Geralmente, a qualidade de mudas florestais é aferida somente na fase de viveiro, ignorando-se o principal objetivo que é a resposta das mudas após plantio a campo. Objetivou-se avaliar a influência ...do volume do recipiente de produção na qualidade morfológica de mudas de Mimosa caesalpiniifolia Benth. no viveiro e na sobrevivência e crescimento inicial a campo. Foram testados cinco volumes de recipientes (30, 55, 110, 180 e 280 cm³), constituindo-se os tratamentos. Aos 90 e 120 dias após a semeadura, foram avaliadas as características altura (H), o diâmetro do coleto (DC), a matéria seca aérea (MSA), a matéria seca das raízes (MSR), o Índice de Robustez (H/DC), a matéria seca total (MST), a relação entre a matéria seca aérea e das raízes (RMSAR), a densidade de raízes (DR) e o Índice de Qualidade de Dickson. Após a última avaliação em viveiro, as mudas foram plantadas a campo. Aos 120 dias do plantio, foram avaliados a sobrevivência, a altura (H), o diâmetro ao nível do solo (DNS), e calculado o crescimento relativo (CR). Embora as mudas produzidas nos três recipientes de maior volume tenham apresentado maiores valores morfológicos de qualidade na fase de produção, constatou-se que após a implantação a campo esta diferença tende a desaparecer, sendo possível produzir mudas de qualidade de Mimosa caesalpiniifolia Benth., capazes de sobreviver, crescer e se desenvolver após o plantio, em qualquer um dos recipientes testados.
O lodo de esgoto devidamente compostado (biossólido) apresenta em sua composição quantidades significantes de matéria orgânica e nutrientes para o crescimento vegetal. Desta forma, sua utilização na ...composição de substratos para produção de mudas florestais passa a representar não apenas um benefício ambiental, mas também uma ótima escolha do ponto de vista técnico e econômico. O objetivo deste trabalho foi caracterizar química e fisicamente substratos à base de biossólido e substrato comercial e verificar o potencial destes para produção de mudas de Schinus terebinthifolius e Handroanthus heptaphyllus. Foram testadas diferentes proporções volumétricas de biossólido (BIO) misturadas ao substrato comercial (SC) para a produção das mudas em tubetes, consistindo nas seguintes formulações: T1 = 0% BIO + 100% SC; T2 = 25% de BIO + 75% SC; T3 = 50% de BIO + 50% SC; T4 = 100% de BIO + 0% SC. Aos 134 dias após a semeadura, foram avaliados os parâmetros morfológicos, altura da parte aérea (H) e diâmetro do coleto (D), matéria seca da parte aérea (MSPA) e da matéria seca das raízes (MSR), relação altura diâmetro (H/D), relação entre a matéria seca da parte aérea e da matéria seca das raízes (MSA/MSR), e o Índice de Qualidade de Dickson (IQD). Quanto maior a proporção de biossólido no substrato, maior foi o teor de nutrientes, principalmente N, P e K, e maior foi a capacidade de retenção de água. O biossólido apresentou elevado potencial para composição de substratos na produção de mudas das espécies estudadas. Para Schinus terebinthifolius os melhores resultados de crescimento foram observados nos tratamentos T3 e T4, já para Handroanthus heptaphyllus, no tratamento T3.
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The present study evaluated the role of heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1)/carbon monoxide (CO) pathway in the cholera toxin-induced diarrhea and its possible action mechanism. The ...pharmacological modulation with CORM-2 (a CO donor) or Hemin (a HO-1 inducer) decreased the intestinal fluid secretion and Cl− efflux, altered by cholera toxin. In contrast, ZnPP (a HO-1 inhibitor) reversed the antisecretory effect of Hemin and potentiated cholera toxin-induced intestinal secretion. Moreover, CORM-2 also prevented the alteration of intestinal epithelial architecture and local vascular permeability promoted by cholera toxin. The intestinal absorption was not altered by any of the pharmacological modulators. Cholera toxin inoculation also increased HO-1 immunoreactivity and bilirubin levels, a possible protective physiological response. Finally, using fluorometric technique, ELISA assay and molecular docking simulations, we show evidence that CO directly interacts with cholera toxin, forming a complex that affects its binding to GM1 receptor, which help explain the antisecretory effect. Thus, CO is an essential molecule for protection against choleric diarrhea and suggests its use as a possible therapeutic tool.
In the present study, the gastroprotective effect of a sulfated polysaccharide isolated from marine alga Agardhiella ramosissima (SP-Ar) was investigated against alcoholic gastropathy. Gastric ...physiological functions and in vitro antioxidant activity also were studied. It was found that SP-Ar significantly reduced macroscopic injury and histologically maintained the architecture of gastric epithelium altered by ethanol, with maximum effect at 90 mg/kg. Importantly, animals treated with SP-Ar also had preservation of oxidative status, with reduction of nonprotein sulfhydryl groups (NP-SH) consumption and malondialdehyde (MDA) production, reduced vascular permeability, besides preventing gastric hemorrhage. In addition, SP-Ar administration did not modify gastric secretion or emptying. In vitro antioxidant data showed that SP-Ar presented high total antioxidant activity, DPPH radical scavenging, and ferrous iron chelating capacity. It was observed that SP-Ar protected gastric mucosa against alcoholic gastropathy by preventing the formation or neutralizing free radicals, associated with its intrinsic antioxidant activity. In this regard, this macromolecule should have possible application as a new therapeutic alternative or food additive to increase gastric mucosa defense.
