ABSTRACT Sowing arrangements composed of double-row spacing in corn can favor the interception of solar radiation by the canopy and, consequently, the yield performance of the crop. However, it is possible that the microclimate provided by this spacing, especially at high plant densities, favors the occurrence of leaf diseases. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the effect of 0.45 m and double-row spacing arrangements on the severity of foliar diseases and yield performance of corn grown in the first and second-crop seasons. Two independent experiments were conducted (with and without the fungicide fluxapyroxad + pyraclostrobin) in the first and second-crop seasons in a randomized block design arranged in a split-plot scheme with four repetitions. The plots consisted of spacing (0.45 m) and double-row (0.30 × 0.60 m), and the subplots, four plant densities (59,200, 74,000, 81,400, and 96,200 plants ha-1). In the plant density factor, in the second-crop season, there is a decrease in the severity of white spot as plant density is increased. Also, for the plant density factor, in the first-crop season, there may be a significant yield increase as the plant density is increased.

RESUMO Arranjos de plantas compostos pelo espaçamento fileira dupla no milho podem favorecer a interceptação da radiação solar pelo dossel e, consequentemente, o desempenho produtivo da lavoura. Entretanto, é possível que o microclima proporcionado por este espaçamento, sobretudo em altas densidades de plantas, favoreça a ocorrência de doenças foliares. Assim, objetivou-se avaliar o efeito de arranjos compostos pelos espaçamentos de 0,45 m e fileira dupla sobre a severidade de doenças foliares e o desempenho produtivo do milho cultivado em 1a e 2a safra. Foram conduzidos dois experimentos independentes (com e sem o fungicida fluxapiroxade + piraclostrobina) na 1a e 2a safra, em delineamento em blocos ao acaso com parcelas subdivididas, com quatro repetições. As parcelas consistiram nos espaçamentos (0,45 m) e fileira dupla (0,30 × 0,60 m), e as subparcelas, quatro densidades de plantas (59.200, 74.000, 81.400 e 96.200 plantas ha-1). No fator densidade de plantas, na 2a safra, há decréscimo na severidade da mancha branca conforme adensamento de plantas. Ainda, também para o fator densidade, na 1a safra, pode haver incremento significativo na produtividade em função do adensamento de plantas.

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different levels of concentrate supplementation on carcass characteristics of heifers finished on Tifton 85 pasture. Thirty-two cross-breed heifers (Charolais and Nellore) on average aged 25.51 months and weighing 298 kg were used in a completely randomized experiment. The animals were distributed uniformly to receive four different levels of concentrates based on the body weight: 0.0; 0.4; 0.8 and 1.2%. Animals were slaughtered at 29 months of age. There was increasing linear effect of levels energy supplementation on: slaughter weight, hot and cold carcass weights,hot and cold dressing percentage, thigh thickness, carcass compactness, and L* and b* color values. It was observed quadratic effect of levels of energy supplementation on the percentage of fat in the carcass. Different levels of energy supplementation did not modify the accumulation of vital organs and visceral fat or the sensory attributes of the meat. Higher levels of energy supplementation promote increases in carcass traits of heifers when finished on Tifton 85 pasture.

Abstract This study focused on improving the design of slender structures with reinforced concrete (RC) telecommunication towers as the main application. Analytical procedure based on Rayleigh’s method to compute the first natural vibration frequency and the critical buckling load was development. All the nonlinearities present in the system were considered, in addition to the soil-structure interaction and the variation of the geometric properties along the length of the structure. The geometric nonlinearity and imperfections of the tower structure were computed as functions of the axial load using a geometric stiffness matrix. Further, the material nonlinearity was accounted for by reducing the flexural stiffness. As concrete structures exhibit viscoelasticity, creep was calculated using the Eurocode 2 model. The soil-structure interaction was modeled as a set of distributed springs. To validate the proposed method, the first frequency and critical buckling load were compared with those yielded by FEM simulations. The frequency results were in good agreement with those of the FEM simulations, indicating that the proposed method is sufficiently accurate for use in engineering design applications and easy to implement. On the other hand, the buckling load results obtained using the proposed method and FEM differed significantly, motivating further investigation.

