Sex Differences in Maximal Oxygen Uptake Adjusted for Skeletal Muscle Mass in Amateur Endurance Athletes: A Cross Sectional Study.

Male athletes tend to outperform female athletes in several endurance sports. Maximum cardiac output can be estimated by maximal oxygen consumption (V˙O2max), and it has been established that men present V˙O2max values about 20% higher than women. Although sex differences in V˙O2max have already been well studied, few studies have assessed sex differences with regard to muscle oxidative capacity. The aim of this study was to compare aerobic muscle quality, accessed by V˙O2max and adjusted by lower limb lean mass, between male and female amateur triathletes. The study also aimed to compare sex differences according to V˙O2 submaximal values assessed at ventilatory thresholds. A total of 57 participants (23 women and 34 men), who had been training for Olympic-distance triathlon races, underwent body composition evaluation by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and performed a cardiorespiratory maximal test on a treadmill. Male athletes had significantly higher V˙O2max, both absolutely and when adjusted to body mass. Conversely, when V˙O2max was adjusted for lean mass, there was no significant difference between sexes. The same was observed at submaximal exercise intensities. In conclusion, differences in V˙O2max adjusted to body mass but not lean mass may explain, at least in part, sex differences in performance in triathlons, marathons, cycling, and other endurance sports.

Physiological Features of Olympic-Distance Amateur Triathletes, as Well as Their Associations with Performance in Women and Men: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The purpose of this study was to verify the physiological and anthropometric determinants of triathlon performance in female and male athletes. This study included 40 triathletes (20 male and 20 female). Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) was used to assess body composition, and an incremental cardiopulmonary test was used to assess physiological variables. A questionnaire about physical training habits was also completed by the athletes. Athletes competed in the Olympic-distance triathlon race. For the female group, the total race time can be predicted by V̇O2max (ß = -131, t = -6.61, p < 0.001), lean mass (ß = -61.4, t = -2.66, p = 0.018), and triathlon experience (ß = -886.1, t = -3.01, p = 0.009) (r2 = 0.825, p < 0.05). For the male group, the total race time can be predicted by maximal aerobic speed (ß = -294.1, t = -2.89, p = 0.010) and percentage of body fat (ß = 53.6, t = 2.20, p = 0.042) (r2 = 0.578, p < 0.05). The variables that can predict the performance of men are not the same as those that can predict the triathlon performance of women. These data can help athletes and coaches develop performance-enhancing strategies.

Spermine reduces the harmful effects of salt stress in Tropaeolum majus.

Flowers, leaves, fruits and buds of Tropaeolum majus are used for ornamental, medicinal and food purposes. However, salt stress limits the development and productivity of T. majus due to biochemical, physiological and anatomical disturbances. Polyamine application is an alternative for mitigating the harmful effects of salt stress. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of spermine application in T. majus grown under salt stress. The experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design, in a 3 × 2 factorial scheme, with 0, 40 mM (moderate salt stress) and 80 mM (severe salt stress) NaCl, and 0 and 1 mM spermine, and with five replicates. Growth (plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, number of flowers, number of buds, leaf dry mass, stem dry mass and flower dry mass), gas exchange (gs, A, E, Ci and WUE), relative water content, contents of free amino acids, phenolic compounds, reducing and non-reducing sugars, lipid peroxidation and enzymatic activities (CAT, POD and APX) were evaluated. Spermine application decreased the harmful effects of salt stress on the growth and gas exchange and increased flowering in T. majus. Furthermore, the relative water content of T. majus increased under severe salt stress conditions. Spermine application reduced the contents of total phenolic compounds, free amino acids, reducing sugars and non-reducing sugars on leaves of T. majus. Spermine application increased CAT and POD activities in plants under severe salt stress and POD and APX in plants under moderate salt stress.

Radiotherapy Information System in Cancer Treatment Improvement: A Case Study at the Brazilian National Cancer Institute.

