Data collection and advanced statistical analysis in phytotoxic activity of aerial parts exudates of Salvia spp

In order to define the phytotoxic potential of Salvia species a database was developed for fast and efficient data collection in screening studies of the inhibitory activity of Salvia exudates on the germination of Papaver rhoeas L. and Avena sativa L.. The structure of the database is associated with the use of algorithms for calculating the usual germination indices reported in the literature, plus the newly defined indices (Weighted Average Damage, Differential Weighted Average Damage, Germination Weighted Average Velocity) and other variables usually recorded in experiments of phytotoxicity (LC50, LC90). Furthermore, other algorithms were designed to calculate the one-way ANOVA followed by Duncan's multiple range test to highlight automatically significant differences between the species. The database model was designed in order to be suitable also for the development of further analysis based on the artificial neural network approach, using Self-Organising Maps (SOM).

Microscopic study of myocardial bridges over the coronary arteries of pigs

Foram estudados 5 coraçöes de suínos resultantes do cruzamento das raças Landrace e Large White com o objetivo de analisar microscopicamente as pontes de miocárdio sobre as artérias coronárias e seus ramos estabelecendo possíveis correlaçöes morfofuncionais. Retiramos destes coraçöes blocos dos segmentos pré, pós e pontino, os quais foram submetidos a cortes seriados e corados pelos métodos de AZAN e WEIGERT-van GIESON. Com a metodologia empregada foram observadas que as pontes de miocárdio eram constituídas por fibras musculares da camada superficial do miocárdio, näo havendo espessamento nem alteraçöes patológicas na túnica íntima das artérias coronárias estudadas. Foram observadas intersecçöes tendíneas de natureza elástica no trajeto dos feixes de fibras musculares da ponte de miocárdio, e ainda feixes de fibras colágenas e elásticas interligando a adventícia das artérias com os feixes de fibras musculares tanto da ponte como do resto do miocárdio. Estas estruturas assim como a presença do tecido adiposo em torno da artéria poderiam suavizar os possíveis efeitos compressivos da contraçäo sistólica