Liming and fertilization on espinheira-santa [Maytenus ilicifolia (Schrad.) Planch.] growth in greenhouse

Devido a pouca informação existente sobre adubação para espinheira-santa, e a crescente procura desta espécie, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito da calagem, adubação orgânica, mineral e omissão de nutrientes sobre o crescimento de Maytenus ilicifolia. As mudas foram produzidas por sementes e, em agosto de 2006, foram transferidas para vasos com 8 dm³ contendo Latossolo Vermelho Distrófico. O experimento foi conduzido em casa de vegetação no delineamento inteiramente casualizado em arranjo bifatorial, totalizando 12 tratamentos com 4 repetições, cujos tratamentos foram: sem adubação com calagem (T1), sem adubação e sem calagem (T7), adubação orgânica (T2 e T8), adubação mineral NPK (T3 e T9), mineral -N (T4 e T10), mineral -P (T5 e T11) e mineral -K (T6 e T12). Os tratamentos T1 ao T6 receberam calcário na dose equivalente a 7,06 t ha-1 de carbonato de cálcio e os tratamentos T7 ao T12 foram testados na ausência de calagem. Após 314 dias da instalação do experimento, foram analisadas as variáveis: massa seca foliar (MSF), massa seca do caule (MSC) e da raiz (MSR), massa seca da parte aérea (MSPA), área foliar (AF), volume radicular (VR), altura (H), diâmetro (D), relação raiz parte aérea (R/PA) e relação altura diâmetro (H/D). A partir dos resultados conclui-se que a calagem, quando utilizada como prática isolada, não resulta em benefícios significativos ao crescimento das plantas. Na presença de calagem, tanto a adubação mineral quanto a orgânica podem ser utilizadas. Na ausência de calagem, a adubação orgânica mostrou-se mais favorável em estimular o crescimento das plantas. Em condições de adubação mineral, independente da presença ou não da calagem, o fósforo mostrou-se importante à nutrição de espinheira-santa.Since there is scarce information about fertilization for espinheira-santa and an increasing search for this species, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of liming, organic and mineral fertilization, and nutrient omission on Maytenus ilicifolia growth. Seedlings were produced from seeds, and in August 2006 they were transferred to 8 dm³ pots containing Dystrophic Red Latosol. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse and the design was completely randomized, in bi-factorial arrangement, totaling 12 treatments and four replicates; treatments were: without fertilization and with liming (T1), without fertilization and without liming (T7), organic fertilization (T2 and T8), mineral fertilization NPK (T3 and T9), mineral -N (T4 and T10), mineral -P (T5 and T11) and mineral -K (T6 and T12). T1 to T6 received lime at the dose equivalent to 7.06 t ha-1 calcium carbonate, and T7 to T12 were tested in the absence of liming. After 314 days of the experiment installation, the following variables were analyzed: leaf dry mass (LDM), stem (STDM) and root dry mass (RDM), shoot dry mass (SDM), leaf area (LA), root volume (RV), height (H), diameter (D), root and shoot ratio (R/S), and height and diameter ratio (H/D). Liming alone does not result in significant benefits to plant growth. In the presence of liming, both mineral and organic fertilization can be employed. In the absence of liming, organic fertilization showed to be more favorable in stimulating plant growth. Under mineral fertilization conditions, irrespective of the presence or absence of liming, phosphorus showed to be important for the nutrition of espinheira-santa

