RESUMO Objetivou-se avaliar propriedades físicas de grãos de genótipos de feijão-caupi. O estudo foi conduzido no Laboratório de Armazenamento e Beneficiamento de Grãos e Sementes no Instituto Federal do Norte de Minas Gerais, em Januária, MG. Os tratamentos utilizados foram 17 linhagens-elite e 11 cultivares de grãos de feijão-caupi. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições. As características avaliadas foram a densidade aparente, ângulo de repouso, massa de 1.000 grãos, forma (esfericidade e circularidade), tamanho (área projetada) dos grãos, teor de água e porosidade da massa de grãos. Os genótipos conferem diferentes tamanhos aos grãos de feijão-caupi, o que influencia na variação da densidade aparente, ângulo de repouso e massa de mil grãos. Não houve diferença estatística entre as médias para as variáveis teor de água e porosidade da massa, entre os genótipos avaliados.

ABSTRACT The present study aimed to evaluate the physical properties of cowpea genotypes grains. The study was conducted at the Laboratory for Storage and Processing of Grains and Seeds at the North Federal Institute of Minas Gerais (IFNMG) in Januária, MG, Brazil. The treatments were composed of 17 elite lines and 11 cultivars of cowpea. The experimental design was in randomized blocks with four replicates. The properties evaluated were bulk density, angle of repose, 1000-grain weight, shape (sphericity and circularity), size (projected area) of the grains, water content, and porosity of the grain mass. The genotypes give different sizes to cowpea beans, which influences the variation of bulk density, angle of repose, and 1000-grain weight. There was no statistical difference among the cowpea genotypes evaluated for water content and mass porosity.

ABSTRACT The Ipubi Formation represents the Aptian-Albian siliciclastic-evaporitic succession of Araripe Basin, NE Brazil. This succession comprises siliciclastic rocks (bituminous shales and claystones) and evaporites (gypsum and secondary anhydrite) and represents part of the lacustrine-shallow marine post-rift phase I. This study used sequence stratigraphy concepts to define the relations between changes in the relative lake level and the formation of Ipubi deposits. Results show that the organic-rich shales of the Ipubi Formation formed during a transgressive pulse that covered large areas of the proximal domains. These deposits overlie a regional unconformity that marks the end of the deposition of the underlying Crato Formation. A High Stand stage that followed the transgression influenced the formation of evaporitic deposits. Climate conditions played a major role in influencing the triggering and stopping of evaporite deposition. Thus, a new relative lake level fall event caused the exposure of the Ipubi Formation deposits, and created another regional subaerial unconformity accompanied by widespread karstification of evaporite beds. A posterior transgression caused the deposition of siliciclastic rocks of the Romualdo Formation over the Ipubi Formation strata, and also promoted a new event of karstification of the Ipubi upper evaporite beds.

ABSTRACT The Pernambuco Basin represents one of the most prominent regions for deep water oil and gas exploration off the Brazilian coast. This study aims to identify and describe the occurrence of carbonate buildups in the offshore regions of the basin. The study was based on an analysis of a set of 143 2D time-migrated seismic sections that cover the offshore region of the Pernambuco Basin. An interpretation of the seismic dataset was used to define the main seismic sequences related to the main regional pulses of deposition and to identify three main groups of carbonate buildups: 1) shelf margin reefs, 2) patch reefs, and 3) isolated carbonate buildups. The carbonate buildups formed in two main intervals during post-rift sequences of the Santonian-Maastrichtian and Paleocene-Middle Miocene, which extend the known periods of carbonate deposit formation in the basin. The formation of carbonate buildups was controlled by the tectonic evolution of the Pernambuco Plateau, which created a series of paleotopographic highs that enabled the establishment of oceanographically and climatically favorable conditions for carbonate formation and deposition. These findings are important for understanding the evolution of the basin and for future evaluations of its petroleum potential.

