Potential of coffee straw biochal as a substrate conditioner in seed lettuce and sorghum germination and vigority.

The use of residues from coffee production to obtain biochar is a sustainable approach, which aims to minimize the environmental impact of these materials. In this study, the effect of adding coffee straw biochar on the physiological quality of lettuce and sorghum seeds was investigated. Thus, the objective of this work was to study the effect of adding different concentrations of coffee biochar in the substrate composition on the physiological quality of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) seeds. The experimental design used was completely randomized, with five concentrations of biochar (0; 7.5; 15; 30 and 60%), conducted with four replications of 25 seeds. The use of biochar in the concentrations studied does not provide an increase in the average germination percentage and vigor of lettuce and sorghum seeds. The increase in the concentration of biochar caused less seed vigor, suggesting a toxic effect. For seed germination, there was no significant difference between lettuce and sorghum species, regardless of treatment. For the germination speed index, sorghum seeds have higher means, except for the treatment with the addition of 15% coffee straw biochar. Lettuce seeds have higher shoot length averages, except for treatment with 100% commercial substrate. The sorghum seeds have higher mean root length and dry mass than lettuce, regardless of the treatment.

Geometry-dependent DNA-TiO2 immobilization mechanism: A spectroscopic approach.

DNA nucleotides are used as a molecular recognition system on electrodes modified to be applied in the detection of various diseases, but immobilization mechanisms, as well as, charge transfers are not satisfactorily described in the literature. An electrochemical and spectroscopic study was carried out to characterize the molecular groups involved in the direct immobilization of DNA structures on the surface of nanostructured TiO2 with the aim of evaluating the influence of the geometrical aspects. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy at O1s and P2p core levels indicate that immobilization of DNA samples occurs through covalent (POTi) bonds. X-ray absorption spectra at the Ti2p edge reinforce this conclusion. A new species at 138.5eV was reported from P2p XPS spectra analysis which plays an important role in DNA-TiO2 immobilization. The POTi/OTi ratio showed that quantitatively the DNA immobilization mechanism is dependent on their geometry, becoming more efficient for plasmid ds-DNA structures than for PCR ds-DNA structures. The analysis of photoabsorption spectra at C1s edge revealed that the molecular groups that participate in the C1s→LUMO electronic transitions have different pathways in the charge transfer processes at the DNA-TiO2 interface. Our results may contribute to additional studies of immobilization mechanisms understanding the influence of the geometry of different DNA molecules on nanostructured semiconductor and possible impact to the charge transfer processes with application in biosensors or aptamers.

Pyloroplasty for the unusual perforated duodenal ulcer.

The performance of a large number of pyloroplasties upon patients with perforated duodenal ulcers gave us an opportunity to observe some instances of unusual perforations of the superior duodenal border from ulcers of the posterior wall. A technique of treating these very severe ulcerations without antral resection by pyloroplasty is described herein. Eighteen patients have been operated upon without mortality up to December 1978.

Avaliacao do tratamento da pancreatite aguda. / Evaluation of acute pancreatitis treatment

Os autores revisam 80 pacientes comprovadamente portadores de pancreatite aguda.Deste total, 44(55,0%) foram tratados clinicamente e 36 (45,0%) submetidos a tratamento cirurgico. O tratamento clinico foi eficaz em 86,4% dos casos, e o tratamento cirurgico apresentou resultados satisfatorios em 75,0% dos casos. As complicacoes precoses mais frequentes foram o choque (12,5%) e a insuficiencia respiratoria (10,0%). A mortalidade global da serie foi de 20,0%. Dos 16 obitos constatados, 12 (75,0%) ocorreram nas formas necro-hemorragicas e 4 (25,0%) nas formas edematosas da doenca. Concluiu-se que embora seja uma patologia prodominantemente clinica, a pancreatite aguda, para ser de evolucao favoravel, requer cuidados intensivos permanentes e uma vigilancia medica constante visando detectar as mudancas do seu curso evolutivo e permitir a indicacao adequada do momento e da forma do tratamento cirurgico

Hemorragia digestiva alta em pacientes idosos. / Upper digestive hemorrhage in aged patients

Num periodo de 12 anos, 117 pacientes com mais de 70 anos de idade foram tratados no Hospital Souza Aguiar, Rio de Janeiro, com hemorragia digestiva alta. Foram operados somente 36 doentes. A mortalidade global foi de 47%. Mortalidade cirurgica: 47,2%.Mortalidade com tratamento clinico: 46,9%.A alta mortalidade foi devida a 1) pessimo estado geral dos pacientes ao serem trazidos ao Hospital; 2) patologia associada, muitas vezes tendo a hemorragia como seu estagio final; 3) atitude pouco agressiva dos clinicos e cirurgioes em relacao ao tratamento do velho. Propomos uma atitude mais agressiva quer dos medicos e cirurgioes, quer dos proprios doentes e de suas familias no sentido de dar ao velho uma oportunidade de tratamento, que nos parece lhes vem sendo dificultado por razoes que a medicina moderna nao pode mais aceitar