Influence of essential oils on the quality of Vigna unguiculata L. (Walp.) seeds compared by traditional method, image and multivariate analysis.

The extracts of medicinal plants are used for the treatment of seeds in order to reduce the action of phytopathogens and increase the vigor of the seeds. Currently, computerized image analysis has been used to assess the physiological quality of seed lots. The objective was to evaluate the efficiency of the Vigor-S® software in the evaluation of the physiological quality of cowpea seeds treated with essential oils, comparing with a traditional test and the principal component analysis. Two cowpea cultivars were analyzed, BRS Tumucumaque and BRS Guariba, treated with doses of natural extracts of Alfavaca, garlic, horsetail, citronella and pyroligneous acid. The traditional method consisted of evaluations for germination, first germination count, seedling emergence, emergence speed index, accelerated aging, fresh matter and dry matter of seedling and the image analysis for: seedling length, growth index, uniformity index, vigor index, and germination. A Principal component analysis was applied to reduce the number of variables. Horsetail, Alfavaca and citronella extracts were efficient in increasing the physiological quality of the seeds of at least one cultivar. The Vigor-S® software proved to be efficient compared to traditional tests to assess the physiological quality of seeds. Principal Component Analysis is an ally to identify the best extracts and doses to be used. The image analysis method proved to be effective when compared to the traditional method and can therefore be used.

Salicylic acid concentrations and forms of application mitigate water stress in sour passion fruit seedlings.

The present study aimed to evaluate concentrations and forms of application of salicylic acid used for water stress mitigation on the gas exchange and growth of yellow passion fruit. The experimental design was arranged in randomized blocks in a 4 × 4 × 2 factorial scheme, with four concentrations of salicylic acid (SA) via foliar application (0.0, 0.7, 1.4, and 2.1 mM), four SA concentrations via fertigation (0.0, 0.7, 1.4, and 2.1 mM), and two irrigation depths estimated based on the actual evapotranspiration - ETr (50 and 100% of ETr), with three replications. Water stress negatively affected the physiology and growth of yellow passion fruit seedlings at 75 days after sowing (DAS). The application of salicylic acid, regardless of the form of application, attenuates the effects of water stress on gas exchange and growth of yellow passion fruit, with the best results obtained when applying a concentration of 1.30 mM via leaf or 0.90 mM via fertirrigation. The combination of foliar application of AS and fertigation contributed to improve photosynthetic and growth parameters under water conditions of 50 and 100% of ETr. The foliar application of AS presents superior responses to the application via fertigation. These results reinforce the hypothesis that the attenuation of water stress by salicylic acid is related to the maintenance of gas exchange, which depends on the concentration and form of application, and studies testing combinations throughout the crop cycle become promising for advances in knowledge from the action of this phytohormone on abiotic stress.

Association of serotonin transporter gene polymorphism 5HTTVNTR with osteoporosis.

AIM: To study the association of serotonin transporter gene polymorphisms and osteoporosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Blood samples were collected from 186 individuals with normal bone mineral density and 89 with osteoporosis. Serotonin transporter gene polymorphisms 5HTTVNTR and 5HTTLPR were studied by PCR and statistical analyses used to test the association between groups. RESULTS: The frequency of 12/10 and 12/12 genotypes of 5HTTVNTR was significantly higher among the osteoporotic patients (OR=2,620 CI 95% [1,112--6,172], P=0,037). For 5HTTLPR we did not find significant differences between the two studied groups. CONCLUSIONS: As far as we know, this is one of the few studies that report an association between 5HTTVNTR and osteoporosis opening the hypothesis that the determination of this specific serotonin transporter gene polymorphism may contribute to the identification of individuals at high risk for the development of osteoporosis.

Clinical outcome of Crohn's disease: analysis according to the vienna classification and clinical activity.

The aim of this study was to describe the clinical course of Crohn's disease (CD) in a well-defined, homogeneous groups of patients. A total of 480 patients with CD were followed up from diagnosis up to 20 years. Definitions of patient subgroups were made according to the Vienna Classification. Markov chain analysis was used to estimate the probabilities of remissions and relapses during the disease course. Both age at diagnosis and behavior were associated with different disease locations. Patients with ileal disease had a greater need for surgical and a lesser need for immunosuppressive treatment; patients with ileocolonic disease were diagnosed at an earlier age and showed a lower probability of remaining in remission during the disease course; patients with colonic disease needed less surgical or steroid treatments; patients with intestinal penetrating disease were frequently submitted to abdominal surgery, whereas those with anal-penetrating disease often needed immunosuppressive treatment. Approximately 40% of the patients were in clinical remission at any time, but only about 10% maintained a long-term remission free of steroids after their initial presentation. A more benign clinical course could be predicted in patients who stay in remission in the year after diagnosis. The grouping of patients with CD according to the Vienna Classification and/or the clinical activity in the year after diagnosis is useful in predicting the subsequent course of disease.

Biosynthesis of scarab beetle pheromones.

