PhD study that aims to explore article-level metrics from a set of articles published by Brazilian researchers. It is argued that article-level metrics can offer a more nuanced and accurate picture of the influence of a particular work in comparison to journal-level metrics. However, if these new metrics rely on sources that exclude a large part of research from the periphery, they are at risk of simply preserving the present inequalities in the scholarly communication system. In order to understand how article-level metrics are or could be useful to the scientific community in the peripheries, we need to see what metrics are currently available, identify possible biases, and understand their meaning. We aim to contribute to this discussion with a case study focused on exploring a set of both traditional and alternative article-level metrics related to publications authored by Brazilian researchers. So far, few studies analyse article-level metrics for Brazilian publications, and most focus on Brazilian journals instead of researcher's affiliation. Our study will collect articles with DOIs registered by Brazilian researchers at the Lattes Platform, an information system maintained by the national Science, Technologies and Communications ministry. This exploration aims to address the following questions: (a) Which are the main article-level metrics available for journal articles authored by Brazilian researchers? What are the main sources of ALM data for Brazilian publications?; (b) Are there any disciplines, institutions, locations etc. that attract more mentions in the case of Brazilian articles? How do these metrics compare among themselves?; and (c) Do articlelevel metrics of publications by Brazilian researchers reflect patterns and trends observed in studies with researchers from other countries? (Author)

Nutritional ecology of the formosan subterranean termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae): feeding response to commercial wood species.

Science.gov (United States)

Morales-Ramos, J A; Rojas, M G

2001-04-01

The feeding preferences of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, were tested in three separate experiments on 28 different wood species. Experiment 1 was a multiple-choice test designed to test relative preferences among 24 wood species commercially available in New Orleans, LA. Experiment 2 was a similar study designed to test relative preferences among 21 wood species shown or reported to be unpalatable to the Formosan subterranean termite. Experiment 3 was a no-choice test to examine the feeding deterrence of the 10 least preferred wood species. Preference was determined by consumption rates. Birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britton), red gum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.), Parana pine [Araucaria angustifolia (Bert.) 1, sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.), pecan (Carya illinoensis Wangenh.), and northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) were the most preferred species by C. formosanus in order of consumption rate. All of these species were significantly more preferred than southern yellow pine (Pinus taeda L.), widely used for monitoring. Sinker cypress [ = old growth bald cypress, Taxodium distichum (L.)], western red cedar (Thuja plicata Donn), Alaskan yellow cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis D. Don), eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana L.), sassafras [Sassafras albidum (Nutt.)], Spanish cedar (Cedrella odorata L.), Honduras mahogany (Swietenia macrophyla King), Indian rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia Roxb.), Honduras rosewood (D. stevensonii Standl.), and morado (Machaerium sp.) induced significant feeding deterrence and mortality to C. formosanus. The last eight species produced 100% mortality after 3 mo.

Spirometry reference values in the Brazilian population.

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Rufino, R; Costa, C H; Lopes, A J; Maiworm, A I; Maynard, K; Silva, L M R A; Dias, R M

2017-03-02

The aim of the present study was to provide new spirometry reference equations in a sample of the Brazilian population for the following parameters: forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC ratio, peak of expiratory flow (PEF), forced expiratory flow at 50% (FEF50%), 75% average vital capacity (FEF25-75%), and average forced expiratory flow time (FEFT). This was a prospective study using results from chest radiographs, electrocardiograms, and questionnaires to investigate the participants' respiratory symptoms, sedentarism, and comorbidities (Charlson comorbidity index). From December 2010 to July 2014, individuals were randomly selected from various locations in the state of Rio de Janeiro. All individuals were examined by a single technician in the morning at the laboratory, and performed the spirometry with the same spirometer. Spirometry values were tabulated for the creation of three equation models: linear regression, logarithmic regression, and logarithms through a method that incorporates the lambda, median, and coefficient of variation (LMS method). Initially, 7003 individuals from both genders were contacted, and 454 were recruited. The data from the new equations were compared with one Brazilian and eight international equations, resulting in a high correlation (r>0.9). The values derived from the LMS method and linear regression were very similar (P>0.5), and both could be used to acquire the reference values for Brazilian spirometry. Data derived from the equations of this study were different from the current Brazilian equation, which could be justified by the different method used.

Spirometry reference values in the Brazilian population

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R. Rufino

Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to provide new spirometry reference equations in a sample of the Brazilian population for the following parameters: forced vital capacity (FVC, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1, FEV1/FVC ratio, peak of expiratory flow (PEF, forced expiratory flow at 50% (FEF50%, 75% average vital capacity (FEF25-75%, and average forced expiratory flow time (FEFT. This was a prospective study using results from chest radiographs, electrocardiograms, and questionnaires to investigate the participants' respiratory symptoms, sedentarism, and comorbidities (Charlson comorbidity index. From December 2010 to July 2014, individuals were randomly selected from various locations in the state of Rio de Janeiro. All individuals were examined by a single technician in the morning at the laboratory, and performed the spirometry with the same spirometer. Spirometry values were tabulated for the creation of three equation models: linear regression, logarithmic regression, and logarithms through a method that incorporates the lambda, median, and coefficient of variation (LMS method. Initially, 7003 individuals from both genders were contacted, and 454 were recruited. The data from the new equations were compared with one Brazilian and eight international equations, resulting in a high correlation (r>0.9. The values derived from the LMS method and linear regression were very similar (P>0.5, and both could be used to acquire the reference values for Brazilian spirometry. Data derived from the equations of this study were different from the current Brazilian equation, which could be justified by the different method used.

Determinants of quality of life in Brazilian patients with myasthenia gravis.

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Mourão, Aline Mansueto; Gomez, Rodrigo Santiago; Barbosa, Luiz Sergio Mageste; Freitas, Denise da Silva; Comini-Frota, Elizabeth Regina; Kummer, Arthur; Lemos, Stella Maris Aguiar; Teixeira, Antonio Lucio

2016-07-01

The aims of the current study were 1) to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Brazilian version of the 15-item Myasthenia Gravis Quality of Life Scale and 2) to investigate the quality of life of Brazilian patients with myasthenia gravis and its determinants. This cross-sectional study included 69 patients with myasthenia gravis who underwent neurological evaluation and completed questionnaires regarding quality of life (the 36-item Short Form of the Medical Outcomes Study and the 15-item Myasthenia Gravis Quality of Life Scale), anxiety and depressive symptoms. The Brazilian version of the 15-item Myasthenia Gravis Quality of Life Scale showed high internal consistency and good concurrent validity with the 36-item Short Form of the Medical Outcomes Study and its subscales. Determinants of quality of life in Brazilian patients with myasthenia gravis included the current status of myasthenia gravis as assessed by the Myasthenia Gravis Composite, the current prednisone dose and the levels of anxiety and depression. The Brazilian version of the 15-item Myasthenia Gravis Quality of Life Scale is a valid instrument. Symptom severity, prednisone dosage and anxiety and depression levels impact the quality of life of patients with myasthenia gravis.

The nuclear agreement with Germany in the context of Brazilian 'model' and the crisis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosa, L.P.; Pires, R.L.N.F.

