Qualidade fisiológica de sementes de camomila [Chamomilla recutita (L. ) Rauschert] após envelhecimento acelerado e estresse salino / Physiological quality of chamomile [Chamomilla recutita (L. ) Rauschert] seeds after accelerated aging and salt stress

O objetivo do trabalho foi verificar a qualidade fisiológica de sementes da camomila submetidas a diferentes tempos de envelhecimento acelerado e ao estresse salino. Os experimentos foram realizados no Laboratório de Técnica de Sementes na PUCPR em São José dos Pinhais, Paraná. Os tempos de envelhecimento acelerado foram de 0, 24, 48, 72 e 96 h e o estresse salino foi induzido por soluções de cloreto de sódio com potenciais osmóticos de 0; -0,2; -0,4; -0,6; -0,8; -1,0 MPa, ambos com quatro repetições. Foram avaliados a germinação, o índice de velocidade de germinação (IVG), o tempo médio de germinação (TMG), a velocidade media de germinação (VMG) e a entropia. O delineamento experimental adotado foi o de blocos casualizados . Concluiu-se que as sementes de camomila tiveram sua qualidade fisiológica afetada após 24h de envelhecimento acelerado e sob estresse salino causado por solução de potencial osmótico de -0,6 MPa.

The aim of this study was to verify the physiological quality of chamomile seeds subjected to different accelerated aging periods and salt stress. The experiments were carried out in the Laboratory of Seed Technique, PUCPR, São José dos Pinhais, Paraná State, Brazil. The accelerated aging periods were 0, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h and the salt stress was induced by sodium chloride solutions with osmotic potentials of 0, -0.2, -0.4, -0.6, -0.8, -1.0 MPa, both with four replicates. The analyzed variables were: germination, germination velocity index (GVI), average germination time (AGT), average germination velocity (AGV) and entropy. Experimental design was in randomized blocks. Chamomile seeds had their physiological quality affected after 24 h of accelerated aging and under salt stress caused by the solution with osmotic potential of -0.6 MPa.

Low socioeconomic status is a strong independent predictor of relapse in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

The results of the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children depend not only on the biologic diversity of the leukemia cell, the multi-drug treatment schedule and the individual variability of drug metabolism, but also on the socioeconomic and cultural background of the leukemic child. Social and cultural disparity is very marked in underdeveloped countries and has been increasing in industrialized nations. The prognostic influences of these factors are poorly documented and sometimes mistakenly attributed to differences in ethnic origin. We have investigated in Brazil the relative impact of malnutrition and socioeconomic status on the outcome of ALL, adjusting for the known influence of biologic factors. Children with ALL (n = 167) treated with a Berlin-Frankfurt-Munster-based protocol were studied prospectively. At a median follow-up of 1623 days, the estimated probability of disease-free survival was 43 +/- 4%. The main cause for interruption of remission was bone-marrow relapse. Socioeconomic indicators of poverty (poor housing conditions, low per capita income and energy consumption) were significantly associated with a greater risk of relapse in univariate analysis. They were consolidated in a single index, socioeconomic status (SES), defined by the product of monthly per capita income times mean familial daily energy consumption. Other unfavorable findings included age, z score for the height for age at diagnosis (HAZ) below-1.28 and the z score for weight for age below-1.28. After adjustment in Cox's multivariate model, only HAZ and poor SES remained as predictive factors for relapse. Poor prognosis for leukemic children of low SES is just another indicator of social inequality.

Malnutrition as a prognostic factor in lymphoblastic leukaemia: a multivariate analysis.

One hundred and twenty eight Brazilian children with lymphoblastic leukaemia were intensively treated with a Berlin-Frankfurt-Munich based protocol. More children had a white cell count above 50 x 10(9)/l (31%) then observed in developed countries. After a median follow up of 31 months (11-58 months), the estimated probability of relapse free survival was 41% (7%) for the whole group. After adjustment in the Cox's multivariate model, malnutrition was the most significant adverse factor affecting duration of complete remission. Age above 8 years and high peripheral white cell count were also significant adverse factors. Among the nutritional indices, the height for age and weight for age z scores were both significant, whether the cut off points of z-2 or z = -1.28 were chosen to define malnutrition. A strong statistical association between the two indices was found; the contribution of height for age z score to the prediction of relapse free survival was more significant. Children with height for age z score < -2 had a relapse risk of 8.2 (95% confidence interval 3.1 to 21.9) relative to children with z score > -2. The results of this study suggest that socioeconomic and nutritional factors should be considered in the prognostic evaluation of children with leukaemia in developing countries.

Thiamine-responsive megaloblastic anemia, sensorineural deafness, and diabetes mellitus: A new syndrome?

A 6-year-old girl is described who has congenital megaloblastic anemia which completely responded only to pharmacologic doses of thiamine. Relapse was observed twice when the drug was discontinued. The reintroduction of thiamine caused a prompt reticulocytosis and a rise in hemoglobin concentration. Other abnormalities included latent diabetes mellitus, sensorineural deafness, and "situs inversus totalis." Her parents are first cousins, both with partial deafness. Her father has an abnormal oral glucose tolerance test. A single similar case has been reported; the combination of almost the same anomalies seems to represent a newly recognized syndrome. This case reinforces the proposal that thiamine has a role in hematopoesis.