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a aplicação de GreenSeeker® (radiômetro) na detecção do momento ideal para a aplicação de fungicida na soja e a relação entre NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) e produtividade. Dois experimentos foram realizados na Universidade Estadual de Londrina (culturas 2012/2013 e 2013/2014), ambos com delineamento experimental de blocos ao acaso (6x4). Os tratamentos visavam a obtenção de um gradiente de doença (ferrugem asiática da soja) por meio de diferentes números e épocas de aplicação de fungicida. A quantificação da severidade da doença foi feita por meio da escala diagramática e das leituras de NDVI. Foram analisadas a massa total, a massa de 1.000 grãos, a umidade e a produtividade em kg ha-1. Observou-se uma queda na produtividade em relação ao atraso na aplicação do fungicida e o mesmo ocorreu na área abaixo da curva do NDVI. Ao mesmo tempo em que observou-se diferença estatística entre os tratamentos para a severidade da doença, houve diferença estatística significativa (P <0,05) entre os valores de NDVI. O NDVI contribuiu para a tomada de decisão sobre o melhor momento para a aplicação de fungicida na cultura da soja para o controle da ferrugem asiática e apresenta resultados regulares para a estimação da produtividade.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the application of GreenSeeker® (radiometer) the ideal time of application of fungicide on soybeans and the relationship between NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and productivity. Two experiments were conducted at the Universidade Estadual de Londrina (2012/2013 and 2013/2014 crops), both with experimental design of random blocks (6x4). The treatments aimed at obtaining a disease gradient (Asian soybean rust) by means of different numbers and times of application of fungicide. The quantification of the severity of the disease was made through the diagram scale and the readings of NDVI. Were analyzed the total mass, the 1.000 grains mass, the humidity, and productivity in kg ha-1. A decrease in productivity was observed in connection with the delay in the application of the fungicide and the same happened in the area below the NDVI curve. At the same time when a statistical difference between the treatments of the severity was observed there was also a significant statistical difference (P<0.05) between the values of NDVI. The NDVI contributes to decision making about the best moment for the application of fungicide in the culture of soy for the control of Asian rust and presents regular results for the estimation of productivity.

ABSTRACT Water deficit is one of the major stresses affecting plant growth and productivity worldwide. Plants induce various morphological, physiological, biochemical and molecular changes to adapt to the changing environment. Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.), a potential oil producer, is highly adaptable to various environmental conditions, such as lack of rainfall and temperatures. The objective of this work was to study the physiological and production characteristics of six safflower lines in response to water deficit followed by rehydration. The experiment was conducted in a protected environment and consisted of 30 days of water deficit followed by 18 days of rehydration. A differential response in terms of photosynthetic pigments, electrolyte leakage, water potential, relative water content, grain yield, oil content, oil yield and water use efficiency was observed in the six lines under water stress. Lines IMA 04, IMA 10, IMA 14 showed physiological characteristics of drought tolerance, with IMA 14 and IMA 16 being the most productive after water deficit. IMA 02 and IMA 21 lines displayed intermediate characteristics of drought tolerance. It was concluded that the lines responded differently to water deficit stress, showing considerable genetic variation and influence to the environment.

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to determine predictor models of leaf area of cassava from linear leaf measurements. The experiment was carried out in greenhouse in the municipality of Botucatu, São Paulo state, Brazil. The stem cuttings with 5-7 nodes of the cultivar IAC 576-70 were planted in boxes filled with about 320 liters of soil, keeping soil moisture at field capacity, monitored by puncturing tensiometers. At 80 days after planting, 140 leaves were randomly collected from the top, middle third and base of cassava plants. We evaluated the length and width of the central lobe of leaves, number of lobes and leaf area. The measurements of leaf areas were correlated with the length and width of the central lobe and the number of lobes of the leaves, and adjusted to polynomial and multiple regression models. The linear function that used the length of the central lobe LA = -69.91114 + 15.06462L and linear multiple functions LA = -69.9188 + 15.5102L + 0.0197726K - 0.0768998J or LA = -69.9346 + 15.0106L + 0.188931K - 0.0264323H are suitable models to estimate leaf area of cassava cultivar IAC 576-70.

