ABSTRACT Objective To compare the effects of the neutral protamine Hagedorn (NPH) recombinant human insulin formulations Gansulin and Humulin N® on the glycemic control of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Subjects and methods Prospective, double-blind, randomized, parallel, single-center study of 37 individuals with T2DM treated with NPH insulin formulations. The Tukey-Kramer test for multiple comparisons, the Wilcoxon paired comparison test and the Chi-Square test were used for the statistical analyses. The significance level was set at 5% (p < 0.05). Results The NPH insulin formulations Humulin and Gansulin similarly reduced the HbA1c levels observed at the end of the study compared with the values obtained at the beginning of the study. In the Humulin group, the initial HbA1c value of 7.91% was reduced to 6.56% (p < 0.001), whereas in the Gansulin group, the reduction was from 8.18% to 6.65% (p < 0.001). At the end of the study, there was no significant difference between the levels of glycated hemoglobin (p = 0.2410), fasting plasma glucose (FG; p = 0.9257) and bedtime plasma glucose (BG; p = 0.3906) between the two insulin formulations. There was no nt difference in the number of hypoglycemic events between the two insulin formulations, and no severe hyp episodes were recorded. Conclusion This study demonstrated similar glycemic control by NPH insulin Gansulin compared with human insulin Humulin N® in patients with T2DM.

The production of bioethanol from pretreated lignocellulosic materials requires the utilization of microorganisms adapted to ferment the materials in conditions were high consistency, temperatures and inhibitors concentrations were commonly found. The yeast immobilization in calcium alginate capsules has been reported to enhance the yeast protection and increase the efficiency in the fermentation process. In this work, it was investigated the use Saccharomyces cerevisiae immobilized in calcium alginate and its performance in simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of diluted-acid-pretreated Pinus radiata. Results showed that when immobilized yeast was used, the bioethanol yield from pretreated wood was higher than with free yeast cells during a SSF process. Maximum ethanol yield obtained from the acid pretreated and milled wood chips was 153 L/ton wood, while from the hydrolysate fraction it was 18 L/ton wood. The sum of ethanol produced from dilute acid pretreated P. radiata for both solid and liquid fractions was 171 L ethanol/ton wood from a maximum theoretical of 236 L/ ton pretretated wood (or 72% of conversion).

O glioblastoma, um tumor anaplásico de linhagem astrocitária, é o mais freqüente tumor cerebral. Localiza-se preferencialmente nos hemisférios cerebrais; seu crescimento primário no cone medular é muito raro, e o manejo e prognóstico deste tipo de lesão são distintos dos outros tumores observados nesta localização. Apresentamos o caso de um homem de 39 anos com tumor intramedular com diagnóstico histo-patológico de glioblastoma.

Glioblastomas are the most common type of brain tumors; astrocytic in their origin, they are anaplastic tumors, and are located mainly in the cerebral hemispheres. Primary growth in the conus medullaris is very rare, and the assessment and prognosis of this kind of tumor are distinct and unique. We present here the case of a 39 years-old man with an intramedullary tumor of the spinal cord, with an histo pathological diagnosis of glioblastoma, along with some therapeutic considerations.

São relatados os dados de ensaio de competição entre 16 cultivares de alho-porro (Allium porrum L.) procedentes da Europa e dos Estados Unidos da América do Norte, instalado em Campinas, em solo de formação glacial. O objetivo do experimento foi verificar o comportamento das variedades para o consumo in natura e para a indústria. Destacaram-se pela produção para consumo in natura as variedades I-3346 (Monstrueux D'Elbeuf) e I-3353 (Long de Nice), respectivamente com 3,8 e 3,3 kg/m², seguindo-se I-3351 (Monstrueux de Carentan), I-3460 (Doubouchet), I-3458 (Dubouchet de outra procedência) e I-3418 (Large American Flag) com 2,9 kg/m². Para indústrias, destacaram-se pelos maiores rendimentos as variedades I-3350 (Gros Long D'Été), com 12,9%, I-3353 (Long de Nice), com 12,2%, seguindo-se I-3351 (Monstrueux de Carentan), I-3458 (Dubouchet), I-3355 (Longo de Talos Grossos) e I-3349 (Bleu de Solaise). Não foi encontrada relação entre a produtividade (pêso do material in natura) e o rendimento em pó.

Varieties of leek (Allium porrum L.), have already been sudied by the Seção de Olericultura of the Instituto Agronômico, using seeds imported from countries other than Brazil in view of leek not producing under our climatic conditions. Up to 1961, leek was cultivated in the State of São Paulo, only for fresh market because of the small demand. During the last years, its culture is growing more and more on account of the compensating prices reached on the market, the demand being high from important industries which devote themselves to the preparation of dry soups and flavours. In this paper data are given which were obtained from an experiment of competition with 16 varieties proceeding from Europe and the United States. It was installed in 1963 at the Central Experiment Station, in Campinas, on an area where the soil is of Glacial formation. The purpose of this trial was to determine which varieties are best for fresh market or for the industry. Among the 16 varieties were best for fresh market: Monstrueux D'Elbeuf (I-3346, yielding 3.8 kg per square meter, I-3353, Long de Nice with 3.3 kg/sq.m., seeds imported from Vilmorin-Andrieux S. A., France. Followed by - Monstrueux de Carentan I-3351, Dubouchet I-3460, wiht 3.0 kg/sq.m., from the same Seed Company, Dubouchet I-3458, supplied by the Companhia Industrial e Comercial Brasileira de Produtos Alimentares, and Large American Flag I-3418 from the Asgrow Seed Company yielding 2.9 kg/sq.m. For the industry purpose the following were best: Gros Long D'Eté I-3350, with 12.9% of dry matter, Long de Nice I-3353 with 12.2%, the two from the Vilmorin-Andrieux S. A. Followed by Monstrueux de Carentan I-3351, 11.9% from that same Seed Company, Dubouchet I-3458, 11.5% supplied by Companhia Industrial e Comercial Brasileira de Produtos Alimentares, Longo de Talos Grossos I-3353, from Casa Corradini de Sementes, São Paulo, 11.4% and Bleu de Solaise I-3349 from France, 11.2%. Considering the studies carried out, there was no relation found between the productivity-weight of the vegetable for fresh market and the percentage of dry matter.

Sementes de melancia (Citrullus vulgaris Schrad.) dos cultivares «Charleston Gray» e «Yamato Satô» foram conservadas em ambientes que diferiam entre si na umidade e na temperatura. Os resultados dos testes de germinação mostraram que as sementes perderam o poder germinativo com rapidez, quando conservadas em ambientes de alta umidade e temperatura elevada, cêrca de 30°C. Queda menos pronunciada foi observada quando se baixou a temperatura para 20ºC. Reduzindo-se apenas a umidade do ar, as sementes conservaram muito bem o poder germinativo até o final do ensaio. Quando, porém, tais sementes foram mantidas em baixas condições de umidade e temperatura, a capacidade germinativa conservou-se inalterada, ao longo dos dezoito meses de observações.

The viability of watermelon seeds kept under different storage conditions, was studied during a period of 18 months. The experimental results presented in this paper drew the following conclusions: 1) Complete viability at the end of 18 months was obtained for seeds stored at 20°C and at relative humidity of 45%. 2) At this same temperature, the longevity of the seeds decreased with the increasing of relative humidity. 3) Seeds kept at 30°C, even in low relative humidity condition, lost their viability in a short time. 4) The seeds of watermelon stored in airtight containers at room temperature, kept their viability well for 12 months, after which time it decreased considerably.