1984-01-01

The Brazilian Nuclear Program is discussed in the context of the so-called Brazilian 'model' which conditions the industrial and technological structure of Brazil. The relations between the Brazilian private industry, the Brazilian state industry and the foreign multinational industry in the nuclear agreement Brazil - Germany are indicated. The economic crisis, the 'energy crisis', the mistakes of the nuclear program, the political fight for the revision of the agreement, the present situation and the problems of technological transfer are also discussed. Some alternatives are suggested for NUCLEBRAS. In an annex, comments are made on the question of Brazilian reactors safety. The so-called system of Protection to the Nucleare Program is also mentioned. (I. de C.R.) [pt

The Brazilian Business World: the difficult adaptation to globalization

OpenAIRE

Arraes,Virgílio Caixeta

2010-01-01

The article deals with the internationalization of Brazilian businesses in the current decade. In the 1990s, Brazil embraced economic neoliberalism and promoted a huge opening up of its economy. At that time, Brazilian companies had to adapt rapidly. Twenty years later, the country has reinforced its presence in Latin America and has ensured a better position in the global markets, especially by through agricultural exports.

Marketing strategies in the internationalization process of Brazilian franchises

OpenAIRE

Camargo, Maria Adriana de A. P.; Rocha, Thelma Valéria; Silva, Susana Costa e

2016-01-01

Purpose – This paper aimed to analyze the influence of marketing strategies on the internationalization process of Brazilian franchises. The objective was to identify the marketing strategies used by Brazilian franchises during different stages of their internationalization processes and to analyze these strategies according to the Global Marketing Strategy (GMS). Design/methodology/approach – The paper adopted a qualitative research methodology based on three case studie...

[Brazilian colonization in the Paraguayan agricultural frontier].

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Neupert, R F

1991-04-01

This work briefly describes Brazilian colonization of the Paraguayan agricultural frontier, analyzes factors responsible for expelling population from Brazil and for attracting Brazilians to Paraguay, and assesses the economic and social consequences of immigration to the area. Paraguay's vast and sparsely populated agricultural frontier in areas outside the Central subregion underwent a process of intense colonization from the early 1960s to the mid-1980s. The Paraguayan government initiated an ambitious colonization program in 1963 to increase production, relieve population pressure and subdivision of small parcels in the Central subregion, encourage agricultural modernization, and produce a more diversified agriculture. Paraguayan agriculture in the early 1960s suffered from excessive concentration of land in a few hands and resulting exclusion of around 3/4 of workers from ownership and from any possibility of obtaining credit to fund technological improvements. Results of studies 2 decades after implementation of the colonization plan suggest that it has failed in significant areas. Although a considerable population redistribution alleviated pressure in the Central subregion, it apparently resulted more from spontaneous movement of peasants outside the colonization areas than from the official program. Concentration of lands is now occurring in the colonization area. Assistance for agricultural modernization and diversification of production in the peasant sector has been minimal. On the other hand, production of soy, wheat, and cotton for export increased substantially, because of an entrepreneurial agriculture capitalized by foreign as well as national interests The unmet goals of the colonization program would have required structural reforms rather than simple spatial redistribution of the population. Many of the colonists in the 1970s were Brazilian families displaced by mechanized agriculture in the southern states of Parana, Santa Catarina, and Rio

THE PROCESS OF INTERNATIONALIZATION OF BRAZILIAN FIRMS: STUDY WITH FRANCHISORS

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Daniela Motta Romeiro Khauaja

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to analyze the process of internationalization of Brazilian firms, including the motivations for the internationalization, the modes of entry and the difficulties faced during this process. This research is relevant due to the importance of international management for Brazilian firms at the current global scenario. Firstly, it was developed a theoretical basis and, afterwards, an empirical qualitative and exploratory research was carried out. The data were collected from in depth interviews with the representatives of ten Brazilian franchisors that became international, which are associated to the Brazilian Association of Franchising (ABF, who gave support to the research. The analytical procedure adopted was the content analysis. Franchising was chosen because Brazil is one of the most developed countries in this field and franchising is recognized as an important booster of the globalization process. The interviews were conducted with either the owner of the firm or the marketing or international executive officers. The results of the empirical research show that, although Brazilian firms are late movers, the firms analyzed do not seem handicapped in terms of managerial capacity or technological competences. It is clear, nevertheless, that they are late movers because they have a huge internal market to explore. Adopting a global vision is very important, even if they prefer a gradual approach towards internationalization.

Health service quality scale: Brazilian Portuguese translation, reliability and validity

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background The Health Service Quality Scale is a multidimensional hierarchical scale that is based on interdisciplinary approach. This instrument was specifically created for measuring health service quality based on marketing and health care concepts. The aim of this study was to translate and culturally adapt the Health Service Quality Scale into Brazilian Portuguese and to assess the validity and reliability of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the instrument. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional, observational study, with public health system patients in a Brazilian university hospital. Validity was assessed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient to measure the strength of the association between the Brazilian Portuguese version of the instrument and the SERVQUAL scale. Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient; the intraclass (ICC) and Pearson’s correlation coefficients were used for test-retest reliability. Results One hundred and sixteen consecutive postoperative patients completed the questionnaire. Pearson’s correlation coefficient for validity was 0.20. Cronbach's alpha for the first and second administrations of the final version of the instrument were 0.982 and 0.986, respectively. For test-retest reliability, Pearson’s correlation coefficient was 0.89 and ICC was 0.90. Conclusions The culturally adapted, Brazilian Portuguese version of the Health Service Quality Scale is a valid and reliable instrument to measure health service quality. PMID:23327598

Integrating Ecosystem Management, Protected Areas, and Mammal Conservation in the Brazilian Amazon

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Claudia Azevedo-Ramos

2006-12-01

Full Text Available The Amazon forest has been converted to a matrix of pristine and modified habitats. Landscape-scale biodiversity conservation requires an understanding of species' distributions over this matrix to guarantee both effective protection and use for present and future generations. In this study, we evaluated how much of the existing and future planned protected areas (PAs would be contributing to the conservation of Brazilian Amazon mammals (N = 399, including threatened species (N = 51. Currently, almost 37% of Brazilian Amazon is protected and that may increase to 46% if planned PAs are implemented. In the current PA system, 22% are indigenous land and 11% are sustainable use units, e.g., production forests. Only one-fifth of the whole range of mammal species occurring in Brazilian Amazon is actually protected by Brazilian PAs. However, considering only the part of the ranges within the Brazilian Amazon, and therefore under the scope of Brazilian actions, Brazilian PAs assume an important role in the protection of 39% of mammal distribution ranges, particularly the threatened species (39%. These results suggest that an integrated network of protected areas among Amazon countries would be necessary to increase their efficiency in mammal conservation. The need for strengthening of the forest sector and good management practices in Brazil appears critical for the maintenance of large extents of forest and species conservation. Under such a scenario, the contribution of developed nations and international agencies must assume an important role for the maintenance and enlargement of the protected area network in Amazon region.

[Brazilian guidelines for the manegement of intracerebral hemorrhage].

