The use of specially designed wound dressings could be an important alternative to facilitate the healing process of wounds in the hyperglycemic state. Biocompatible dressings combining chitosan and alginate can speed up wound healing by modulating the inflammatory phase, stimulating fibroblast proliferation, and aiding in remodeling phases. However, this biomaterial has not yet been explored in chronic and acute lesions of diabetic patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of topical treatment with a chitosan-alginate membrane on acute skin wounds of hyperglycemic mice. Diabetes mellitus was induced by streptozotocin (60 mg · kg-1 · day-1 for 5 days, intraperitoneally) and the cutaneous wound was performed by removing the epidermis using a surgical punch. The results showed that after 10 days of treatment the chitosan and alginate membrane (CAM) group exhibited better organization of collagen fibers. High concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1β, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were detected in the first and second days of treatment. G-CSF and TNF-α level decreased after 5 days, as well as the concentrations of TNF-α and IL-10 compared with the control group (CG). In this study, the inflammatory phase of cutaneous lesions of hyperglycemic mice was modulated by the use of CAM, mostly regarding the cytokines IL-1α, IL-1β, TNF-α, G-CSF, and IL-10, resulting in better collagen III deposition. However, further studies are needed to better understand the healing stages associated with CAM use.

Abstract Exopolysaccharide (EPS) biopolymers produced by microorganisms play a crucial role in the environment such as health and bio-nanotechnology sectors, gelling agents in food and cosmetic industries in addition to bio-flocculants in the environmental sector as they are degradable, nontoxic. This study focuses on the improvement of EPS production through manipulation of different culture and environmental conditions using response surface methodology (RSM). Plackett-Burman design indicated that; molasses, yeast extract and incubation temperature are the most effective parameters. Box-Behnken RSM indicated that; the optimum concentration for each parameter was 12% (w/v) for molasses, 6 g/L yeast extract and 30 °C for incubation temperature. The most potent bacterial isolate was identified as Bacillus velezensis KY498625. After production, EPS was extracted, purified using DEAE-cellulose, identified using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The result indicated that; it has molecular weight 1.14 × 105 D consisting of glucose, mannose and galactose.

Os benefícios econômicos de diferentes estratégias de manejo de irrigação foram determinados por simulação de longo período (20 anos) para a cultura do feijoeiro iw Estado do Paraná, Brasil. O modelo BEANGRO foi usado para simular a produtividade e demanda de irrigação assumindo-se oito níveis críticos de extração de água no solo (20 a 90% da água disponível do solo (AD) em etapas de 10%), em adição a um nível sem irrigação. Renda líquida, utilizada como função objetivo para selecionar a melhor estratégia, foi calculada assumindo-se preços do produto como fixos ou variando estocasticamente. Os resultados mostraram um acréscimo significativo da produtividade devido a irrigação, porém observou-se uma alta variabilidade de resposta em todos os níveis simulados. A renda líquida foi também variável, porém positiva em 75% dos anos para todas as estratégias em que se manteve o solo acima de 30% AD. A estratégia de irrigar a cultura quando o solo atingir a 60% AD proporcionou o máximo retorno econômico. A renda líquida proporcionada com o uso desta estratégia Justifica a aplicação de irrigação em feijoeiro no Estado do Paraná.

The economical benefits of different irrigation strategies were assessed by long term simulation (20 years) for dry beans in Paraná, Brazil. The model BEANGRO was used to simulate crop yield and irrigation requirements assuming eight levels of irrigation threshold (20 to 90% of the remaining soil available water in steps of 10%), in addition to a level considering no irrigation. Net return was the objective function to select the optimum irrigation management strategy, assuming fixed and stochastic distributions of historical product price. The results showed that yield was significantly increased by irrigation despite a high variability for all the simulation strategies, due to variations on growth conditions over the years. Although the net return was highly variable, it was positive in 75% of the years for all strategies with threshold values higher than 30%. The strategy of irrigating the crop before the soil reaches 60% AW provided the maximum economical benefits. The high profit using this improved strategy justifies the practice of irrigation for beans in Paraná.

A qualidade da irrigação foi avaliada durante a safra de inverno do ano de 1988 na cultura do feijoeiro (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), irrigado por pivô central, em área de ocorrência de Latossolo Roxo (A moderado, textura argilosa a muito argilosa, distrófico), em Guaíra, SP. Os critérios utilizados para esta avaliação foram a eficiência do uso da água pela cultura e a efetividade da irrigação, esta última representada pela eficiência de aplicação da água, a uniformidade de distribuição da água sobre o solo e a eficiência de armazenagem da água no solo. O monitoramento das irrigações foi realizado através da instalação de 20 baterias de tensiômetros e 60 coletores de água de chuva e irrigação ao longo de uma transeção de 300 metros na direção radial do pivô. Os tensiômetros de cada bateria foram instalados a 15 cm e 30 cm de profundidade e espaçados entre si de 15 metros. Os coletores foram instalados a uma altura de 50 cm da superfície do terreno e distanciados entre si de 5 metros. O controle da irrigação foi feito com base na média ponderada dos 20 valores diários de potencial mátrico a 15 cm de profundidade, tendo como fator de ponderação a área representativa de cada tensiômetro. O valor mínimo de potencial mátrico estabelecido para a definição do momento da irrigação foi -0,06 MPa à profundidade de 15 cm e o valor da lâmina de água a ser aplicada em cada irrigação, calculado tendo-se em conta o valor de -0,008 MPa para o potencial mátrico a capacidade de campo. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que as irrigações efetuadas foram de alta qualidade uma vez que foram elevados os valores da eficiência de aplicação (80%) e dos coeficientes de uniformidade de distribuição (94 e 91%) calculados a partir das 16 irrigações acumuladas, o mesmo ocorrendo com a eficiência de armazenagem (95%) e a eficiência de uso da água (0,8 kg/m³).

The irrigation quality was evaluated for a center pivot winter bean (Phaseolus vulgaris, L) crop in a Typic Hapludox of the county of Guaíra (SP), Brazil (20° 27'30"S, 48°19'30"W, 495m). Criteria used for this evaluation were the crop water use efficiency and the irrigation "effectivity", the latter being assessed by the water application efficiency, the water distribution uniformity on the soil surface and the soil water storage efficiency. The irrigation monitoring was done by means of 20 sets of two tensiometers (15 and 30 cm soil depths) installed at each 15 m on a 300 m transect along the radial direction of the pivot, and 60 rain/irrigation gages installed at each 5 m on the same transect. The irrigation control was done by means of the 15 cm-soil depth tensiometers. The minimum matric potential value used to define the irrigation timing was -0,06 MPa and the water depth to be applied by the pivot was calculated taking into account the value of -0,008 MPa for the soil at field capacity. Results showed that irrigations were of high quality since high values of water application efficiency (80%) and water distribution uniformity coefficients (94% and 91%) were obtained, the same occurring with the soil water storage (95%) and crop water use (0,8 kg/m³) efficiencies.