Comparison of two doses of eCG for obtaining embryos in llama

The study was developed at the Pampa del Arco Experimental Center of the National University of San Cristóbal de Huamanga, the objective was to evaluate doses of 800 IU (T1) and doses of 1000 IU (T2) of eCG to obtain embryos. Eight adult female llamas were used, distributed four in each treatment (T1 and T2), with a body condition of 2.5, these were evaluated by ultrasound with a 7.5 MHz rectal linear transducer. Hormonal treatments began when the animals had a follicle> 7 mm. The application of eCG was 72 hours after the induction of ovulation of the dominant follicle with GnRH, on day 7 PGF2α was applied, natural mounting was performed plus GnRH (1ml), on day 15 the collection and evaluation of embryos was performed. The results obtained were the pre-ovarian stimulation follicular diameter of 8.3 mm and 9.1 mm for T1 and T2 respectively, the number of pre-ovulatory follicles was 6.33 and 5.50 for T1 and T2 respectively, the diameter of follicles pre-ovulatory was 11.2mm and 10.6 mm for T1 and T2 respectively, average of embryos recovered per donor was 4.66 ± 0.81 and 3.50 ± 0.54 embryos for T1 and T2 respectively, with a significant difference (p <0.05) and the quality of embryos had 35.7% and 38.1% of embryos of excellent quality, 28.6% and 33.3% of good quality, 10.7% and 9 , 5% of regular quality, 10.7% and 0% of poor quality, for T1 and T2 respectively and 14.3% and 19.0% of non-transferable embryos for T1 and T2 respectively, with no statistical difference (p≥0, 05). It is concluded that the number of embryos recovered with a dose of 800 IU of eCG is higher compared to the dose of 1000 IU of eCG (p <0.05) and that there is no association between the applied dose of eCG and the quality of the llama embryos (p≥0.05)

DIAGNOSE NUTRICIONAL E ÍNDICES FOTOSSINTÉTICOS DE ERVA-MATE SOB DIFERENTES NÍVEIS DE ADUBAÇÃO COM ZINCO

A deficiência de zinco representa um problema de saúde pública. Uma das estratégias para melhorar essa questão consiste em biofortificação agronômica. O objetivo dessa pesquisa foi avaliar o teor de Zn na parte aérea (folhas e ramos) e o limite crítico de Zn para plantas de erva-mate submetidas a adubação com sulfato de Zn. O experimento foi conduzido em casa de vegetação no município de Lages. Foi utilizado Cambissolo Háplico Distrófico Típico, o qual foi submetido a análise química (Tedesco et al., 1995) e granulométrica (EMBRAPA, 1997). O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado. As unidades experimentais foram compostas por vasos contendo 6 kg de solo, cinco doses de Zn (0, 100, 200, 300 e 400 mg.kg-1) e sete repetições, totalizando 35 unidades experimentais. Foram realizadas análises antes da colheita (Índice SPAD, altura e Infrared Gas Analyser - IRGA) e análises após a colheita (peso fresco e seco de parte aérea, teor de Ca, Mg, P, Cu, Zn na folha). Os dados foram submetidos a análise de variância, com normalidade testada pelo teste de Shapiro-Wilk e a homogeneidade de variâncias pelo teste de Levenne, a nível de significância de 5%. A aplicação de doses crescentes de Zn ao solo resultou em aumento do teor de Zn na parte aérea de forma linear. O teor médio de Zn na folha variou de 27 mg kg-1 na ausência de aplicação de Zn a 883 mg kg-1 na dose aplicado de 400 mg kg-1. Não houve diferença estatística para massa fresca, seca de parte aérea, índice SPAD, altura, condutância estomática e transpiração indicando ausência de estresse oxidativo. Não foi possível calcular o limite crítico de Zn para erva-mate. Palavras-chave: biofortificação agronômica; Cambissolo; Ilex paraguariensis. Diagnose yerba mate nutritional and photosynthetic indices under different levels of zinc fertilization ABSTRACT: Zinc deficiency represents a public health problem. One of the strategies to improve this issue is agronomic biofortification. The objective of this research was to evaluate the Zn content in the aerial part (leaves and branches) and the critical limit of Zn for yerba mate plants submitted to fertilization with Zn sulfate. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse in the municipality of Lages. A typical Dystrophic Cambisol was used, which was subjected to chemical (Tedesco et al., 1995) and granulometric (EMBRAPA, 1997) analysis. The experimental design used was completely randomized. The experimental units were composed of pots containing 6 kg of soil, five doses of Zn (0, 100, 200, 300 and 400 mg.kg-1) and seven replications, totaling 35 experimental units. Analyzes were performed before harvesting (SPAD Index, height and Infrared Gas Analyzer - IRGA) and analyzes after harvesting (fresh and dry aerial weight, and Ca, Mg, P, Cu, Zn content in the leaf). The data were submitted to analysis of variance, with normality tested by the Shapiro-Wilk test and homogeneity of variances by the Levenne test, at a significance level of 5%. The application of increasing doses of Zn to the soil resulted in a linear increase in the Zn content in the aerial part. The average Zn content in the leaf varied from 27 mg kg-1 in the absence of Zn application to 883 mg kg-1 at the applied dose of 400 mg kg-1. There was no statistical difference for fresh, dry shoot weight, SPAD index, height, stomatal conductance and perspiration indicating absence of oxidative stress. It was not possible to calculate the critical limit of Zn for yerba mate. Keywords: biofortification agronomic; Cambisol; Ilex paraguariensis.