Science.gov (United States)

Pontes-Neto, Octávio M; Oliveira-Filho, Jamary; Valiente, Raul; Friedrich, Maurício; Pedreira, Bruno; Rodrigues, Bruno Castelo Branco; Liberato, Bernardo; Freitas, Gabriel Rodriguez de

2009-09-01

Among the stroke subtypes, intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) has the worst prognosis and still lacks a specific treatment. The present manuscript contains the Brazilian guidelines for the management of ICH. It was elaborated by the executive committee of the Brazilian Cerebrovascular Diseases Society and was based on a broad review of articles about the theme. The text aims to provide a rational for the management of patients with an acute ICH, with the diagnostic and therapeutic resources that are available in Brazil.

The Brazilian Bolsa Escola

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Rachel Cassidy

2008-12-01

Full Text Available The Bolsa Escola (‘school stipend’ and its successor the Bolsa Familia (‘family stipend’ schemes have formed a crucial and successful part of Brazil’s welfare program. Bolsa Escola provided aid to Brazil’s poorest families on the condition that their children attended school, and Bolsa Familia has extended this idea, giving aid on the condition that children both attend school and receive vaccinations. Bolsa Familia is currently the largest Conditional Cash Transfer Program (CCTP in the world, costing roughly 0.5% of Brazilian GDP and helping around 11.2 million families (around 44 million Brazilians, constituting roughly one fifth of the population. Multilateral institutions have praised the schemes, and they are setting a leading example to other developing nations. In 2005, Paul Wolfowitz (former president of the World Bank said, ‘Bolsa Familia has already become a highly praised model of effective social policy. Countries around the world are drawing lessons from Brazil’s experience and are trying to produce the same results for their own people’.

Polypropylene reinforced with organophilic clay and brazilian nut fibers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rocha-Gomes, L.V.; Mondelo-Garcia, F.J.; Vaccioli, K.; Valera, S.T.; Silva-Valenzuela, M.G.; Valenzuela-Diaz, F.R.

2014-01-01

Polymer nanocomposites have been shown to possess better properties when compared with traditional composites. This study aims to investigate the effects of the addition of organophilic clay and Brazilian nut fiber on the polypropylene (PP). First, 5%, 10% and 20% PP/compatibilizer maleic anhydride (PP-g-MA) by weight was added to Pure PP, respectively. From the results, 5% PP-g-MA was defined for preparing the nanocomposites. Samples were prepared containing 5% PP / PP-g-MA reinforced with 5% organophilic Brazilian smectite clay and 5%, 10% and 15% Brazilian nut fiber. Specimens were tested for tensile strength and impact. The materials were characterized by laser diffraction particle size and X-ray diffraction, and the nanocomposites, by mechanical strength and impact. The best result was obtained by inserting 15% fiber. (author)

Systematic risk variations (beta convertible debenture brazilian companies

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Renata Drumond Pinto Coelho Antonino

2010-01-01

Full Text Available purpose of this article is to analyze the impact of issuing convertible debentures on the systematic risk of Brazilian companies. Some applied researches in the U.S. capital market (STEIN, 1992; LEWIS et al, 2002; RAI, 2005 indicate that convertible debentures may be used as an alternative financing source when adverse selection problem makes stock issuing unattractive financing source. The analysis of Brazilian companies that issued convertible debentures recorded in the period from 1998 to 2006 and that presented liquidity on the market indicated that variation in beta, on average, is positive. These results are coherent with the signaling hypothesis and with the absence of convertible debenture issuing in 2005 and 2006 on the Brazilian market. They also may be related to the precarious financial situation of issuing companies, observed by the analysis of some financial indicators in year of issue and in two pre- e post-issuing years.

Amateur filmmaking in the history of Brazilian cinema

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Lila Silva Foster

2016-07-01

Full Text Available As in many national cinemas, the history of Brazilian amateur film is still in its early stages of investigation. In addition to this historiographical deficit, there are many ways in which amateur cinema is a small and less visible production: films shot in 16mm, 9.5mm and Super 8 are dispensable and Brazilian film archives and cinemateques only started cataloguing these materials in recent years. In the following paper we wish to establish a set of theoretic and historical guidelines to analyse amateur films that express different forms of amateur production. Through the collection of home movies from Alves de Lima family deposited at Cinemateca Brasileira (São Paulo, the amateur fictional films from Cinemateca Capitólio (Porto Alegre and Raymond Chauvin's  experimental films belonging to Hipólito José da Costa Communications Museum (Porto Alegre we want to give visibility to films that are not yet part of Brazilian cinema history.

Trace elements in brazilian soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rocha, Geraldo Cesar

1995-01-01

A literature revision on trace elements (Zn, B, Mn, Mo, Cu, Fe, and Cl) in Brazilian soils was prepared, with special attention to the chemical form and range in the soil, extraction methods and correlation of the amount in soils with soil properties

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boekhout van Solinge, T.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/156696207

2015-01-01

This essay takes a (green) criminological and multidisciplinary perspective on deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, by focusing on the crimes and damages that are associated with Amazonian deforestation. The analysis and results are partly based on longer ethnographic stays in North Brazil (Amazon

Linguistic Policies, Linguistic Planning, and Brazilian Sign Language in Brazil

Science.gov (United States)

de Quadros, Ronice Muller

2012-01-01

This article explains the consolidation of Brazilian Sign Language in Brazil through a linguistic plan that arose from the Brazilian Sign Language Federal Law 10.436 of April 2002 and the subsequent Federal Decree 5695 of December 2005. Two concrete facts that emerged from this existing language plan are discussed: the implementation of bilingual…

Brazilian mineral resources of refractory metals: Nb, Ta, W and Mo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barbosa, F.M.; Manso, G.C.

1984-01-01

A brief outlook of selected Brazilian refractory metals resources is presented. The metals are dealt separately with topics covering resources availability, production, Brazilian foreign trade, apparent consumption, and supply-demand balance with emphasis varying according to the specific metal characteristics. (E.G.) [pt

Aspects of the Brazilian law on civil liability for nuclear damage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rocha, L.M.G. da

1980-06-01

The civil liability for nuclear damage in the Brazilian law is analysed. The innovations introduced by the 6.453 act of October 17 th, 1977 are emphasized. The influence of international conventions on the Brazilian law are also mentioned. (A.L.) [pt

New products made with lignocellulosic nanofibers from Brazilian amazon forest

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bufalino, L; Mendes, L M; Tonoli, G H D; Fonseca, A; Rodrigues, A; Cunha, P I; Marconcini, J M

2014-01-01

The biodiversity of the Amazon forest is undoubtedly rich; hence there is considerable variety of plant fibers regarding their morphological, chemical and structural properties. The legal exploration of the Brazilian Amazon is based on sustainable management techniques, but the generation of a relevant amount of plant wastes still cant be avoided. The correct destination of such materials is a challenge that Brazilian companies have to face. In this context, the National Council of Science and Technology (CNPq) promoted the creation of investigation nets on sustainability of Brazilian agribusiness. The Brazilian Net on Lignocellulosic Composites and Nanocomposites was then created, with partnership between several national and international research institutions. Until the moment, the results showed that Amazon plant fibers that are discarded as residues have great potential to nanofiber production. Nanopapers with considerable high mechanical and physical strength, proper opacity and great crystalline index were produced by using a clean and simple mechanical method. Those materials are candidates to several uses such as packaging, substrates transparent conductive films, gas barrier films, solar cells and e-papers

New products made with lignocellulosic nanofibers from Brazilian amazon forest

Science.gov (United States)

Bufalino, L.; Mendes, L. M.; Tonoli, G. H. D.; Rodrigues, A.; Fonseca, A.; Cunha, P. I.; Marconcini, J. M.