Radiotherapy is one of the main means of treating cancer patients. Its application has grown worldwide. Around 50% of all cancer patients should receive radiation. Brazil faces a shortage of radiotherapy treatment because of a lack of enough treatment units, equipment availability, well-trained staff, and fair reimbursement. The Radiotherapy Information System (RIS) implementation to manage information about patient scheduling is vital to improve the efficiency of care and reduce the waiting time to start cancer treatment. The information system deployed can be indicated as a disruptive innovation in the Brazilian public health system, considering the radical improvement in the cancer treatment process at the Brazilian National Cancer Institute.

Decision Support System for Inventory Management in Healthcare Organizations: A Case Study at the Brazilian National Cancer Institute.

Nowadays, the great majority of the healthcare organizations has been criticized due to the high costs and low efficiency and are facing a critical situation aggravated by unmet demand and aging population. Availability of medicines is one of the clearest indicators that a healthcare organization is working efficiently. Medicines represent a large portion of the costs in the health services due to the significant value of these products and their storage and control requirements. Shortages of inventory have become a severe problem at the Brazilian healthcare organizations. The purpose of this work is to present the deployment of a Decision Support System which supports real-time inventory control and medicine tracking providing transparency and accessibility of this critical information at the Brazilian National Cancer Institute.

Implementing an Oncology Decision Support System: The Case of the Brazilian National Cancer Institute.

Brazil has a complex situation in cancer treatment services. The incidence rates have reached around 600.000 new cases each year. The development of an Oncology Decision Support System (ODSS) that support cancer treatment is amongst the priorities in the cancer control program. The purpose of this article is to study the ODSS deployment at the Brazilian National Cancer Institute. The implementation of this Clinical Decision Support System employed on the management, processing, and analysis of Brazilian cancer clinical data can be considered a disruptive innovation which changes the clinical decision-making process radically.

Knowledge Management for Brazilian Cancer Care Services.

Nowadays Brazil has a complex cancer care scenario. There are nearly 600.000 new cancer cases each year in Brazil, and the huge majority of patients have some contact with hospital services. However, long waiting queues for diagnostics and treatments have become common. One of the critical success factors in a cancer treatment is early diagnosis. The reduction of waiting time to start therapeutic procedures is one of the main issues for improvement of patient's quality of life and possibilities of cure. The objective of this work is to describe the development of a decision support system that improves the identification of access alternatives, appointment scheduling and employment of available resources. The Theory of Constraints was used to identify bottlenecks in patient treatment flow and a Discrete Events Simulation model was used to reduce patients' waiting time to start cancer treatment.

Smart Oncology Care Networks: An Approach in Information Systems to Support Brazilian National Cancer Institute.

In last decades Information Technology (IT) has been established as the main tool to support processes. Medical area has noticed the opportunity for improvement and interacting with IT has enabled solid interdisciplinary instruments for improvement. The aim in this project is composed by an analysis of the relationship between the application of information technologies, oncological assistance and innovation. Next, the project will focus to present the case of a proposal to reformulate the national cancer care system, with IT and Innovation being the base instrument for this process.

Decision Support Systems in Cancer Treatment: A Case Study at Brazilian National Cancer Institute.

Nowadays Brazil has a complex cancer care scenario. There are nearly 600.000 new cancer cases each year in Brazil, and the huge majority of patients have some contact with hospital services. However, long waiting queues for diagnostics and treatments have become common. One of the critical success factors in a cancer treatment is early diagnosis. The reduction of waiting time to start therapeutic procedures is one of the main issues for improvement of patient's quality of life and possibilities of cure. The objective of this work is to describe the development of a decision support system that improves the identification of access alternatives, appointment scheduling and employment of available resources. The Theory of Constraints was used to identify bottlenecks in patient treatment flow and a Discrete Events Simulation model was used to reduce patients' waiting time to start cancer treatment.

Big Data in Brazilian Cancer Surveillance.

Cancer research has a great importance across the world. It is responsible for data analysis of cancer incidence by region, ethnicity, gender, age, social and economic issues, and contributes to the assessment of population health necessities. Nowadays, Brazil has a complex cancer care scenario. There are nearly 600.000 new cancer cases each year. Cancer surveillance in Brazil is carried out by a network of cancer registries which together feed the data warehouse of cancer incidence across the country. The analysis of cancer data warehouses using Data Mining techniques may discover hidden relations among patients' data, cancer treatment, and disease surveillance. This paper presents the development of a Big Data project with the purpose to analyze the cancer incidence and mortality patterns within the different regions and population groups in Brazil.