RESUMO Neste trabalho o objetivo foi avaliar o efeito de densidades de semeadura e adubação nitrogenada sobre o crescimento de plantas de soja em cultivar com tipo de crescimento indeterminado. Dois experimentos foram conduzidos nas safras 2013/14 e 2014/15 com delineamento de blocos casualizados em parcelas subdivididas e seis repetições. Nas parcelas foram alocadas quatro densidades de semeadura (150, 300, 440 e 560 mil sementes viáveis ha-1) e nas subparcelas dois níveis de nitrogênio (0 e 45 kg N ha-1). A cultivar de soja utilizada foi a NK7059 RR. Foram avaliados a massa seca de caules, folhas e total, relação folha/caule, o teor de nitrogênio nas folhas e no caule, índice SPAD, altura de plantas e da inserção da primeira vagem, número de ramos por planta e produtividade de grãos. O crescimento de plantas de soja não é afetado pela interação da densidade de semeadura e a adubação nitrogenada mineral. O aumento da densidade de semeadura incrementa a massa seca de plantas nas fases iniciais de desenvolvimento e reduz a relação folha/caule e o número de ramos por planta. O efeito da adubação nitrogenada no crescimento das plantas é variável entre as safras mas não aumenta a produtividade mesmo considerando ampla variação de densidade de semeadura.

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the effect of seeding rates and nitrogen (N) fertilization on plant growth in soybean cultivar with indeterminate growth habit. Two experiments were conducted in the 2013/14 and 2014/15 growing seasons, in a complete block design with split-plot scheme and six replicates. Four seeding rates (150, 300, 440 and 560 000 viable seeds ha-1) and two N doses (0 and 45 kg ha-1) were allocated in the plots and subplots, respectively. The cultivar NK7059 RR was used. The following traits were assessed: leaf, stem and total shoot dry matter, leaf/stem dry matter ratio, stem and leaf N content, SPAD index, plant height, first pod height, number of branches per plant and grain yield. Soybean growth is not affected by the interaction of plant density and mineral N fertilization. Higher seeding rates increase plant dry matter in the initial development stages and reduce leaf/stem ratio and the number of branches per plant. The effects of N fertilization on soybean growth vary between growing seasons, but do not affect grain yield, even considering a wide range of seeding rates.

RESUMO Neste estudo foi avaliada a bioatividade de Talinum paniculatum, planta amplamente utilizada na medicina popular. O extrato das folhas (EF) de T. paniculatum foi obtido por percolação com etanol-água e, em seguida, submetido à partição líquido-líquido, obtendo-se as frações hexânica (HX), acetato-etílica (AcOEt), butanólica (BuOH) e aquosa (Aq). A triagem para a atividade antimicrobiana do EF e de suas frações foram avaliadas in vitro através do método de microdiluição em caldo contra treze micro-organismos patogênicos e não-patogênicos e, a atividade antimicobacteriana, foi avaliada através do teste de difusão em ágar. As concentrações citotóxicas (CC90) do EF e das frações HX e AcOEt foram obtidas sobre células da linhagem BHK-21 através do ensaio de redução do MTT. O EF mostrou atividade contra Serratia marcescens e Staphylococcus aureus, com valores de concentração inibitória mínima (CIM) de 250 e 500 µg/mL, respectivamente. Além disso, HX demonstrou excelente atividade contra Micrococcus luteus e Candida albicans com uma CIM de 31,2 µg/mL, em ambos os casos. Contra Escherichia coli, a CIM para AcOEt foi também de 31,2 µg/mL. Por outro lado, as frações BuOH e Aq foram inativas contra todos os micro-organismos testados, assim como o EF contra Mycobacterium tuberculosis e Mycobacterium bovis. Campesterol, estigmasterol e sitosterol foram as estruturas propostas como principais compostos presentes no EF e nas frações HX e AcOEt, evidenciadas através de espectrometria de massas. Portanto, o extrato da folha e as frações HX e AcOEt provenientes de T. paniculatum apresentaram potencial como possíveis fontes de compostos antimicrobianos, HX principalmente, por ter apresentado uma baixa toxicidade sobre células BHK-21 com um bom índice de seletividade (IS = CC90/MIC) de 17,72 contra C. albicans.