2014-08-01

The biodiversity of the Amazon forest is undoubtedly rich; hence there is considerable variety of plant fibers regarding their morphological, chemical and structural properties. The legal exploration of the Brazilian Amazon is based on sustainable management techniques, but the generation of a relevant amount of plant wastes still cant be avoided. The correct destination of such materials is a challenge that Brazilian companies have to face. In this context, the National Council of Science and Technology (CNPq) promoted the creation of investigation nets on sustainability of Brazilian agribusiness. The Brazilian Net on Lignocellulosic Composites and Nanocomposites was then created, with partnership between several national and international research institutions. Until the moment, the results showed that Amazon plant fibers that are discarded as residues have great potential to nanofiber production. Nanopapers with considerable high mechanical and physical strength, proper opacity and great crystalline index were produced by using a clean and simple mechanical method. Those materials are candidates to several uses such as packaging, substrates transparent conductive films, gas barrier films, solar cells and e-papers.

Fire feedbacks facilitate invasion of pine savannas by Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius).

Science.gov (United States)

Stevens, Jens T; Beckage, Brian

2009-10-01

* Fire disturbance can mediate the invasion of ecological communities by nonnative species. Nonnative plants that modify existing fire regimes may initiate a positive feedback that can facilitate their continued invasion. Fire-sensitive plants may successfully invade pyrogenic landscapes if they can inhibit fire in the landscape. * Here, we investigated whether the invasive shrub Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius) can initiate a fire-suppression feedback in a fire-dependent pine savanna ecosystem in the southeastern USA. * We found that prescribed burns caused significant (30-45%) mortality of Brazilian pepper at low densities and that savannas with more frequent fires contained less Brazilian pepper. However, high densities of Brazilian pepper reduced fire temperature by up to 200 degrees C, and experienced as much as 80% lower mortality. * A cellular automaton model was used to demonstrate that frequent fire may control low-density populations, but that Brazilian pepper may reach a sufficient density during fire-free periods to initiate a positive feedback that reduces the frequency of fire and converts the savanna to an invasive-dominated forest.

The Brazilian Organic Food Sector: Prospects and Constraints of Facilitating the Inclusion of Smallholders

Science.gov (United States)

Blanc, Julien; Kledal, Paul R.

2012-01-01

The Brazilian organic food sector has experienced important growth during the last two decades. Brazilian smallholders, however, are facing huge challenges to enter and benefit from this growth in a sustainable way. Combining the lens of New Institutional Economics and socio-anthropology, we analyze six experiences of Brazilian smallholders who…

RMB: the new Brazilian Multipurpose Research Reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perrotta, Jose Augusto, E-mail: perrotta@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2016-07-01

Full text: The Brazilian research reactors have a limited capacity for radioisotopes production, leading to a high dependence on external supply for radioisotopes used in nuclear medicine. In order to overcome this condition and due to the old age of these research reactors, the Brazilian Nuclear Energy Commission decided, in 2008, to construct a new research reactor. The new reactor named RMB (Brazilian Multipurpose Reactor) will be part of a new nuclear research center, to be built on a site about 100 kilometers from São Paulo city, in the southern part of Brazil. The new nuclear research center will have a 30 MW open pool type research reactor using low enriched uranium fuel, and several associated laboratories in order to produce radioisotopes for medical and industrial use, to use neutron beams in scientific and technological research; to perform neutron activation analysis; and to perform materials and fuels irradiation tests. Regarding the neutron beams use, the RMB design provides thermal and cold neutron beams. From one side of the reactor, the neutron guides will extend to an experimental hall of instruments named Neutron Guide Hall where it will be installed the scattering instruments. In the initial stage of the reactor operation, the intent is to implement two neutron guides for thermal neutrons and another two for cold neutrons. The 2015 SBPMAT symposium has presented the technical overview of the RMB project and its main buildings, structures and components. At this year symposium, the RMB presentation updates some technical information and the development status of the project, discussing the negative results of the Brazilian political and economic crisis to the project development and its future perspectives. (author)

Energy economy and industrial ecology in the Brazilian cement sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tavares, Marina Elisabete Espinho; Schaeffer, Roberto

1999-01-01

The article discusses the following issues of the Brazilian cement sector: the Brazilian cement main types specification, cement quantities evolution produced in Brazil from 1987 to 1997, energy conservation in the cement production process with additives, energy economy cost estimates from the utilization of additives, and several technologies energy economy cost used in the industrial sector

Effect of reclaimed water effluent on bacterial community structure in the Typha angustifolia L. rhizosphere soil of urbanized riverside wetland, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Xingru; Xiong, Wei; Liu, Wei; Guo, Xiaoyu

2017-05-01

In order to evaluate the impact of reclaimed water on the ecology of bacterial communities in the Typha angustifolia L. rhizosphere soil, bacterial community structure was investigated using a combination of terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism and 16S rRNA gene clone library. The results revealed significant spatial variation of bacterial communities along the river from upstream and downstream. For example, a higher relative abundance of γ-Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Chloroflexi and a lower proportion of β-Proteobacteria and ε-Proteobacteria was detected at the downstream site compared to the upstream site. Additionally, with an increase of the reclaimed water interference intensity, the rhizosphere bacterial community showed a decrease in taxon richness, evenness and diversity. The relative abundance of bacteria closely related to the resistant of heavy-metal was markedly increased, while the bacteria related for carbon/nitrogen/phosphorus/sulfur cycling wasn't strikingly changed. Besides that, the pathogenic bacteria markedly increased in the downstream rhizosphere soil since reclaimed water supplement, while the possible plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria obviously reduced in the downstream sediment. Together these data suggest cause and effect between reclaimed water input into the wetland, shift in bacterial communities through habitat change, and alteration of capacity for biogeochemical cycling of contaminants. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Brazilian nuclear renaissance in a sustainable development scenario - 097

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dias, M.S.; Mattos, J.R.L.