Semi-insulating GaAs detectors degraded by 8 MeV electrons up to 1500 kGy

Radiation degradation of semi-insulating GaAs detectors by 8 MeV electrons up to doses of 1500 kGy is studied in this paper. The influence of irradiation on GaAs material parameters and on spectrometric and electrical properties of fabricated detectors is evaluated. The detector material was degraded before contact preparation, which ensured separation of radiation degradation solely to the bulk material, excluding the contact degradation. The positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) was involved to characterize the substrate material together with galvanometric measurements. Radiation-induced mono-vacancies were clearly identified by PALS in the irradiated materials with increasing concentration up to 2.8 × 1016 cm−3 at maximal applied dose. In correlation with defect concentration the electron Hall mobility decreased with dose down to 3270 cm2 V−1 s−1 and resistivity increased up to 5.22 × 108 Ω cm at 1500 kGy. The bulk material properties influenced the parameters of fabricated detectors. The detectors lost their current blocking behaviour at 1000 kGy according to current-voltage measurements. The charge collection efficiency during alpha-particle and gamma ray measurements almost exponentially decreased with applied dose from initial 40% down to 5% at 1500 kGy in the case of alpha spectrometry and from 48% to 12% at 500 kGy for gamma spectrometry.

Suitability of On-Farm Green Compost for the Production of Baby Leaf Species

This study evaluated, for the first time, the suitability of on-farm green compost (GC) from the fourth range sector for the production, in a controlled environment, of six baby leaf species (radish, lettuce, rocket, chard, sorrel and dill), characterized by short cultivation cycles. The pH and electrical conductivity of potting soil-compost mixtures were affected by the different amounts of GC added to the potting soil. Germination tests on Lactuca sativa seeds indicated no phytotoxic effects when GC was used to prepare aqueous extracts diluted at 50% and 25% (v/v). In the pot experiment, GC was used at four different dosages in the growing medium, inducing different impacts on growth parameters, depending on the species and applied dose. The greatest plant growth responses were determined by using less than 3.5 g of GC in 100 g of potting soil. Significant positive correlations between the dry weights of root and shoot (r = 0.77 **), seedling height (r = 0.51 **) and the number of true leaves number (r = 0.56 **) confirmed the close relationship between the root system biomass and the growth parameters of aboveground organs. The study highlights that on-farm green compost, used as partial growing substrate, provides a good opportunity to obtain baby leaf species with well-developed root systems.

HPV Lesions and Other Issues in the Oral Cavity Treatment and Removal without Pain

Due to different oral and dental conditions, oral mucosa lesions such as those caused by the human papilloma virus and temporomandibular joint pathologies often have to be treated by surgical, ablative or extractive procedures. The treatment and control of pain and inflammation during these procedures is essential to guarantee the patient’s well-being. For the foregoing reason, a hydrogel based on sodium alginate and hyaluronic acid containing 2% of ketorolac tromethamine has been developed. We characterized it physically, mechanically and morphologically. The rheological results suggest that the formulation can be easily and gently applied. Ex vivo permeation studies show that Ketorolac Tromethamine is able to penetrate through the buccal and sublingual mucosae, in addition to being retained in the mucosae’s structure. Through an in vitro test, we were able to evaluate the role that saliva plays in the bioavailability of the drug, observing that more than half of the applied dose is eliminated in an hour. The histological and cytotoxic studies performed on pigs in vivo showed the excellent safety profile of the formulation, as well as its high tolerability. In parallel, a biomimetic artificial membrane (PermeaPad®) was evaluated, and it showed a high degree of correlation with the oral and sublingual mucosa.