Inhibition of ethylene response by 1-methylcyclopropene in potted ornamental pepper / Inibição das respostas ao etileno por 1-methylcyclopropeno em pimenta ornamental de vaso

In the face of great potential of 1-MCP in blocking ethylene action, this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of 1-MCP on ethylene action and extend the post-production of ornamental peppers Capsicum annuum potted plants. Ornamental pepper cultivar Calypso shows complete abscission of leaves when exposed to 10µL L-1 ethylene. By exposing plants to ethylene, significant drops on a, b and total chlorophyll were found at the end of the treatment. Nevertheless, no changes on leaf total carotenoid were observed after the treatment with ethylene. When the plants were treated with 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), followed or not by treatment with ethylene, contents of a, b, total chlorophyll and carotenoid remained unchanged. Control plants showed no changes in chlorophylls or carotenoid contents after 48 hours from moving the pots from greenhouse to indoor conditions illuminated with white fluorescent light. The 1-MCP was able to prolong the post production shelf life, by inhibiting the abscission of leaves. Plants treated with 1-MCP, followed by ethylene had 38% accumulated leaf abscission, after 18 days of post production life, similar to control plants. After the same period, plants treated only with 1-MCP had 22% leaf abscission. The 1-MCP partially blocked ethylene and induced leaf abscission. Regardless which treatment was applied during post production life, there was a continuous decrease on leaf chlorophyll content beyond 18th day. Thus, 1-MCP was effective in preventing leaf abscission even in the presence of ethylene, avoiding deleterious effects of ethylene by blocking its receptor sites.

Em face do grande potencial de utilização do 1-MCP no bloqueio da ação do etileno, este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a eficiência do 1-MCP em bloquear a ação do etileno e estender a vida pós-produção de plantas de pimenta ornamental da espécie Capsicum annuum. A pimenta ornamental, cultivar Calypso, apresenta abscisão completa das folhas quando exposta a 10µL L-1 de etileno. Nas plantas expostas ao etileno, houve reduções significativas dos teores de clorofila a, b e total ao final do tratamento. Nenhuma alteração no conteúdo de carotenoides total das folhas foi observada após o tratamento com etileno. Quando as plantas foram tratadas com 1-metilciclopropeno (1-MCP), seguido ou não pelo tratamento com etileno, os teores de clorofila a, b, total e carotenoides permaneceram inalterados. As plantas controle não apresentaram alterações nas clorofilas ou carotenoides, após 48 horas da remoção dos vasos da estufa para recinto fechado iluminado com luz branca fluorescente. O 1-MCP foi capaz de prolongar a vida de prateleira semelhante às plantas controle. No mesmo período, plantas tratadas somente com 1-MCP tiveram 22% de abscisão foliar. O tratamento com 1-MCP bloqueou parcialmente a queda das folhas induzida por etileno. Independentemente do tratamento aplicado, houve diminuição contínua do teor de clorofila das folhas após o 18º dia. A fumigação com 1-MCP foi eficaz na pós-produção, inibindo a abscisão das folhas. Plantas tratadas com 1-MCP, seguido por etileno, tiveram 38% de abscisão foliar acumulada, após 18 dias de vida em pós-produção, prevenção da queda de folhas, mesmo na presença de etileno, evitando os efeitos deletérios de etileno, através do bloqueio dos sítios receptores de etileno.

Longevity of Epidendrum ibaguense inflorescences influenced by the storage temperature and ethylene inhibitor

This work had the goal to evaluate the influence of temperature and dry storage on the postharvest longevity of Epidendrum ibaguense flowers previously treated with silver thiosulfate (STS). The flowers were harvested and pulsed for 30 minutes with 2 mM STS. Then both, the STS treated and untreated flowers were packed in perforated low density polyethylene bags, packed in cardboard boxes and stored at 5 and 10°C, where they remained for four and eight days. After this period, the flowers were kept in vase with distilled water at 25ºC, and analyzed at every 24 h. The experiment was arranged in a complete random design 2 x 2 x 2 factorial scheme, with four replicates, containing four inflorescences each, except for the determination of transpiration and water rates uptake, composed by sixteen replicates of one stem. The vase life of the flowers of the E. ibaguense was increased to 6.5 days when pulsed with 2 mM STS for 30 minutes, followed by storage at 10ºC for a maximum period of four days. The STS applied before the cold storage reduced the rate of flower abscission and improved the ratio between the transpiration and water uptake.