SUMMARY In this study, the bioactivity of Talinum paniculatum was evaluated, a plant widely used in folk medicine. The extract from the T. paniculatum leaves (LE) was obtained by percolation with ethanol-water and then subjecting it to liquid-liquid partitions, yielding hexane (HX), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), butanol (BuOH), and aqueous (Aq) fractions. Screening for antimicrobial activity of the LE and its fractions was evaluated in vitro through broth microdilution method, against thirteen pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms, and the antimycobacterial activity was performed through agar diffusion assay. The cytotoxic concentrations (CC90) for LE, HX, and EtOAc were obtained on BHK-21 cells by using MTT reduction assay. The LE showed activity against Serratia marcescens and Staphylococcus aureus, with Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values of 250 and 500 µg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, HX demonstrated outstanding activity against Micrococcus luteus and Candida albicans with a MIC of 31.2 µg/mL in both cases. The MIC for EtOAc also was 31.2 µg/mL against Escherichia coli. Conversely, BuOH and Aq were inactive against all tested microorganisms and LE proved inactive against Mycobacterium tuberculosisand Mycobacterium bovisas well. Campesterol, stigmasterol, and sitosterol were the proposed structures as main compounds present in the EF and HX/EtOAc fractions, evidenced by mass spectrometry. Therefore, LE, HX, and EtOAc from T. paniculatumshowed potential as possible sources of antimicrobial compounds, mainly HX, for presenting low toxicity on BHK-21 cells with excellent Selectivity Index (SI = CC90/MIC) of 17.72 against C. albicans.

Folhas e cascas de algumas especies do gênero Byrsonima (Malpighiaceae) são empregadas popularmente contra diarréia. Contudo, não existem dados na literatura à respeito de investigacões químicas ou farmacológicas dos extratos de B. cinera. Neste estudo, nós avaliamos a atividade antidiarreica dos extratos metanólico e hidrometanólico das folhas de B. cinera em ratos Swiss. Os resultados mostraram que ambos os extratos reduziram signitivamente a motilidade intestinal. Investigacão fitoquímica do extrato metanólico levou ao isolamento e identificacão da (+)-catequina e da quercetina-3-O-a-L-arabinopiranosídeo. A atividade observada pode estar correlacaionada com a presença dessas substâncias nos extratos.

Leaves and bark of some Byrsonima species (Malpighiaceae) are popularly employed against diarrhoeal diseases. However, no data were reported in the literature about the chemisty and pharmacology of extracts from B. cinera leaves. In the present study we evaluated the anti-diarrhoeal activity of methanolic and hydromethanolic extracts obtained from the leaves of B. cinera in Swiss mice. Results showed that both extracts reduced significantly the gastrintestinal motility. Phytochemical evaluation of the methanolic extract led to the isolation and identification of (+)-catechin and quercetin-3-O-a-L-arabinopyranoside. The observed activity may be correlated to the presence of these compounds in the extract.

As técnicas de microscopia de varredura por força tem promovido um grande impacto em ciência dos materiais devido a possibilidade de obtenção de imagens em escala que pode chegar no nível atômico. Neste trabalho serão apresentados o princípio básico de funcionamento da microscopia de varredura por força, os vários modos de operação e as forças envolvidas e medidas. O potencial de aplicação destas técnicas no estudo de materiais, e em particular de polímeros, serão discutidos. Uma comparação da microscopia de força atômica com outras técnicas de microscopia será apresentada, assim como exemplos da utilização da técnica de microscopia de força atômica para o estudo de polímeros.

The scanning force microscopy techniques are promoting a great impact on materials science due to the possibility to obtain images down to the atomic scale. This work reports on the basic principles of the scanning force microscopes, their operation modes and the forces involved and measured. The potential application of these techniques on the study of materials, particularly on polymers, is discussed. A comparison of atomic force microscopy - AFM - with other techniques is presented, as well as some examples of the use of AFM on the study of polymers.