2010-01-01

Brazil generated 326 TWh of hydroelectric power in 2005, accounting for ∼81% of the electricity production for that year. The 2005 to 2030 projections for the Brazilian development indicate growths from 2,020 kWh to 4,380 kWh in the per capita electricity consumption and from US$4,300 to US$8,950 in the per capita GDP (in market exchange rate and 2005 US$). The consumption of electricity is to grow from 375 TWh in 2005 to 1,030 TWh in 2030. In simple view and without considerations of aspects related with energy efficiency, this growth means 1.8 times the generation capacity of the 20. century should be built along of 25 years of the 21. century. The Brazilian electricity generation will demand all primary sources to meet the foreseen growth of the electricity consumption. As economical, safe and clean primary energy source for electricity generation, the nuclear energy is one option capable of large-scale and short-term deployment in the Brazilian growth of the electricity consumption. The contribution of nuclear generation in the electricity consumption should evolve from the current 2.6% for amounts over 5% in 2030. The perspective of the Brazilian nuclear sector is evolving to be resumed and present an opportunity for pooling and rationalizing the available skills - technical, cultural and human. The role of business opportunities and the future demands in the value chain of nuclear activities are summarized in this document. Institutions of R and D and Brazilian universities play an important role for the formation of new demanded knowledge and human resources. (authors)

Brazilian chicken meat production chain:a 10-year overview

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IA Nääs

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Brazil is the world's largest broiler meat exporter. Health control, knowledge and technology, as well as the natural aspects of the country are pointed out as the keys for the success of that product in the market. Brazilian broiler production grew significantly in the last decade; it creates jobs and has a significant social role in Brazilian economy. This study aimed at evaluating the Brazilian broiler meat supply chain from 2000 to 2010 using the social network analysis (SNA. Data from governmental and private sources were organized and analyzed. The focus of this study was the broiler production supply chain segment involving the hatchery, the broiler farm, the feed mill, the processing plant, and the government. The inputs considered were one-day-old chicks, pullet, feedstuff, and the infrastructure; and the outputs were broiler meat and taxes paid. The software UCINET was applied for calculating the structural attributes and indicators of the network. Results showed a relatively disorganized network in 2000 with the strongest tie between the farmer and the processing plant. The structural organization of the network improved until 2010. The density of the ties in the broiler meat production network increased steadily from 2000 to 2010 within a vertical cohesive supply chain structure. The success of Brazilian broiler meat production is attributed to the abundance of land, fertile soil, favorable climate, and the effort and investments in research and development by innovative companies in the last few years. The results of the present study showed that Brazilian broiler production evolved positively in the last ten years, and it was weakly influenced by international challenges.

EDITORIAL: XVI Brazilian Colloquium on Orbital Dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

de Melo, Cristiano F.; Macau, Elbert E. N.; Prado, Antonio B. A.; Hetem Jnr, Annibal

2013-10-01

The XVI Brazilian Colloquium on Orbital Dynamics was held from 26-30 November 2012, at the Biazi Grand Hotel, Serra Negra, São Paulo, Brazil. The Brazilian Colloquia on Orbital Dynamics are scientific events that occur bi-annually and are designed to develop those areas of research in celestial mechanics, orbital dynamics, planetary science, fundamental astronomy, aerospace engineering, and nonlinear systems and chaos. The meeting has been held for 30 years and it brings together researchers, professors and students from South American and also from other continents. Acknowledgements National Council for Scientific and Technological Development - CNPq Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Level - CAPES São Paulo Research Foundation - FAPESP

Lunch quality and sociodemographic conditions between Brazilian regions

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Bartira Mendes Gorgulho

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to assess the quality of lunch consumed by adults in Brazil and its sociodemographic determinants in each Brazilian region. A cross-sectional study was carried out and a representative sample of regional populations was used. The sample comprised of 16,096 adults from the Brazilian National Dietary Survey, part of the Brazilian Household Budget Survey (POF. The lunch quality was evaluated by applying the main meal quality index (MMQI, comprised of 10 items of equal weights that resulted in a score that ranged from zero to 100 points. Linear regression models measured the association between lunch quality and sociodemographic factors. The average energy consumption at lunch was 704kcal (SD = 300, and the meal quality score mean was 57 points (SE = 0.30. The North Region had the worst MMQI score (56 points, SE = 0.07, while the Central had the best MMQI adjusted score (59 points, SE = 0.05. The MMQI final score was positively associated with male gender and ages between 20-39 years, and was inversely associated with having eight years or more of education, per capita income of at least three minimum wages, and with the consumption of meals prepared away from home. Despite differences among sociodemographic factors, all Brazilian regions had a lunch composed of foods rich in sugars and fats, with insufficient portions of fruits and vegetables, resulting in a low meal quality.

Effects of Brazilian Cardioprotective Diet Program on risk factors in patients with coronary heart disease: a Brazilian Cardioprotective Diet randomized pilot trial

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Bernardete Weber

2012-12-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of the Brazilian Cardioprotective Diet Program in reducing blood pressures, fasting glucose levels and body mass indices in patients with established atherothrombotic disease. METHOD: This randomized controlled pilot trial included outpatients who were over 45 years of age with atherothrombotic cardiovascular disease. Group A, who received the Brazilian Cardioprotective Diet Program, had weekly sessions with dietitians. Groups B and C received the usual dietary therapy that is given to patients with cardiovascular diseases as proposed by the Brazilian guidelines. This diet had the same nutrient profile as that given to Group A, but it was customized by the integration of typical Mediterranean foods. The difference between Groups B and C was the number of sessions with the dietitian. Group B received weekly sessions, while group C only had monthly sessions. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT 01453166. RESULTS: There was a greater reduction in systolic (7.8% and diastolic (10.8% blood pressures in Group A compared with Group B (2.3% and 7.3%, and Group C (3.9% and 4.9%, respectively. Fasting glucose decreased by 5.3% and 2% in Groups A and B, respectively. Fasting glucose increased by 3.7% in Group C. The BMIs decreased by 3.5% and 3.3% in Groups A and B, respectively. Group C did not present with any changes in BMI. However, none of these data showed statistical differences between the groups, which is methodologically acceptable in pilot trials. CONCLUSIONS: The Brazilian Cardioprotective Diet Program seems to be more effective in reducing blood pressures, fasting glucose levels, weights and BMIs in patients with previous cardiovascular disease compared with the diet that has been proposed by the Brazilian guidelines.

Sexuality education in Brazilian medical schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Rufino, Andrea Cronemberger; Madeiro, Alberto; Girão, Manoel João Batista Castello

2014-05-01

Sexuality education has been valued since the 1960s in medical schools worldwide. Although recent studies reaffirm the importance of incorporating sexuality into medical education, there are data gaps concerning how this happens in Brazil. To understand how Brazilian medical school professors teach sexuality in undergraduate courses. An exploratory, cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted. A total of 207 professors from 110 Brazilian medical schools responded to an online semistructured questionnaire about the characteristics of the sexuality-related topics offered. The main variables assessed were contact hours devoted to sexuality, disciplines in which sexuality topics were taught, sexuality-related course titles, and sexuality-related topics addressed. Questionnaires were tabulated and analyzed using descriptive statistics for frequency distribution. The response rate to the questionnaire was 77.2%. Almost all professors (96.3%) addressed sexuality-related topics mainly in the third and fourth years as clinical disciplines, with a 6-hour load per discipline. Gynecology was the discipline in which sexuality-related topics were most often taught (51.5%), followed by urology (18%) and psychiatry (15%). Sexuality-related topics were addressed mainly in classes on sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS (62.4%) and on the anatomy and physiology of the reproductive system (55.4%). About 25% of the professors reported teaching courses with a sexuality-related title. There was emphasis on the impact of diseases and sexual habits (87.9%) and sexual dysfunction (75.9%). Less than 50% of professors addressed nonnormative sexuality or social aspects of sexuality. The teaching of sexuality in Brazilian medical schools occurred in a nonstandardized and fragmented fashion across several disciplines. The topic was incorporated with an organic and pathological bias, with a weak emphasis on the social aspects of sexuality and the variety of human sexual behaviors. The

