Availability and toxicity of cadmium to forage grasses grown in contaminated soil.

It is important to know the mechanisms for forage development, especially those related to the tolerance of potentially toxic elements, when considering their use in phytoremediation in heavy metal contaminated areas. In this study, we evaluated plant growth, concentration, and the availability of cadmium (Cd) for forage grasses (Panicum maximum Jacq. cv. Aruana and cv. Tanzânia; Brachiaria decumbens cv. Basilisk; Brachiaria brizantha cv. Xaraés and cv. Marandu) cultivated in Cd contaminated soils. The experiments were performed under greenhouse conditions over a 90-day evaluation period, and the Cd rates were 2, 4, and 12 mg/kg of soil. The relative growth rate of the forage grasses decreased as Cd rates increased, and the following descending order of susceptibility was observed: Marandu > Xaraés > Aruana > Tanzânia > Basilisk, with regard to phytotoxicity in these plants. The forage Cd concentration increased in line with increases in the Cd rates. Cd contents extracted by Mehlich-1 and by diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid presented high positive correlation with forage relative growth. The forage plants did not block Cd entry into the food chain because they were not capable of limiting Cd absorption.

Projeto terapêutico singular no âmbito da saúde mental: uma experiência no curso de graduação em medicina / A unique therapeutic project in the mental health field: an experience on an undergraduate medical course

O Jardim Campo Belo, localizado no município de Campinas (SP), é um bairro de alta vulnerabilidade social e grande demanda por serviços de saúde, sendo a única oferta em saúde mental o matriciamento com outra unidade de saúde. Neste contexto, durante as disciplinas do segundo ano de Medicina, foi realizado um projeto de intervenção no Centro de Saúde, mediante acompanhamento em domicilio de pacientes usuários de psicotrópicos. Realizaram-se visitas quinzenais às casas de dez pacientes. Nestas visitas, trabalhou-se um roteiro semidirigido, em que se buscou conhecer as demandas de cada paciente. Alguns destes aumentaram os cuidados com a própria saúde, e num caso houve até suspensão do uso dos medicamentos psicotrópicos, em parceria com a equipe; em outros casos, as visitas serviram como válvula de escape social, tornando-se um espaço onde se ofertava atenção aos que estavam acostumados ao abandono social. Os alunos envolvidos relatam grande aprendizado graças às vivências e ao envolvimento com o tema, que se tornou um grande suplemento pedagógico.

Located in Campinas (SP). Jardim Campo Belo is a neighborhood characterized by high social vulnerability and a high demand for health services, with the only mental health service on offer accessible via another healthcare unit. It was in this context and during the second year of medical school, that we conducted an intervention initiative, monitoring patients using psychotropic drugs in their homes. Fortnightly visits were made to homes of 10 patients. During these visits, we conducted semi-directed interviews that allowed us to learn of the patients' needs. Some patients increased their own healthcare measures, in one case even being suspended from using psychotropic medications, in partnership with the health team. In other cases, visits served to provide a kind of sounding board, providing a moment for offering attention to individuals used to being neglected by society. Students involved reported having learned a great deal from the experiences and involvement with the subject, with it serving as a valuable educational supplement to the degree course.

Deleterious activity of natural products on postures of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae).

The control of Lepidoptera pests should be carried out before hatching of their caterpillars to avoid damage to the crops. The aim of this work was to assess the activity of neem (trade name: Natuneem, producer: Base Fértil, Chapadão do Sul, Brazil) and pyroligneous extracts (trade name: Biopirol 7M, producer: Biocarbo, Itabirito, Brazil) at 10 mL/L (1%) and 20 mL/L (2%) contents on egg masses of different ages of Spodoptera frugiperda Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and of Diatraea saccharalis F. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) at Embrapa Corn and Sorghum in Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The tests took place in an unbiased casualized design with 12 treatments and four replications. The insecticides were diluted in water, and 0.04 mL of the solution was applied to recently laid and one- and two-day-old eggs of S. frugiperda and D. saccharalis. Caterpillars hatching from recently laid egg masses of S. frugiperda was lower with 2% pyroligneous extract [(0.02 +/- 0.00)%]. Recently laid eggs and one- or two-day-old eggs of D. saccharalis presented lower caterpillar hatching with 1% neem extract [(0.00 +/- 0.00)%, (0.00 +/- 0.00)%, and (1.00 +/- 0.01)%] and 2% neem extract [(0.00 +/- 0.00)%], compared to 1% pyroligneous extract [(27.30 +/- 3.22)%, (28.40 +/- 3.32)%, and (37.80 +/- 4.14)%] and 2% pyroligneous extract [(42.20 +/- 4.49)%, (48.70 +/- 4.97)%, and (56.60 +/- 5.52)%], respectively. Neem and pyroligneous extracts had impact on hatching of S. frugiperda and D. saccharalis caterpillars.