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•Sulfated iota-carrageenan from Agardhiella ramosissima (SP-Ar) reduces ethanol-induced gastric injury.•SP-Ar preserves the balance in the oxidative status in the ethanol-induced gastric injury.•SP-Ar does not modify gastric secretion or emptying.•SP-Ar has in vitro antioxidant activity.
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the agent of a major global outbreak of respiratory tract disease known as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). SARS-CoV-2 infects ...mainly lungs and may cause several immune-related complications, such as lymphocytopenia and cytokine storm, which are associated with the severity of the disease and predict mortality. The mechanism by which SARS-CoV-2 infection may result in immune system dysfunction is still not fully understood. Here, we show that SARS-CoV-2 infects human CD4
T helper cells, but not CD8
T cells, and is present in blood and bronchoalveolar lavage T helper cells of severe COVID-19 patients. We demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein (S) directly binds to the CD4 molecule, which in turn mediates the entry of SARS- CoV-2 in T helper cells. This leads to impaired CD4 T cell function and may cause cell death. SARS-CoV-2-infected T helper cells express higher levels of IL-10, which is associated with viral persistence and disease severity. Thus, CD4-mediated SARS-CoV-2 infection of T helper cells may contribute to a poor immune response in COVID-19 patients.
Vibriosis and cholera are serious diseases distributed worldwide and caused by six marine bacteria of the
genus. Thousands of deaths occur each year due to these illnesses, necessitating the ...development of new preventive measures. Presently, the existing cholera vaccine demonstrates an effectiveness of approximately 60%. Here we describe a new multi-epitope vaccine, 'vme-VAC/MST-1' based on vaccine targets identified by reverse vaccinology and epitopes predicted by immunoinformatics, two currently effective tools for predicting new vaccines for bacterial pathogens. The vaccine was designed to combat vibriosis and cholera by incorporating epitopes predicted for CTL, HTL, and B cells. These epitopes were identified from six vaccine targets revealed through subtractive genomics, combined with reverse vaccinology, and were further filtered using immunoinformatics approaches based on their predicted immunogenicity. To construct the vaccine, 28 epitopes (24 CTL/B and 4 HTL/B) were linked to the sequence of the cholera toxin B subunit adjuvant
analyses indicate that the resulting immunogen is stable, soluble, non-toxic, and non-allergenic. Furthermore, it exhibits no homology to the host and demonstrates a strong capacity to elicit innate, B-cell, and T-cell immune responses. Our analysis suggests that it is likely to elicit immune reactions mediated through the TLR5 pathway, as evidenced by the molecular docking of the vaccine with the receptor, which revealed high affinity and a favorable reaction. Thus, vme-VAC/MST-1 is predicted to be a safe and effective solution against pathogenic
spp. However, further experimental analyses are required to measure the vaccine's effects
Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
Generally, seedling quality is measured only at the nursery, disregarding the main purpose that is the response of these seedlings after planting the field. The study aimed to evaluate the influence ...of the container volume in the morphological quality of Mimosa eaesalpiniifolia Benth. seedlings in the nursery and its survival and initial growth. Five containers (30, 55, 110, 180 and 280 cm.sup.3) were tested, constituting treatments. At 90 and 120 days after seeding, we evaluated height (H) and stem diameter (DC), dry biomass of shoot (MSA), and root dry biomass (MSR), Robustness Index (H/DC), total dry biomass (MST), the relationship between the shoot and root biomass (RMSAR), root density (DR) and Quality Index of Dickson (IQD). After the last measurement, seedlings were field planted. Evaluations consisted in the survival at 120 days after planting, measuring shoot height, diameter at ground level, and calculated the relative growth. Although the seedlings produced in the three larger containers have shown higher morphological quality values in the nursery, it was found that after planting at field this difference tends to disappear, being possible to produce quality seedlings of Mimosa eaesalpiniifolia Benth., able to survive, grow and develop after planting, in any of the tested containers.
Generally, seedling quality is measured only at the nursery, disregarding the main purpose that is the response of these seedlings after planting the field. The study aimed to evaluate the influence ...of the container volume in the morphological quality of Mimosa caesalpiniifolia Benth. seedlings in the nursery and its survival and initial growth. Five containers (30, 55, 110, 180 and 280 cm ³) were tested, constituting treatments. At 90 and 120 days after seeding, we evaluated height (H) and stem diameter (DC), dry biomass of shoot (MSA), and root dry biomass (MSR), Robustness Index (H/DC), total dry biomass (MST), the relationship between the shoot and root biomass (RMSAR), root density (DR) and Quality Index of Dickson (IQD). After the last measurement, seedlings were field planted. Evaluations consisted in the survival at 120 days after planting, measuring shoot height, diameter at ground level, and calculated the relative growth. Although the seedlings produced in the three larger containers have shown higher morphological quality values in the nursery, it was found that after planting at field this difference tends to disappear, being possible to produce quality seedlings of Mimosa caesalpiniifolia Benth., able to survive, grow and develop after planting, in any of the tested containers.
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