Influența factorilor abiotici asupra capacităților germinative a semințelor de fag (Fagus sylvatica L.)

The diversification of beech genotypes on the territory of the Republic of Moldova could be a so-lution to avoid the risks caused by climate change. The objective of this research was to determine the viability of beech seeds collected from four areas of the Ivano-Frankivsk region (Ukraine) and their modi-fication under the influence of various abiotic factors. The analyzed seeds possessed high viability (77.89 – 96.63%), which under the influence of supra optimal temperature +40°C decreased 1.3-1.4 times de-pending on the applied dose. Seeds exposed to heat treatment used reserve substances for radicle growth 1.4 – 1.6 times more than the control.

Exposure Stability of Quantitative Fluorine-18 Measurements On The Biograph Vision Quadra PET/CT System

Background: Our aim was to determine sets of reconstruction parameters for the Biograph Vision Quadra (Siemens Healthineers) PET/CT system that result in quantitative images compliant with the European Association of Nuclear Medicine Research Ltd. (EARL) criteria. Using the Biograph Vision 600 (Siemens Healthineers) PET/CT technology but extending the axial field of view to 106 cm, gives the Vision Quadra currently an around fivefold higher sensitivity over the Vision 600 with otherwise comparable spatial resolution. Therefore, we also investigated how the number of incident positron decays - i.e. exposure - affects EARL compliance. This will allow estimating a minimal acquisition time or a minimal applied dose in clinical scans while retaining data comparability. Methods: We measured activity recovery curves on a NEMA IEC body phantom filled with an aqueous 18 F solution and a sphere to background ratio of 10 to 1 according to the latest EARL guidelines. Reconstructing 3570 images with varying OSEM PSF iterations, post-reconstruction Gaussian filter full width at half maximum (FWHM), and varying exposure from 0.2 MDecays/ml (= 10 sec frame duration) to 59.2 MDecays/ml (= 1 h frame duration), allowed us to determine sets of parameters to achieve compliance with the current EARL 1 and EARL 2 standards. Recovery coefficients (RCs) were calculated for the metrics RC max , RC mean , and RC peak , and the respective recovery curves were analysed for monotonicity. Results: Using 6 iterations, 5 subsets and 7.8 mm Gauss filtering resulted in best EARL 1 compliance and recovery curve monotonicity in all analysed frames. Most robust EARL2 compliance and monotonicity was achieved with 4 iterations, 5 subsets, and 4.6 mm Gauss FWHM in frames with durations between 10 min and 30 sec. RC peak only impeded EARL2 compliance in the 10 sec frame. Conclusions: While EARL1 compliance proved to be robust over all exposure ranges, EARL2 compliance required exposures between 0.6 MDecays/ml to 11.5 MDecays/ml. The Biograph Vision Quadra’s high sensitivity makes frames as short as 10 sec feasible for comparable quantitative images. Lowering EARL2 RC max limits closer to unity would possibly even permit 10 sec EARL2 compliant frames.

Effect of UV-C Irradiation, Storage and Subsequent Cooking on Chemical Constituents of Fresh-Cut Potatoes

UV-C irradiation successfully reduces the growth of microorganisms, but it can also affect the content of phenolics and sugars of fresh-cut potatoes (FCP). This could consequently alter antioxidant capacity of FCP or its potential for acrylamide formation. Therefore, this paper investigates the influence of UV-C irradiation on the content of phenolics [chlorogenic acid (CA)] and individual sugars during storage of FCP as well as after cooking. Acrylamide was also monitored in FCP after frying. Potato slices pre-treated with sodium ascorbate solution and vacuum-packaged were UV-C irradiated for 0, 3, 5, and 10 min in order to obtain irradiation doses of 0, 1.62, 2.70, and 5.40 kJ m−2, respectively, stored for 23 days (+6 °C), and subsequently boiled and fried. As the applied dose and storage duration increased, the CA content in raw FCP decreased (it retained for 75.53–88.34%), while the content of sugars as well as acrylamide in fried FCP increased. Although the increase was the most noticeable at the applied dose of 2.70 kJ m−2, the acrylamide content was always below proposed limit. Boiling and frying reduced the content of CA and sugars. In spite of certain alterations, applied doses of irradiation can ensure acceptable product in regard to phenolics and sugars, and acrylamide content particularly.