Chemical communication in scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is achieved with a wide variety of pheromones, but one typical structure is the gamma-lactone having a long unsaturated hydrocarbon chain. Several species utilize (R, Z)-5-(-)-(oct-1-enyl)-oxacyclopentan-2-one (buibuilactone), (R, Z)-5-(-)-(dec-1-enyl)-oxacyclopentan-2-one and (S, Z)-5-(+)-(dec-1-enyl)-oxacyclopentan-2-one [(R)-japonilure and (S)-japonilure]. Using deuterated precursors, we have demonstrated that these compounds are biosynthesized from fatty acids. (9, 10-d4)-Palmitic acid, (9,10-d4)-stearic acid, (9,10-d2)-palmitoleic acid, (9,10-d2)-oleic acid, (9,10-d2)-8-hydroxypalmitoleic acid and (9,10-d2)-8-hydroxyoleic acid were readily incorporated by female Anomala cuprea into the pheromone molecules, while (Z)-(5, 6-d2)-5-dodecenoic acid and (Z)-(5,6-d2)-5-tetradecenoic acid were not. Therefore, the reaction pathway starts from saturated fatty acids, involves their desaturation, followed by 8-hydroxylation, chain shortening and cyclization. The products obtained from racemic (9,10-d2)-8-hydroxypalmitoleic acid and (9,10-d2)-8-hydroxyoleic acid were also racemic, implying that the steps following hydroxylation were not stereospecific. Perdeuterated palmitic acid was applied to disclose the mechanism of the unique hydroxylation reaction. Retention of all deuterium atoms implied that this reaction was a direct process mediated by a specific fatty acid hydroxylase, and preceding desaturation or epoxidation was not involved.

Visual and nonvisual variables implicated in monovision wear.

BACKGROUND: Although both psychological and visual factors have been suggested to influence successful monovision contact lens wear, there has not been any documentation to support the relationship between psychological factors and the outcome of monovision wear. In our study, the relative importance of various visual and psychological factors were investigated in an attempt to provide a profile of a successful monovision wearer. METHODS: Participants, who had never worn monovision lenses were fitted with distance contact lenses for an adaptation period of 2 weeks; thereafter, 67 participants wore monovision lenses for 2 weeks. RESULTS: Of the participants, 67% stated that based on their visual experience they would continue monovision wear. Discriminant analysis indicated that one of the personality factors in Cattell's 16 Personality Factor (16 PF) test, "superego strength," could be used, in conjunction with the difference between binocular and monovision stereopsis scores, in predicting the success of monovision in 68% of the cases. The variables of age, gender, pupil size, immediate reaction to monovision, motivation, self-efficacy distance, and near refractive error could not be used to predict successful monovision wear. CONCLUSIONS: These result demonstrate that psychological factors are indeed important in monovision wear.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in Brazil: analysis of 33,563 cases.

The authors present the results obtained in 33,563 laparoscopic cholecystectomies performed in Brazil from 1990 to 1995. Data were obtained by mailing questionnaires to 220 Services, 118 of which responded. The features included the year when the service started its activities, patient distribution by sex and age, surgical indications, prophylaxis with antibiotics, use of nasogastric and vesical catheters, technique used to produce pneumoperitoneum, intraoperative cholangiography, management of choledocholithiasis, necessity and causes of conversion to open surgery, surgical time, intra and postoperative complications, time of hospitalization, mortality, patient return to normal activities, and laparoscopic cholecystectomy in pregnancy. Analysis of the results demonstrated that the data are equivalent to those obtained in leading world countries and at times even better in terms of lesion of the main bile duct, time of hospitalization, etc.

Pheromone syntheses: a tropical approach. Enantioselective synthesis of the (2R,6S,10S) and (2S,6S,10S) isomers of methyl 2,6,10-trimethyldodecanoate.

The enantioselective syntheses of two stereoisomers, (2R,6S,10S) and (2S,6S,10S), of methyl 2,6,10-trimethyldodecanote, out of eight possible isomers, are described , employing the stereoselective hydroboration of (-)-isopulegol (2) and (+)-neo-isopulegol (2a) as the key reaction.

Evaluation of the routine use of the nasogastric tube in digestive operation by a prospective controlled study.

This prospective, randomized controlled trial was undertaken to evaluate the effect of tube decompression of the stomach after surgical procedure on the digestive tract. One hundred and nine patients were randomly allocated to postoperative treatment with (57 patients) or without (52 patients) nasogastric tubes. No significant differences were found between the two groups in the duration of hospitalization, time to begin peroral fluid intake, occurrence of hiccups, vomiting, nausea, parotiditis, nasal septum necrosis, anastomotic leak and wound dehiscence. Moreover, abdominal distension, pyrosis, otalgia, dysphagia, odynophagia and atelectasis occurred more often in intubated patients as shown by chi-square analysis of the data with Yates correction, with the level of significance at p = less than 0.05. Tube decompression of the stomach does not relieve intestinal paralysis after digestive operations. These data seem to indicate that the routine prophylactic use of a nasogastric tube is unnecessary in gastrointestinal operations.

Efficacy of chlorine disinfection of soft contact lenses.

We evaluated the chlorine system SOFTAB (Alcon) for the disinfection of soft contact lenses. The results indicate that a 1000-fold reduction in microorganisms was achieved within 6 h. Even with the slight interference of residual cleaner and the more significant interference of organic matter disinfection was still achieved.

The risk of meningitis among classroom contacts during an epidemic of meningococcal disease.

During an epidemic of meningococcal disease in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, a retrospective survey was carried out to assess the risk of meningitis associated with exposure in a schoolroom. Forty-seven of 17,012 students reportedly had meningitis in August-November 1974, an incidence of 276 per 100,000. Four of 1356 students with classroom exposure to a case contracted meningitis (secondary attack rate, 295 per 100,000). The results indicate that in the population surveyed, 95% of whom were from 7 to 14 years of age, there is no significantly increased risk associated with classroom exposure to a student with meningitis. Antibiotic prophylaxis of classroom contacts is therefore not indicated and should be reserved for contacts known to be at increased risk, such as members of the patient's household or those having direct contact with the patient's oral secretions.