Reidratação de inflorescências de boca-de-leão após o armazenamento refrigerado e seco / Water uptake by snapdragon inflorescences cuts after cold dry storage

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de diferentes soluções sobre a reidratação e longevidade de inflorescências de boca-de-leão após armazenamento refrigerado a seco. As hastes foram colhidas com seis a sete flores abertas e, após 24 horas em água, foram embaladas em papel-craft, acondicionadas em sacos plásticos perfurados e armazenadas a 5°C por dois, quatro ou seis dias. Após o período de armazenamento a frio, as hastes foram colocadas em recipientes contendo 400mL de (1) água desionizada (controle), (2) solução de Flower® (Ecoplanet, SC) ou (3) solução preparada com 20g L-1 sacarose + 150mg L-1 ácido cítrico + 200mg L-1 de 8-HQC. As soluções foram trocadas a cada 48 horas, quando foi realizado o corte a 2cm na base da haste. Foi estabelecido o fim da vida de vaso quando as inflorescências apresentavam 50 por cento de abscisão ou murcha das flores. A longevidade das inflorescências diferiu com o tempo de armazenamento e com a solução de vaso utilizada. A maior vida de vaso foi obtida quando as hastes foram armazenadas por dois dias e, posteriormente mantidas em solução de sacarose+ácido cítrico+8-HQC. A solução de Flower® propiciou ganho de massa fresca e aumento do teor relativo de água das pétalas durante a reidratação. O uso apenas de água desionizada não foi eficiente em manter a qualidade das inflorescências de boca-de-leão, possivelmente pelo bloqueio dos vasos xilemáticos.

The goal of this research was to evaluate the effect of different solutions on rehydration and longevity of snapdragon inflorescences after dry cold storage. The stems were harvested with 6 to 7 open flowers and after 24 hours in water, they were wrapped in kraft paper, placed in perforated plastic bags and stored at 5oC for 2, 4 or 6 days. After the cold storage period, the stems were placed in jars containing 400mL of (1) deionized water, (2) Flower® (Ecoplanet, SC) or (3) 20g L-1 sucrose+150mg L-1 citric acid+200g L-1 8-HQC. The solutions were replaced every 48 hours when the base of the stem was cut (2cm). The end of the vase life was determined when the inflorescences presented 50 percent of abscission or flower wilting. The longevity of the inflorescences differed with the storage time and vase solution used. The longest vase life was obtained when the stems were stored for 2 days and placed in a solution of sucrose+citric acid+8-HQC afterwards. The solution of Flower® allowed gain of fresh mass and increase of relative water content of the petals during the rehydration. The use of deionized water was inefficient in maintaining the inflorescences quality, possible due to the occurrence of vascular occlusion.

Produtividade e longevidade de crisântemos, cultivados em hidroponia, em resposta a doses de cálcio / Chrysanthemum productivity and longevity in a hydroponic system in response to calcium doses

Para verificar a resposta de diferentes variedades de crisântemos a doses de cálcio um experimento foi conduzido em casa de vegetação sob sistema hidropônico de três fases e cascalho como substrato. Utilizou-se o delineamento em blocos casualizados com parcelas subdivididas, sendo as doses de cálcio (1,0; 2,5; 4,0; 5,5 mmol L-1) dispostas nas parcelas e três variedades (Blush Hawai, Calabria e Dark Flamengo) nas subparcelas, com 3 repetições. Para as diferentes doses de cálcio, utilizou-se solução nutritiva completa. Foram avaliados o peso da matéria fresca da folha, caule, inflorescência e parte aérea, ciclo, comprimento de haste e número e longevidade das inflorecencias, expressa pelo número de dias da colheita ao descarte das mesmas (murcha e perda de coloração das flores). As variedades Calabria e Blush Hawai apresentaram-se mais precoces e mais produtivas. Houve aumento linear na longevidade das três variedades com o aumento das concentrações de cálcio na solução nutritiva. O melhor desenvolvimento e crescimento das variedades de crisântemos foi obtido quando utilizada a solução nutritiva com 4,0 mmol L-1 de cálcio.