Aplicação de Resíduos da Indústria Sucroalcooleira em Solo como Forma de Mitigar Impactos Ambientais

A adoção de práticas que minimize os impactos ambientais e melhoria da fertilidade do solo para exploração agrícola tem sido realizada com maior frequência. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a qualidade do solo em áreas com diferentes doses de vinhaça e torta de filtro sobre os atributos químicos do solo. O experimento foi realizado na Estação Experimental do IPA, Vitória de Santo Antão - PE, constituído de dois tratamentos e cinco níveis de aplicação de doses de vinhaça 0;19,42; 77,68; 155,36 e 310,72 m3 ha-1) e cinco doses de torta de filtro (0; 2,75; 11,0; 22,0 e 44,0 t ha-1), em blocos casualizados com quatro repetições. Os dados obtidos foram submetidos à análise de variância e de regressão, utilizando o software SAS, com níveis de significância de 5% para o teste F. Com relação aos atributos químicos do solo tratados com torta de filtro foram verificados efeitos lineares significativos (p<0,05) para os teores de fósforo, cálcio e capacidade de troca de cátions (CTC) no solo. Relacionado a vinhaça foi verificado efeito quadrático significativo (p<0,05) proporcionando redução no teor de fósforo no solo, posteriormente, ocorrendo incremento de 8,88% com a dose máxima aplicada. Os resíduos aplicados torta de filtro e vinhaça promoveram melhoria nas propriedades químicas do solo potencializando seu uso na agricultura. Application of Waste from the Sugar Alcohol Industry in Soil as a Way to Mitigate Environmental Impacts A B S T R A C TThe adoption of practices that minimize environmental impacts and improve soil fertility for agricultural exploitation has been carried out with greater frequency. This work aimed to evaluate the soil quality in areas with different doses of vinasse and filter cake on the chemical attributes of the soil. The experiment was carried out at the IPA Experimental Station, Vitória de Santo Antão - PE, consisting of two treatments and five levels of application of vinasse doses 0; 19,42; 77.68; 155.36 and 310.72 m3 ha-1) and five doses of filter cake (0; 2.75; 11.0; 22.0 and 44.0 t ha-1), in randomized blocks with four replications. The data obtained were submitted to analysis of variance and regression, using the SAS software, with significance levels of 5% for the F test. Regarding the chemical attributes of the soil treated with filter cake, significant linear effects were verified (p < 0.05) for phosphorus, calcium and cation exchange capacity (CTC) in the soil. Related to vinasse, a significant quadratic effect (p <0.05) was observed, providing a reduction in the phosphorus content in the soil, subsequently, with an increase of 8.88% with the maximum applied dose. The residues applied filter cake and vinasse promoted an improvement in the chemical properties of the soil, enhancing its use in agriculture.Keywords: filter cake, vinasse, soil attributes, conditioners, fertility.

Postharvest Fumigation of Fresh Citrus with Cylinderized Phosphine to Control Bean Thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)

Bean thrips (BT), Caliothrips fasciatus (Pergande), is a pest of concern to certain countries that import fresh citrus fruit from California, USA. A series of laboratory-scale exploratory fumigations with phosphine at 4.9 ± 0.3 °C (mean ± 2 SD; x¯±2s) were conducted to evaluate the postharvest control of adult BT. Models of the duration–mortality response predicted ca. 99% mortality of BT populations when headspace concentrations of phosphine, [PH3], are maintained at levels ≥0.4 g m−3 (250 ppmv (µL L−1)) and ≤1.5 g m−3 (1000 ppmv (µL L−1)) for 12 h, with the duration representing the lower bound of the 95% confidence level (CL). Confirmatory fumigations, each lasting 12 h, were then conducted using BT-infested sweet oranges, Citrus sinensis (L.), at pulp temperature (T) ≤ 5 °C to corroborate the exploratory results. Three formulations of cylinderized phosphine were used: 1.6% phosphine by volume in nitrogen, VAPORPH3OS®, and ECOFUME®, all applied at two levels, ca. 1.5 g m−3 (1000 ppmv (µL L−1)), as well as 0.5 g m−3 (300 ppmv (µL L−1)). Collectively, across the formulations, an applied dose of ca. 1.5 g m−3 (1000 ppmv (µL L−1)) resulted in 0 survivors from 38,993 (probit 8.60, 95% CL; probit 9, 72% CL) treated BT, while an applied dose of 0.5 g m−3 (300 ppmv (µL L−1)) resulted in 0 survivors from 31,204 (probit 8.56, 95% CL; probit 9, 70% CL) treated BT. Results were discussed in the context of commercial and operational features of quarantine and pre-shipment (QPS) uses of phosphine to treat fresh fruit and, specifically, the control of BT in fresh citrus exported from California, USA, to Australia.