A Formação La Silla (Neo Cambriano-Neo Tremadociano) é formada por depósitos carbonáticos da região da Pré-Cordilheira leste, Argentina. As faciologias encontradas em tais depósitos indicam um ambiente de deposição caracterizado por uma plataforma rasa. Até o momento, nenhum estudo tratou especificamente da evolução diagenética dessas rochas. O presente estudo envolve as características e distribuição da silicificação que afeta esta formação e apresenta os diferentes estágios diagenéticos ocorridos, através de análises petrográficas (auxiliadas por catodoluminescência) e estratigráficas. Foi identificado um pulso precoce de silicificação, anterior ao processo de compactação das rochas afetadas. Esta silicificação foi favorecida pela presença de água do mar rica em sílica em contato com sedimentos porosos e permeáveis. Também foi identificado um pulso de silicificação tardia, associado a eventos de fraturamento das rochas. O conhecimento adquirido sobre as características e a distribuição da silicificação nestes depósitos carbonáticos é importante, especialmente quando se considera que a Formação La Silla, na Província de San Juan, é a formação mais minerada para a produção de calcário.

The late Cambrian - late Tremadocian La Silla Formation is a carbonate unit of the eastern Precordillera in Argentina whose facies indicate a shallow platform environment. Until this moment, there were no studies that referred to the diagenetic evolution of these rocks. The present study involves the characteristics and distribution of the silicification that affects this unit and determines its different diagenetic stages through petrographic (with cathodoluminescence support) and stratigraphic analyses. An early diagenetic chert, in a stage previous to the compactation, was observed. This chert is related to silica-rich seawater in contact with permeable and porous sediments. A later pulse of chert, associated with fracturing, also occurs. The knowledge provided by the characteristics and distribution of chert in these carbonates is significant, especially when considering that the La Silla Formation in San Juan province is the most quarried unit for the elaboration of lime.

Late-onset sepsis (LOS) (i.e., sepsis in a neonate after 72 hours of life) is associated with high mortality and significantly prolonged antibiotic exposure and hospital stay in neonates admitted to intensive care units (ICU). In this study, we assessed the reliability of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) as a determinant of antimicrobial treatment duration of LOS. From January 1996 to December 2002, all consecutive infants aged <28 days admitted to a single medical-surgical ICU and diagnosed with primary LOS were enrolled in a prospective, intervention trial with historical controls. Only blood culture-positive LOSs were included. Exclusion criteria were: age >28 days at diagnosis of LOS, development of site-specific infection, and central venous catheter-related LOS. From January 1996 to July 1998 (historical control group), antimicrobial treatment of LOS was offered for at least 14 days. From August 1998 to December 2002 (intervention group), neonates underwent serial semiquantitative measurements of serum CRP, and antimicrobial treatment was discontinued when CRP was <12 mg/L. Primary efficacy endpoint was the duration of antimicrobial therapy. Secondary efficacy endpoints were the proportion of relapsing sepsis within 72 hours of antibiotic withdrawal and the overall mortality rate. The historical control group comprised 76 neonates developing 85 episodes of LOS; 138 LOS occurring in 120 patients comprised the intervention group. Length of antimicrobial treatment of LOS was significantly shorter during the second study period (16 days vs. 9 days, p<0.001). Secondary efficacy endpoints showed similar rates of relapsing sepsis and overall mortality in both time periods.

Com o objetivo de avaliar doses e formas de aplicação de nitrogênio (solo e via foliar) na cultura da batata-doce, cultivar Rainha Branca instalou-se um experimento em condições de campo no período de julho a novembro/2003, no Centro de Ciências Agrárias da UFPB, em Areia, em um NEOSSOLO REGOLÍTICO Psamítico típico. O delineamento experimental constou de blocos casualizados, em esquema fatorial 50x2, compreendendo cinco doses de N (0, 50, 100, 150 e 200 kg ha-1) e duas formas de aplicação (solo e via foliar), em quatro repetições. Utilizaram-se parcelas úteis com 28 plantas espaçadas de 0,80x0,30 m. As produtividades total e não-comercial de raízes aumentaram linearmente com elevação das doses de N aplicadas no solo, ocorrendo aumento de aproximadamente 45,52 e 12,64 kg ha-1, respectivamente a cada quilograma de N adicionado. A produtividade de raízes comerciais em função das doses de N aplicadas no solo, atingiu valor máximo estimado de 19155 kg ha-1 com o emprego da dose de 154 kg ha-1 de N, enquanto que as produtividades total, comercial e não-comercial de raízes não foram influenciadas significativamente pelas doses de N aplicadas via foliar, com médias de 13800, 12600 e 1200 kg ha-1, respectivamente. A dose mais econômica de N aplicada no solo para a produção de raízes comerciais foi de 144 kg ha-1, com rendimento estimado de 19123 kg ha-1 de raízes. O nitrogênio fornecido no solo foi mais eficiente para a batata-doce expressar sua capacidade máxima de rendimento de raízes comerciais, com incremento de 6555 kg ha-1, em relação a sua aplicação via foliar.