To verify the response of different varieties of chrysanthemum to doses of calcium an experiment was conducted in a green house using a three-phase hydroponic system on a gravel substrate. It was set up in a completely random blocks with split-plot design, using four calcium doses (1.0; 2.5; 4.0; 5.5 mmol L-1) in the plots disposed and three chrysanthemum varieties (Blush Hawai, Calabria and Dark Flamengo) in the subplots. Three repetitions were used with 96 plants by repetition. Complete nutrient solutions were used with the different calcium doses. The following factors were evaluated: fresh matter weight of leaf, stem, inflorescence and shoot; cycle; number of inflorescences, stem length and the longevity, expressed in the number of days from harvest to disposal of the inflorescences (withered and losing flower coloring). The earliest and most productive varieties were Calabria and Blush Hawai. There was linear increase in the longevity of the three varieties with the increase of the concentrations of calcium in the nutrient solution. The best development and growth of the varieties of chrysanthemum was obtained when used the nutrient solution with 4.0 mmol L-1 calcium.

Soluções conservantes prolongam a vida de vaso de inflorescências cortadas de boca-de-leão / Preservative solution prolong the vase life of cut snapdragon inflorescences

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de soluções de vaso na longevidade pós-colheita de inflorescências de boca-de-leão. Hastes de boca-de-leão ('Potomac White'), colhidas com seis a sete flores abertas na inflorescência, foram condicionadas em: (1) água desionizada a 20°C (controle); (2) água quente a 43°C, por uma hora, seguida de água desionizada (20°C) como solução de vaso; (3) solução de Flower® a 20°C; (4) solução de vaso preparada com 200mg L-1 de 8-HQC+20g L-1 sacarose+150mg L-1 ácido cítrico a 20°C; (5) água quente (43°C) por uma hora e Flower® em solução de vaso (20°C); e (6) água quente (43°C) por uma hora e solução contendo 200mg L-1 de 8-HQC+20g L-1 sacarose+150mg L-1 ácido cítrico como solução de vaso (20°C). A vida de vaso das inflorescências de boca-de-leão variou de três a sete dias de acordo com o tratamento utilizado. A maior longevidade foi obtida com a solução contendo 8-HQC, sacarose e ácido cítrico, tratamento que não comprometeu a abertura floral. Além disso, as inflorescências condicionadas nessa solução apresentaram ganho de massa fresca superior à massa daquelas mantidas em água desionizada ou Flower®, a partir de 24 horas, atingindo 24 por cento de aumento no quinto dia da reidratação. Assim, o uso de soluções de vaso adequadas mantém a qualidade e prolonga a longevidade das hastes cortadas de boca-de-leão.

The goal of this research was to evaluate the influence of vase solutions on the postharvest longevity of snapdragon inflorescences. Stems of snapdragon 'Potomac White' harvested with six to seven open flowers were treated as follow: (1) distilled water at 20oC (control); (2) warm water at 43oC for one hour, followed by distilled water (20°C) as vase solution; (3) solution of Flower at 20°C; (4) vase solution of 200mg L-1 8-HQC+20g L-1 sucrose+150mg L-1 citric acid at 20°C; (5) warm water (43°C) for 1 hour followed by Flower as vase solution (20°C); (6) warm water (43°C) for one hour and 200mg L-1 8-HQC+20g L-1 sucrose+150mg L-1 citric acid as vase solution (20°C). The vase life of snapdragon inflorescences varied from 3 to 7 days according to the treatment used. The longest longevity was obtained for the flowers treated with 8-HQC, sucrose and citric acid, which did not compromise the flower opening. Furthermore, the inflorescences kept in this solution had higher the fresh weight gain when compared to distilled water or Flower after 24 hours, reaching 24 percent increase on the fifth day of rehydration. Thus, the appropriate vase solution maintains the quality and extends the longevity of cut stems of snapdragon.

