RESUMO A acidez do solo e a ausência de adubação nitrogenada limitam a produtividade de gramíneas forrageiras. Objetivou-se avaliar os efeitos de doses de calcário (0 kg ha-1, 2.000 kg ha-1, 4.000 kg ha-1 e 8.000 kg ha-1) e nitrogênio (0 kg ha-1, 20 kg ha-1, 40 kg ha-1, 80 kg ha-1 e 160 kg ha-1) no acúmulo de forragem, atributos químicos do solo e teor de macronutrientes, em lâminas foliares de capim-massai (Panicum maximum cv. Massai). O delineamento experimental foi o de blocos casualizados, em arranjo fatorial 4 x 5, com quatro repetições. As doses de calcário e nitrogênio influenciaram positivamente o acúmulo de massa seca verde do capim-massai e a saturação por bases do solo. A máxima eficiência agronômica foi obtida nas doses estimadas próximas a 587 kg ha-1 ano-1 de nitrogênio e 5.796 kg ha-1 de calcário, que, no primeiro ano de avaliações, proporcionaram os maiores acúmulos de massa seca verde, com 15.267 kg ha-1 ano-1. Ocorreu elevação na demanda por calcário do primeiro para o segundo ano. Enquanto o calcário elevou a saturação por bases, o nitrogênio causou a redução da mesma. O nitrogênio aplicado ao solo elevou a concentração de nitrogênio, magnésio e cálcio (g kg-1) nas lâminas foliares do capim-massai. Portanto, o capim-massai respondeu positivamente a doses de nitrogênio e calcário, com efeitos significativos no acúmulo de massa seca verde e nas características de solo avaliadas.

ABSTRACT Soil acidity and lack of nitrogen fertilization limit the yield of forage grasses. This study aimed at evaluating the effects of lime (0 kg ha-1; 2,000 kg ha-1; 4,000 kg ha-1; and 8,000 kg ha-1) and nitrogen (0 kg ha-1, 20 kg ha-1, 40 kg ha-1, 80 kg ha-1 and 160 kg ha-1) doses on forage accumulation, soil chemical properties and macronutrient concentrations in leaf blades of Massai grass (Panicum maximum cv. Massai). A randomized blocks design in a 4 x 5 factorial scheme, with four replications, was used. Lime and nitrogen doses positively affected the accumulation of green dry mass in the Massai grass as well as the base saturation in the soil. The maximum yield was obtained at nitrogen doses close to 587 kg ha-1 year-1 for nitrogen and 5,796 kg ha-1 for lime, which produced the greatest accumulation of green dry mass (15,267 kg ha-1 year-1) in the first year of assessment. The demand for lime increased from the first to the second year. Lime increased the base saturation, whereas nitrogen reduced it. The nitrogen applied to the soil raised the nitrogen, magnesium and calcium contents (g kg-1) in the leaf blades of Massai grass. Thus, Massai grass reacted positively to nitrogen and lime doses, with significant effects on the accumulation of green dry mass and soil characteristics assessed.

Purpose A growing body of evidence suggests that low testosterone can be an independent predictor of adverse clinicopathological features and worse prognosis in prostate cancer (PCa) patients. However, this association is still incompletely understood and the results are divisive. The aim of this study was to analyze testosterone as a predictor of aggressive disease in subjects with clinically localized PCa. Materials and Methods A cohort was conducted including the patients submitted to radical prostatectomy in our institution during a period of four years. The patients had clinically localized disease and their total testosterone (TT) was routinely measured preoperatively in the morning before surgery. They were stratified in groups with low (< 300 ng/dL) and normal TT (≥ 300 ng/dL). Tumor aggressiveness was inferred based on preoperative PSA levels, pathological Gleason score (lower, equal or greater than 7), TNM stage and surgical margins status. Results After analyzing 164 patients we found a significant association between mean preoperative TT and extraprostatic disease (379 for pT3 vs. 421 ng/for pT2 - p < 0.001, AUC > 0.99). Conversely, men with high Gleason score had similar mean TT compared to those with lower scores. Preoperative low TT (defined as TT < 300 ng/dL) could not be statistically correlated with either preoperative PSA levels, pathological Gleason score, extraprostatic extension, positive surgical margins or seminal vesicles involvement. Conclusions This study indicates that testosterone may be a useful predictive tool once pathological extraprostatic extension was somewhat signaled by lower TT levels preoperatively. However, it does not consolidate a clear association between aggressive tumor biology and hypogonadism.