With the objective of evaluating the levels and application forms of nitrogen (soil and leaves) in the sweet potato Rainha Branca cv. an experiment was carried out from July to November/2003, in the Centro of Ciências Agrárias from Universidade Federal of Paraíba, Areia, Brazil, in Quartz Psamment soil. The experimental design was randomized blocks, in a factorial scheme 5x2, with five levels of N (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 kg ha-1), tow applications forms (soil and by foliating), in four replications. The plots with 28 plants, spaced at 0.80x0.30cm. The total and uncommercial yield of roots increased linearly in function of the levels of N applied in the soil, corresponding approximately to 45.52 and 12.64 kg ha-1, respectively to each kilogram of N. The commercial yield in function of the N levels applied in the soil, reached the maximum value of 19255 kg ha-1 with 154 kg ha-1 of N. The total, commercial and uncommercial roots yields obtained in function of the N levels applied to the leaves did not suffer significant changes with rates of 13800, 12600 and 1200 kg ha-1, respectively. The most economical N level applied in the soil related to commercial roots yield was 144 kg ha-1, with roots estimated yield of 19123 kg ha-1. The nitrogen supplied in the soil was more efficient for the sweet potato to express its maximum commercial roots yield, with increment of 6555 kg ha-1, when compared to the leaves application.

Estudos que visem o aumento do rendimento e da qualidade de raízes da batata-doce, podem se constituir em importantes ferramentas para melhorar a condição sócio-econômica da região Nordeste, pelo fato desta ser uma das hortaliças de grande importância nessa região. Com o objetivo de avaliar o efeito de níveis de uréia no rendimento e qualidade de raízes comerciais de batata-doce, cultivar Rainha Branca, instalou-se um experimento de julho a novembro/2003, na UFPB, em Areia. O delineamento experimental foi blocos casualizados com cinco tratamentos (0; 115; 230; 345 e 460 kg ha-1) de uréia, em adubação de cobertura aos 30 e 60 dias após o plantio, em quatro repetições. Utilizaram-se parcelas úteis com 28 plantas, espaçadas de 0,80 x 0,30 m. A produção de raízes comerciais em função dos níveis de uréia, atingiu valor máximo estimado de 18,8 t ha-1, no nível de 339 kg ha-1 de uréia, superando a produtividade média nacional de raízes comerciais, em 8,8 t ha-1. O teor de glicose (açúcares redutores), nas raízes da batata-doce, aumentou em função dos níveis de uréia, até o nível de 187 kg ha-1, com teor máximo de 8,7%. O teor de amido foi reduzido com a elevação dos níveis de uréia, com percentual mínimo de 57% no nível de 460 kg ha-1. Contudo, o teor mínimo de amido situou-se dentro da faixa definida para a espécie.

Studies with the objective of increasing yield and quality of sweet potato roots, could be an important tool to improve the socio economic condition in the northeastern area of Brazil, due to the importance of this vegetable in that area. The present work was done to evaluate the effect of urea levels on yield and quality of sweet potato cultivar Rainha Branca. The experiment was conduced from July to November/2003, in Paraíba State, Brazil. The experimental design was of randomized blocks with five treatments (0; 115; 230; 345 and 460 kg ha-1 of urea), in cover fertilization at 30 and 60 days after planting date, in four replications. Plots with 28 plants, spaced 0,80 x 0,30 m apart were used. Commercial root yield of 18.8 t ha-1 was obtained when 339 kg ha-1of urea were employed, a much better result compared to the national average of 8.8 t ha-1of commercial roots The glucose level (reducing sugars) on the sweet potato roots, increased with the increase of the urea levels, up to 187 kg ha-1of urea with a maximum of 8.7% of glucose. Starch level was reduced with increasing urea levels, with minimum percent of 57% at the level of 460 kg ha-1. However, the starch minimum level was within the range defined for this species.