Silício melhora produção e qualidade do girassol ornamental em vaso / Silicon improves ornamental pot sunflower production and quality

O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar o efeito do parcelamento de diferentes doses de silício na produção de girassol ornamental, produzido em vaso, em casa de vegetação. A fonte utilizada foi o silicato de potássio aplicado no substrato. Os tratamentos foram dispostos em um fatorial 5x2, cinco doses de Si (0, 150, 300, 450 e 600mg vaso-1) e duas formas de aplicação (total ou parcelada), no delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com quatro repetições. Cada unidade experimental foi constituída por um vaso n° 12, com uma planta de girassol híbrido Sunflower F1 Pollenless Sunbright. As variáveis analisadas foram o diâmetro da inflorescência, a altura da planta, o diâmetro do caule, a produção de matéria seca de raízes, folhas e inflorescência e os teores de Si nessas três partes da planta. Não houve interação significativa das doses de Si e de seu parcelamento para nenhuma característica avaliada. A altura das plantas aumentou com o parcelamento do Si. A produção da matéria seca das inflorescências e das raízes e o diâmetro das inflorescências foram incrementados com a aplicação do Si. Os teores desse elemento na planta também aumentaram com as doses de silicato de potássio aplicadas, confirmando que o girassol absorve e acumula Si em seus tecidos.

The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of splitting different Si rates in the production of ornamental pot sunflowers, grown under greenhouse. The Si source was potassium silicate, applied at the substrate. The treatments were arranged in a 5x2 factorial experiment, with five Si rates (0, 150, 300, 450 and 600mg pot-1) and two forms of application (whole or split) in a complete randomized design, with four repetitions. Each repetition is a 5 inch potted F1 hybrid Sunflower Pollenless Sunbright. The inflorescence diameter, plant height, stem diameter, roots dry matter , leaves, inflorescence and the Si content in each plant part were measured. There was no significant interaction of Si rates and its splitting for any evaluated characteristic. The plant height increased with the Si splitting. The flowers and roots dry matter and the flower diameter and shape enhanced with the implementation of Si. The content of Si also increased with the applied Si rates, supporting that the sunflower uptake and accumulates Si in their tissues.

Longevidade de inflorescências de lírio, de diferentes estádios de colheita, pré-tratadas com sacarose e tiossulfato de prata (STS) / Longevity of lilly inflorescences harvested at different stages of development and pulsed with sucrose and silver thiosulfate (STS)

A senescência é provocada por mudancas fisiológicas e bioquímicas como degradacão do amido e clorofila, aumento da respiracão e producão de etileno. O tratamento de flores cortadas com STS constitui uma das formas de inibir a producão ou acão do fitormônio. Para avaliar os efeitos do STS, em combinacão ou não com sacarose, aplicado em solucão de condicionamento, sobre a longevidade e a qualidade de inflorescências cortadas de lírio, variedade Ace, hastes com 3 botões de diferentes idades, foram tratadas com solucão de sacarose 5 por cento por 12 horas; solucão de STS 1mM por 15 minutos; solucão de STS (15 minutos) + solucão de sacarose por 12 horas e controle (água destilada). Foram avaliados: comprimento e abertura dos botões, teor relativo de água e teor de clorofila na folha e longevidade. A longevidade das inflorescências de lírio, variedade Ace, é influenciada pelos estádios de colheita, obtendo-se maior longevidade no estádio mais jovem, A. Inflorescências colhidas no estádio A apresentam maior diâmetro quando pré-tratadas com STS; todavia, este tratamento compromete a abertura dos botões e a qualidade das flores. A sacarose possibilita a abertura dos botões colhidos no estádio A e aumento da vida útil da flor. Assim, o uso de solucão de sacarose, na concentracão de 5 por cento permite a colheita de inflorecências de lírio em estádio prematuro, obtendo-se maior vida de vaso da flor cortada.