On the computation of zone and double zone diagrams

Classical objects in computational geometry are defined by explicit relations. Several years ago the pioneering works of T. Asano, J. Matousek and T. Tokuyama introduced "implicit computational geometry", in which the geometric objects are defined by implicit relations involving sets. An important member in this family is called "a zone diagram". The implicit nature of zone diagrams implies, as already observed in the original works, that their computation is a challenging task. In a continuous setting this task has been addressed (briefly) only by these authors in the Euclidean plane with point sites. We discuss the possibility to compute zone diagrams in a wide class of spaces and also shed new light on their computation in the original setting. The class of spaces, which is introduced here, includes, in particular, Euclidean spheres and finite dimensional strictly convex normed spaces. Sites of a general form are allowed and it is shown that a generalization of the iterative method suggested by Asano, Matousek and Tokuyama converges to a double zone diagram, another implicit geometric object whose existence is known in general. Occasionally a zone diagram can be obtained from this procedure. The actual (approximate) computation of the iterations is based on a simple algorithm which enables the approximate computation of Voronoi diagrams in a general setting. Our analysis also yields a few byproducts of independent interest, such as certain topological properties of Voronoi cells (e.g., that in the considered setting their boundaries cannot be "fat").Comment: Very slight improvements (mainly correction of a few typos); add DOI; Ref [51] points to a freely available computer application which implements the algorithms; to appear in Discrete & Computational Geometry (available online

Technical Note: The air quality modeling system Polyphemus

International audiencePolyphemus is an air quality modeling platform which aims at covering the scope and the abilities of modern air quality systems. It deals with applications from local scale to continental scale, using two Gaussian models and two Eulerian models. It manages passive tracers, radioactive decay, photochemistry and aerosol dynamics. The structure of the system includes four independent levels with data management, physical parameterizations, numerical solvers and high-level methods such as data assimilation. This enables sensitivity and uncertainty analysis, primarily through multimodel approaches. On top of the models, drivers implement advanced methods such as model coupling or data assimilation

Search for 14.4 keV solar axions from M1 transition of Fe-57 with CUORE crystals

We report the results of a search for axions from the 14.4 keV M1 transition from Fe-57 in the core of the sun using the axio-electric effect in TeO2 bolometers. The detectors are 5x5x5 cm3 crystals operated at about 10 mK in a facility used to test bolometers for the CUORE experiment at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Italy. An analysis of 43.65 kg d of data was made using a newly developed low energy trigger which was optimized to reduce the detectors energy threshold. An upper limit of 0.63 c kg-1 d-1 was established at 95% C.L.. From this value, a lower bound at 95% C.L. was placed on the Peccei-Quinn energy scale of fa >= 0.76 10**6 GeV for a value of S=0.55 for the flavor-singlet axial vector matrix element. Bounds are given for the interval 0.15 < S < 0.55.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures, submitted to JCA

Exploring the Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay in the Inverted Neutrino Hierarchy with Bolometric Detectors

Neutrinoless double beta decay (0nubb) is one of the most sensitive probes for physics beyond the Standard Model, providing unique information on the nature of neutrinos. In this paper we review the status and outlook for bolometric 0nubb decay searches. We summarize recent advances in background suppression demonstrated using bolometers with simultaneous readout of heat and light signals. We simulate several configurations of a future CUORE-like bolometer array which would utilize these improvements and present the sensitivity reach of a hypothetical next-generation bolometric 0nubb experiment. We demonstrate that a bolometric experiment with the isotope mass of about 1 ton is capable of reaching the sensitivity to the effective Majorana neutrino mass (|mee|) of order 10-20 meV, thus completely exploring the so-called inverted neutrino mass hierarchy region. We highlight the main challenges and identify priorities for an R&D program addressing them.Comment: 22 pages, 15 figures, submitted to EPJ

Do nanofilled/nanohybrid composites allow for better clinical performance of direct restorations than traditional microhybrid composites? a systematic review