Brazilian energy balance 1999: 1983 to 1998 period

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

This report shows the energy flows of different primary and secondary sources, from the production to the final consumption in every sector of the Brazilian economy, for the 1983 to 1998 period. It is divided into nine chapters, as follows: summary; energy supply and consumption by source; energy consumption by sector; energy import and export; transformation centers balances; energy resources and reserves; energy and socio economy; energy data relating to brazilian states; and appendices - installed capacity, world data, general structure of the balance, information processing, conversion units and consolidated energy balance

Brazilian energy balance 1999: 1983 to 1998 period

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-07-01

This report shows the energy flows of different primary and secondary sources, from the production to the final consumption in every sector of the Brazilian economy, for the 1983 to 1998 period. It is divided into nine chapters, as follows: summary; energy supply and consumption by source; energy consumption by sector; energy import and export; transformation centers balances; energy resources and reserves; energy and socio economy; energy data relating to brazilian states; and appendices - installed capacity, world data, general structure of the balance, information processing, conversion units and consolidated energy balance.

Brazilian energy statistics - 1998. Annual bulletin of the Brazilian Committee of the World Energy Council

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

This bulletin deals with the primary sources that carry most weight in the Brazilian energy balance: hydroelectric energy, petroleum, natural gas and coal. It also contains data on ethyl alcohol derived of sugar cane since it is of special importance in Brazil's energy scenario

Investigating Responses to Compliments by Brazilian Portuguese Speaking EFL Learners: A Contrastive Analysis

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Marisa de Lima Zanella

2017-02-01

Full Text Available This paper reports a study on politeness strategies of Brazilian Portuguese speakers and American English speakers regarding their responses to compliments. The aim of this research is to gain an insight into the politeness characteristics of Brazilian Portuguese speakers by analyzing how Brazilian students react when receiving compliments. It also aims to investigate how politeness from Brazilian Portuguese speakers differs from politeness of American English speakers when receiving compliments. The population for this research consists of 12 students with intermediate and upper-intermediate levels of EFL from the Cooperative de Trabalho Magna, a private school in Brazil. The study followed a descriptive and interpretive qualitative research method, where 133 answers were analyzed and then contrasted with Chen’s (1993 study of politeness strategies between American English and Chinese speakers. This study shows that, unlike American English speakers, Brazilian Portuguese speakers need to justify and give reasons for the compliment received.

Brazilian Green Propolis Improves Antioxidant Function in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

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Liting Zhao

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Propolis contains a variety of bioactive components and possesses many biological properties. This study was designed to evaluate potential effects of Brazilian green propolis on glucose metabolism and antioxidant function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM. In the 18-week randomized controlled study, enrolled patients with T2DM were randomly assigned to Brazilian green propolis group (900 mg/day (n = 32 and control group (n = 33. At the end of the study, no significant difference was found in serum glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, insulin, aldose reductase or adiponectin between the two groups. However, serum GSH and total polyphenols were significantly increased, and serum carbonyls and lactate dehydrogenase activity were significantly reduced in the Brazilian green propolis group. Serum TNF-α was significantly decreased, whereas serum IL-1β and IL-6 were significantly increased in the Brazilian green propolis group. It is concluded that Brazilian green propolis is effective in improving antioxidant function in T2DM patients.

Comparative genomic analysis of Brazilian Leptospira kirschneri serogroup Pomona serovar Mozdok

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Luisa Z Moreno

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Leptospira kirschneri is one of the pathogenic species of the Leptospira genus. Human and animal infection from L. kirschneri gained further attention over the last few decades. Here we present the isolation and characterisation of Brazilian L. kirschneri serogroup Pomona serovar Mozdok strain M36/05 and the comparative genomic analysis with Brazilian human strain 61H. The M36/05 strain caused pulmonary hemorrhagic lesions in the hamster model, showing high virulence. The studied genomes presented high symmetrical identity and the in silico multilocus sequence typing analysis resulted in a new allelic profile (ST101 that so far has only been associated with the Brazilian L. kirschneri serogroup Pomona serovar Mozdok strains. Considering the environmental conditions and high genomic similarity observed between strains, we suggest the existence of a Brazilian L. kirschneri serogroup Pomona serovar Mozdok lineage that could represent a high public health risk; further studies are necessary to confirm the lineage significance and distribution.

Plantas medicinais de um remascente de Floresta Ombrófila Mista Altomontana, Urupema, Santa Catarina, Brasil Medicinal plants in a remnant of High Montane Araucaria Moist Forest, Urupema Municipality, Santa Catarina State, Brazil

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D. Martins-Ramos

2010-09-01

Full Text Available O objetivo deste trabalho foi pesquisar dados químicos, biológicos e etnobotânicos na literatura científica de espécies medicinais de um remanescente de Floresta Ombrófila Mista Altomontana. A base para este estudo foi um levantamento florístico realizado na Fazenda das Nascentes, Urupema-SC entre agosto de 2007 e setembro de 2008. A partir da lista de espécies que resultou deste levantamento, foi realizada uma revisão bibliográfica sobre o potencial medicinal das espécies inventariadas. Para as espécies com dados de ação medicinal, foi elaborada chave de identificação vegetativa. Das 64 espécies listadas foram encontradas informações na bibliografia consultada sobre o potencial medicinal de 29. As principais familias foram Asteraceae (oito espécies e Myrtaceae (três espécies. O hábito que mais se destacou entre as plantas com potencial medicinal foi o arbóreo (13 espécies. O componente químico de maior ocorrência entre as espécies foi o óleo essencial (60% das espécies. As atividades terapêuticas mais citadas na literatura consultadas foram antimicrobiana, anti-oxidante, anti-inflamatória, antiviral, antifúngica e anestésica. Os resultados encontrados indicam o imenso potencial econômico da Floresta Ombrófila Mista e ambientes associados como fonte de recursos naturais que fazem parte da cultura e do patrimônio catarinense.The aim of this work was to search for chemical, biological and ethnobotanical data in the scientific literature on medicinal species from a remnant of High Montane Araucaria Moist Forest. This study was based on the floristics performed in "Fazenda das Nascentes", Urupema Municipality, Santa Catarina State, Brazil between August 2007 and September 2008. From the list of species obtained in this survey, a review on the medicinal potential of these recorded species was done. A vegetative identification key was elaborated for species with medicinal action Information about medicinal

Genetic diversity among brazilian isolates of beauveria bassiana: comparisons with non-brazilian isolates and other beauveria species

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandes, E.K.K.; Moraes, A.M.L.; Pacheco, R.S.; Rangel, D.E.N.; Miller, M.P.; Bittencourt, V.R.E.P.; Roberts, D.W.