PURPOSE: To analyze the influence of urethral mobility and Valsalva leak point pressure on postoperative outcomes of transobturator sling (TOT) for female stress urinary incontinence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective cohort was conducted including 66 patients submitted to TOT from March 2006 to May 2009. Urethral hypermobility was defined as mobility ≥ 30º on Q-tip test, and Valsalva leak point pressure (VLPP) was classified as greater than 60 cmH2O or 60 and less on preoperative urodynamics. These parameters were compared through well defined postoperative objective and subjective success criteria. Intensity of urinary leakage and quality of life was analysed by ICIQ-SF. Statistical analysis was accomplished and the results rendered significant if p < 0.05. RESULTS: Mean follow up was 10 months (3 to 28). Mean age was 55 years (33 to 80), 70% were white and 30% African descendent, mean body mass index was 27 (21 to 38), average vaginal and abdominal deliveries were 2.8 and 0.5 respectively. A quarter had prior stress incontinence surgery. Patients with urethral hypermobility had higher objective success rates (98% versus 81.25%, p = 0.04). The subjective success rate was also greater in the hypermobility group (84% versus 62.5%), but statistical significance was not reached (p = 0.07). VLPP had no influence on either objective or subjective postoperative success rates (p = 0.17 and 0.34, respectively). In the subgroup analysis, those with low mobility and high VLPP had worse objective success rates in comparison to the group with hypermobility and low VLPP (p = 0.04) and also in relation to the remaining of the studied population. Other possible prognostic factors (previous surgery, mixed incontinence, gestational status) had no influence on success rates. CONCLUSIONS: High urethral mobility, regardless of the sphincteric status indicated by VLPP, is a favorable prognostic factor for tension-free transobturator tape procedure. No relationship was demonstrated between postoperative success rates and VLPP.

A instabilidade da Democracia nos países latino‑americanos tem sido atribuída à tensão entre valores típicos de regimes ditatoriais e valores típicos de regimes democráticos. Contudo, poucos estudos analisam as relações simultâneas entre o conjunto dos sistemas de valores e as atitudes democráticas das pessoas. Este artigo submete a teste um modelo sobre essas relações. O modelo foi testado num estudo (N = 300) em que foram aplicados o Questionário de Valores Psicossociais e a Escala de Atitudes em Relação à Democracia. Os resultados de um modelo de equações estruturais mostram a organização dos valores em quatro sistemas: pós‑materialista; religioso; hedonista; materialista. Os dados revelam ainda que o sistema materialista prediz uma atitude negativa em relação à democracia e o sistema pós‑materialista relaciona‑se positivamente com essa mesma atitude. A discussão focou‑se na comparação entre estes resultados e os obtidos em estudos anteriores.

The instability of Latin American countries’ democracy has been attributed to the tension between typical values of the non‑democratic and democratic regimes. However, few studies analyse the simultaneous relations between the set of value systems and people’s democratic attitudes. This study examines the goodness of fit of a model on these relations. The model was tested on a survey (N = 300) on which were applied the Questionnaire for Psychosocial Values and the Scale of Attitudes towards Democracy. The results of a structural equations model show an organization of values into four systems: post‑materialist; religious; hedonist; materialist. Furthermore, the results also indicate that the adhesion to materialist system predicts a negative attitude toward democracy and the adhesion to pos‑materialist values predicts a negative one. The discussion focuses on the comparison between these results and those obtained in previous studies.

Com base no modelo da análise quantitativa das representações sociais, o estudo (N = 300) tratou do posicionamento de estudantes universitários em relação aos Direitos Humanos (DHs) e à ancoragem social desse posicionamento nos sistemas de valores dos estudantes. Os resultados mostram que as representações dos estudantes sobre o envolvimento nos DHs envolvem quatro princípios organizadores: pessoal-abstrato; pessoal-concreto; governamental-abstrato; governamental-concreto. Em relação à ancoragem social dos princípios organizadores do envolvimento nos DHs, observou-se que os valores pós-materialistas se relacionaram positivamente com o envolvimento pessoal-abstrato, enquanto a adesão aos valores religiosos implicou maior envolvimento no princípio pessoal-concreto. Além disso, a adesão aos valores materialistas levou a uma avaliação mais positiva do envolvimento do Governo Brasileiro nos DHs, ao passo que os valores pós-materialistas contribuíram com uma avaliação mais crítica desse governo. As discussões abordam a centralidade dos valores na formação das representações sociais dos DHs.

Based on the quantitative analysis model of social representations, a study (N=300) was carried out concerning the opinion of university students on Human Rights (HR), and the social link of this positioning in the students system of values. The results show that the students representations of the involvement in HR comprise four organizing principles: personal-abstract; personal-concrete; governmental-abstract; governmental-concrete. With regard to the social anchorage of the organizing principles of involvement in HR, it has been observed that post-materialist values were positively related to the involvement personal-abstract, whereas adherence to religious values implied a greater involvement in the personal-concrete principle. In addition, adherence to materialist values led to a more positive appraisal of the Brazilian Government involvement in HR, while the post-materialist contributed to a more critical evaluation of the Government. These results are discussed stressing the core of social values in the formation of HR social representations.