This systematic review was carried out to assess the clinical effectiveness of nanofilled and nanohybrid composites used for direct restorations in comparison with microhybrid composites. The guidelines for the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses were followed. A search of articles published from July 1996 to February 2017 was performed in PubMed, SciVerse Scopus, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences, the Scientific Electronic Library Online, and the Cochrane Library. The present review selected only randomized controlled trials comparing the clinical performance of a nanofilled or nanohybrid composite for direct restorations with that of a microhybrid composite. The research found 201 studies. Twenty-one articles fulfilled the criteria of the present review. However, the included studies were characterized by great methodological diversities. As a general trend, nanofilled and nanohybrid composites were found to be capable of clinical performance, marginal quality, and resistance to wear similar to that of traditional composites without showing improved surface characteristics. The risk of bias of included studies was judged unclear or high. The clinical performance of nanofilled/nanohybrid composites was found to be comparable to that of traditional composites in the posterior area. The data concerning anterior and cervical restorations were insufficient. With regard to the esthetic properties, there is a compelling need for studies on anterior teeth in which the operators are kept unaware of the restorative material. Nanofilled/nanohybrid composites seem to be a valid alternative to traditional microhybrid composites, and at the moment, there is low-level evidence attesting a lack of their superiority

The low energy spectrum of TeO2 bolometers: results and dark matter perspectives for the CUORE-0 and CUORE experiments

We collected 19.4 days of data from four 750 g TeO2 bolometers, and in three of them we were able to set the energy threshold around 3 keV using a new analysis technique. We found a background rate ranging from 25 cpd/keV/kg at 3 keV to 2 cpd/keV/kg at 25 keV, and a peak at 4.7 keV. The origin of this peak is presently unknown, but its presence is confirmed by a reanalysis of 62.7 kg.days of data from the finished CUORICINO experiment. Finally, we report the expected sensitivities of the CUORE0 (52 bolometers) and CUORE (988 bolometers) experiments to a WIMP annual modulation signal.Comment: 9 pages, 10 figure

CYP2D6 Genotype and Tamoxifen Response in Postmenopausal Women with Endocrine-Responsive Breast Cancer: The Breast International Group 1-98 Trial

Background Adjuvant tamoxifen therapy is effective for postmenopausal women with endocrine-responsive breast cancer. Cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) enzyme metabolizes tamoxifen to clinically active metabolites, and CYP2D6 polymorphisms may adversely affect tamoxifen efficacy. In this study, we investigated the clinical relevance of CYP2D6 polymorphisms. Methods We obtained tumor tissues and isolated DNA from 4861 of 8010 postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer who enrolled in the randomized, phase III double-blind Breast International Group (BIG) 1-98 trial between March 1998 and May 2003 and received tamoxifen and/or letrozole treatment. Extracted DNA was used for genotyping nine CYP2D6 single-nucleotide polymorphisms using polymerase chain reaction-based methods. Genotype combinations were used to categorize CYP2D6 metabolism phenotypes as poor, intermediate, and extensive metabolizers (PM, IM, and EM, respectively; n = 4393 patients). Associations of CYP2D6 metabolism phenotypes with breast cancer-free interval (referred to as recurrence) and treatment-induced hot flushes according to randomized endocrine treatment and previous chemotherapy were assessed. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). All statistical tests were two-sided. Results No association between CYP2D6 metabolism phenotypes and breast cancer-free interval was observed among patients who received tamoxifen monotherapy without previous chemotherapy (P = .35). PM or IM phenotype had a non-statistically significantly reduced risk of breast cancer recurrence compared with EM phenotype (PM or IM vs EM, HR of recurrence = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.60 to 1.24). CYP2D6 metabolism phenotype was associated with tamoxifen-induced hot flushes (P = .020). Both PM and IM phenotypes had an increased risk of tamoxifen-induced hot flushes compared with EM phenotype (PM vs EM, HR of hot flushes = 1.24, 95% CI = 0.96 to 1.59; IM vs EM, HR of hot flushes = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.05 to 1.43). Conclusions CYP2D6 phenotypes of reduced enzyme activity were not associated with worse disease control but were associated with increased hot flushes, contrary to the hypothesis. The results of this study do not support using the presence or absence of hot flushes or the pharmacogenetic testing of CYP2D6 to determine whether to treat postmenopausal breast cancer patients with tamoxife