2009-01-01

Aims: The genetic diversity of Beauveria bassiana was investigated by comparing isolates of this species to each other (49 from different geographical regions of Brazil and 4 from USA) and to other Beauveria spp. Methods and Results: The isolates were examined by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE), amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), and rDNA sequencing. MLEE and AFLP revealed considerable genetic variability among B. bassiana isolates. Several isolates from South and Southeast Brazil had high similarity coefficients, providing evidence of at least one population with clonal structure. There were clear genomic differences between most Brazilian and USA B. bassiana isolates. A Mantel test using data generated by AFLP provided evidence that greater geographical distances were associated with higher genetic distances. AFLP and rDNA sequencing demonstrated notable genotypic variation between B. bassiana and other Beauveria spp. Conclusion: Geographical distance between populations apparently is an important factor influencing genotypic variability among B. bassiana populations in Brazil. Significance and Impact of the Study: This study characterized many B. bassiana isolates. The results indicate that certain Brazilian isolates are considerably different from others and possibly should be regarded as separate species from B. bassiana sensu latu. The information on genetic variation among the Brazilian isolates, therefore, will be important to comprehending the population structure of B. bassiana in Brazil. ?? 2009 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

‘Like kings in their kingdoms’: Conservatism in Brazilian psychoanalysis during the dictatorship

OpenAIRE

Frosh, Stephen; Mandelbaum, B.

2017-01-01

In this paper, we examine some aspects of the fate of Brazilian psychoanalysis during the 1964-1985 civil-military dictatorship. Presenting data from interviews with Brazilian psychoanalysts, and focusing on the activities of the Brazilian Psychoanalytic Society of São Paulo, we argue that the external political situation was paralleled by conservatism within the Society, with some dangerous consequences. We attend especially to tensions between right- and left-wing psychoanalysts, denunciati...

Impact of gamma radiations on phytochemistry of senna, Cassia angustifolia Vahl

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arora, Sunita; Vyas, Monika

2012-01-01

Cassia angustifolia (senna) is native to India, and is cultivated mainly in India and Pakistan. The parts of this plant used medicinally are the leaves Senna is also known by the names Alexandrian Senna and and the pods. The leaves have a purging quality, but afterwards may have a binding effect. Both the leaves and pods are used in many over-the-counter pharmaceutical laxative preparations. People in northern Africa and southwestern Asia have used Senna as a natural laxative for centuries. Senna is a powerful cathartic used primarily in the treatment of constipation, working through a stimulation of intestinal peristalsis. The primary chemical Constituents of Senna include anthraquinone glycosides (sennosides, aloe-emodin, rhein), beta-sitosterol, flavones, tartaric acid, mucin, essential oil, mucilage, tannin and resin. The sennosides are irritating to the large intestine lining, causing peristaltic action and bowel evacuation. Senna is often combined with aromatic, carminative herbs such as cardamom, ginger root, peppermint and fennel to increase its palatability. Other historical applications of this herb have included support for inflammatory skin conditions, hypertension and weight control. Although the biological effects of large doses of ionizing radiation are predominantly harmful, low-to-intermediate doses have been observed to enhance growth and survival, augment the immune response, and increase resistance to the mutagenic and clastogenic effects of further irradiation in plants, bacteria, insects, and mammals. The existence of these stimulatory, or adaptive responses implies that the dose-response relationships for genetic and carcinogenic effects of radiation may be similarly biphasic or hermetic in nature. The leaflets of this plant constitute the principal raw material, is an excellent source of sennosides. To investigate the effect of mutagenic treatments on phytochemical characteristics, the dry seeds of senna were treated with different doses of

On the Effects of Non-Tariff Measures on Brazilian Exports

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LUCAS P. DO C. FERRAZ

Full Text Available This article estimates the effects of TBT/SPS measures on Brazilian exports, based on the recent literature of gravity models. A Heckman selection model - theoretically grounded on the seminal Melitz model of heterogeneous firms - highlights the role played by zero trade flows as well as firm heterogeneity for estimations using gravity equations, two factors usually omitted in standard specifications. We show that both extensive and intensive margins of Brazilian exports are, on average, negatively affected by pre-existing TBT and SPS measures. Moreover, we contribute to the empirical literature by providing comprehensive evidence of the sectoral effects of such measures over domestic exports. We find that TBT/SPS measures - though predominantly harmful - can foster exports in several sectors of the Brazilian economy.

Topic theory and Brazilian musicality: Considerations on rhetoricity in music

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Acácio T. C. Piedade

2013-02-01

Full Text Available This article presents an application of the topic theory to the analyses of Brazilian music. It starts with a reflection on the concepts of musicality, friction of musicalities in Brazilian jazz, and the fusion of musicalities that emerges from the invention of tradition. The discussion follows with the question of the adaptability of topic theory to national musics. Then, some musical examples are used in order to present some of the universes of topics of Brazilian music. In this article I argue that the concept of rhetoricity brings good results to the study of musical signification, and that the theory of topics is useful for other contexts than classical music, being an interesting route to the investigation of sociocultural connections in musicalities.

The quest for recognition: Brazilian immigrants in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Zubaran, Carlos

2008-12-01

'Hispanic' and 'Latino' are imprecise umbrella terms often used in the United States to designate nationals from Central and South America. The labelling of Brazilians in this manner generates inaccurate demographic information, including a significant undercount of the migrant population. Research data indicates that Brazilians object to being designated Hispanics, since Brazilians speak Portuguese and have no Spanish heritage. The labelling of ethnic groups has been criticized as a stereotypical and racist system, which primarily responds to non-scientific demands. This commentary appeals for reform in the way researchers and institutions refer to minority citizens as well as for continued research to investigate racism and ethnic prejudice. The development of new approaches and methodologies to examine social networks, migration and the geographic concentration of poverty is advocated.

The Ethics and Citizenship Program: A Brazilian Experience in Moral Education

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Araujo, Ulisses; Arantes, Valeria

2009-01-01

This article describes the Ethics and Citizenship Program, a moral education project developed by the Brazilian government to promote education in ethics and citizenship in Brazilian fundamental and middle schools through four key themes: ethics, democratic coexistence, human rights and social inclusion. Some findings from a research project that…

O SUB-BOSQUE DE REFLORESTAMENTOS DE PINUS EM SÍTIOS DEGRADADOS DA REGIÃO DA FLORESTA ESTACIONAL DECIDUAL DO RIO GRANDE DO SUL

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Franz H. Andrae

2005-08-01

Full Text Available Analisou-se o sub-bosque de 12 povoamentos de Pinus sp. e um de Araucaria angustifolia O.Ktze., crescendo em solos degradados pelo uso agrícola na chamada 4a Colônia do Rio Grande do Sul. A Araucaria foi semeada diretamente, um dos povoamentos de Pinus, de 10 anos, resultou de uma renovação natural, os demais provêm de plantios de 25 a 30 anos atrás. Em 575 parcelas de 25 m² cada, distribuídas sistematicamente nos povoamentos, foram levantados o estrato arbóreo e a vegetação inferior, classificada em estratos de 0,3 a 1,3 m e maior que 1,3 m; no estrato inferior a 0,3 m somente a renovação natural de Pinus foi contada. A vegetação interna dos povoamentos se compôs de 121 espécies lenhosas, incluindo espécies desde comuns até nobres, mas também ornamentais ou frutíferas nativas e exóticas. Um bom número de espécies, porém, ocorreu com poucos representantes. Além disso registrou-se a presença freqüente de espécies não-arbóreas como ervas, gramas, samambaias e cipós. O número de espécies e o grau de cobertura do sub-bosque não dependiam da densidade do estrato superior de pinheiros. A abundância e a freqüência das espécies não variavam significativamente entre parcelas do centro dos povoamentos e da faixa periférica. O padrão de distribuição espacial das plantas dentro dos povoamentos foi quantificado pelo Índice de Cox. O Índice de Shannon foi usado como medida da diversidade em espécies; pelo Índice de Sörensen foi estudada a semelhança dos povoamentos. Conclui-se que plantios de exóticas nessa região não somente podem ser de interesse para os agricultores pelo elevado potencial produtivo em madeira, como também significam manchas de inesperada biodiversidade numa paisagem degradada. A riqueza do sub-bosque possivelmente se deve á extensão reduzida desses povoamentos.

Kocuria palustris sp. nov. and Kocuria rhizophila sp. nov., isolated from the rhizoplane of the narrow-leaved cattail (Typha angustifolia).

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Kovács, G; Burghardt, J; Pradella, S; Schumann, P; Stackebrandt, E; Màrialigeti, K

1999-01-01

Two Gram-positive, aerobic spherical actinobacteria were isolated from the rhizoplane of narrow-leaved cattail (Typha angustifolia) collected from a floating mat in the Soroksár tributary of the Danube river, Hungary. Sequence comparisons of the 16S rDNA indicated these isolates to be phylogenetic neighbours of members of the genus Kocuria, family Micrococcaceae, in which they represent two novel lineages. The phylogenetic distinctness of the two organisms TA68T and TAGA27T was supported by DNA-DNA similarity values of less than 55% between each other and with the type strains of Kocuria rosea, Kocuria kristinae and Kocuria varians. Chemotaxonomic properties supported the placement of the two isolates in the genus Kocuria. The diagnostic diamino acid of the cell-wall peptidoglycan is lysine, the interpeptide bridge is composed of three alanine residues. Predominant menaquinone was MK-7(H2). The fatty acid pattern represents the straight-chain saturated iso-anteiso type. Main fatty acid was anteiso-C15:0. The phospholipids are diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and an unknown component. The DNA base composition of strains TA68T and TAGA27T is 69.4 and 69.6 mol% G+C, respectively. Genotypic, morphological and physiological characteristics are used to describe two new species of Kocuria, for which we propose the names Kocuria palustris, type strain DSM 11925T and Kocuria rhizophila, type strain DSM 11926T.

Brazilian energy statistics - 2000. Annual bulletin of the Brazilian Committee of the World Energy Council

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-01-01

This bulletin deals with the primary sources that carry most weight in the Brazilian energy balance: hydroelectric energy, petroleum, natural gas, nuclear energy and coal. It also contains data on ethyl alcohol derived of sugar cane since it is of special importance in Brazil's energy scenario

Brazilian energy statistics - 1999. Annual bulletin of the Brazilian Committee of the World Energy Council

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

This bulletin deals with the primary sources that carry most weight in the Brazilian energy balance: hydroelectric energy, petroleum, natural gas, nuclear energy and coal. It also contains data on ethyl alcohol derived of sugar cane since it is of special importance in Brazil's energy scenario

The Brazilian Business World: the difficult adaptation to globalization

OpenAIRE

Arraes, Virgílio Caixeta

2010-01-01

The article deals with the internationalization of Brazilian businesses in the current decade. In the 1990s, Brazil embraced economic neoliberalism and promoted a huge opening up of its economy. At that time, Brazilian companies had to adapt rapidly. Twenty years later, the country has reinforced its presence in Latin America and has ensured a better position in the global markets, especially by through agricultural exports. O artigo trata da internacionalização das empresas brasileiras na...

Modelling sustainable international tourism demand to the Brazilian Amazon

OpenAIRE

Divino, Jose Angelo; McAleer, Michael

2008-01-01

The Amazon rainforest is one of the world's greatest natural wonders and holds great importance and significance for the world's environmental balance. Around 60% of the Amazon rainforest is located in the Brazilian territory. The two biggest states of the Amazon region are Amazonas (the upper Amazon) and Para (the lower Amazon), which together account for around 73% of the Brazilian Legal Amazon, and are the only states that are serviced by international airports in Brazil's North region. Th...

An overview on the Brazilian orange juice production chain

OpenAIRE

Renato Marcio dos Santos; Irenilza de Alencar Nääs; Mario Mollo Neto; Oduvaldo Vendrametto

2013-01-01

Brazil is the world's largest producer of oranges and uses more than 70% of the harvested fruits in the production of juices. The amount of processed orange is growing about 10% per year, confirming the trend of the Brazilian citrus for juice production. This research aimed to investigate the Brazilian orange juice production chain from 2005 to 2009. Data from the amount of frozen juice produced and exported, international price of orange juice, and intermediate transactions were assessed in ...

Reflections on the career of Brazilian Paralympic athletes.

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Haiachi, Marcelo de Castro; Cardoso, Vinícius Denardin; Reppold, Alberto Reinaldo; Gaya, Adroaldo Cezar Araújo

2016-10-01

The proximity of the Paralympic Games Rio 2016 opens the discussion about the possibility of building a career in Paralympic sport. This study aims to present the characteristics and challenges present in the sporting career of the Brazilian Paralympic athlete. The study was structured under three main guiding topics: the different moments of Paralympic Sport, the career characteristics of paralympians and the consequences of sports results for their careers. Currently, Paralympic sports has its focus on high performance, as the constant necessity for good results is an ever present reality. The characteristics and challenges of sporting careers reveal the current situation for Brazilian Paralympic sports in all of its stages (pre-transition, transition and post-transition). Upon reflecting on the career of the Brazilian paralympic athlete a debate opens up concerning future perspectives and particularly on an understanding of the existing challenges for consolidation. Structural problems such as venues for training, lack of awareness on the part of the private sector and the non-renewal of human resources, seem to be the main obstacles for the consolidation of paralympic careers in Brazil.

Use of statistical procedures in Brazilian and international dental journals.

Science.gov (United States)

Ambrosano, Gláucia Maria Bovi; Reis, André Figueiredo; Giannini, Marcelo; Pereira, Antônio Carlos

2004-01-01

A descriptive survey was performed in order to assess the statistical content and quality of Brazilian and international dental journals, and compare their evolution throughout the last decades. The authors identified the reporting and accuracy of statistical techniques in 1000 papers published from 1970 to 2000 in seven dental journals: three Brazilian (Brazilian Dental Journal, Revista de Odontologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo and Revista de Odontologia da UNESP) and four international journals (Journal of the American Dental Association, Journal of Dental Research, Caries Research and Journal of Periodontology). Papers were divided into two time periods: from 1970 to 1989, and from 1990 to 2000. A slight increase in the number of articles that presented some form of statistical technique was noticed for Brazilian journals (from 61.0 to 66.7%), whereas for international journals, a significant increase was observed (65.8 to 92.6%). In addition, a decrease in the number of statistical errors was verified. The most commonly used statistical tests as well as the most frequent errors found in dental journals were assessed. Hopefully, this investigation will encourage dental educators to better plan the teaching of biostatistics, and to improve the statistical quality of submitted manuscripts.