A identificação do arranjo de plantas que resulte em menor competição intraespecífica permite melhor aproveitamento dos recursos disponíveis para o crescimento e rendimento de grãos da soja. O experimento foi conduzido na Estação Experimental Agronômica da UFRGS em Eldorado do Sul, RS, na estação de crescimento 2000/01, objetivando avaliar como o arranjo de plantas de soja modifica a competição intraespecífica e de que forma isto se reflete no rendimento de grãos e seus componentes. Utilizou-se a cultivar BRS 137 (semiprecoce, determinada) em semeadura direta. O delineamento experimental foi de blocos casualizados com parcelas sub-subdivididas e quatro repetições. Os tratamentos constaram de dois regimes hídricos (irrigado e não irrigado); dois espaçamentos entre linhas (20 e 40cm), e três populações de plantas (20, 30 e 40 plantas.m -2 ). O rendimento de grãos foi afetado pela irrigação e pela interação espaçamento e população. O tratamento irrigado (5015kg.ha -1 ) apresentou rendimento de grãos 18% superior ao não irrigado (4253kg.ha -1 ). A maior taxa de enchimento de grãos (TEG), que resultou no maior peso do grão, explica o maior rendimento obtido no tratamento irrigado. O arranjo de plantas que proporcionou maior rendimento de grãos foi a associação do espaçamento de 20 cm com a população de 20 plantas.m -2 , obtendo-se 5014kg.ha -1 em comparação a 4322kg.ha -1 em 40cm de espaçamento. Houve decréscimo linear no rendimento com o aumento da população de plantas no espaçamento reduzido (20cm). Estes resultados são conseqüência do maior número de ramos, nós férteis e de legumes férteis.m -2 obtidos. O arranjo com 20cm de espaçamento e 20 plantas.m -2 amenizou a competição intraespecífica, resultando em maior rendimento de grãos.Palavras-chave: Glycine max, espaçamento, população, arranjo espacial. ABSTRACTPlant arrangement that decrease interplant competition can improve soybean growth and yield by better use of resources. The experiment was performed at the Agronomic Experimental Station of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, in Eldorado do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, in the 2000/01 growing season. The objectives were to evaluate how soybean plant arrangement modify the interplant competition and the effect in grain yield and yield components. The cultivar tested was BRS 137(early, determinate), in no-till planting. The treatments were arranged in a split-plot randomized complete-block design,whith four replications. The treatments tested were two water availability (with and without irrigation) , two row spacing (20 and 40cm) and three population levels (20, 30 and 40 plants.m -2 ). The grain yield was affected by irrigation and by the interaction of row spacing and population. The irigated treatment (5015kg.ha -1 ) had grain yield 18% higher than the non irigated (4253kg.ha -1 ). The larger grain filling rate (GFR), resulted in larger seed weight, and explain, the greater yield in the irrigated treatment. The plant arrangemnt of 20 cm row spacing with the population of 20 plantas.m -2 provi...

IntroductionA number of genetic-association studies have identified genes contributing to ankylosing spondylitis (AS) susceptibility but such approaches provide little information as to the gene activity changes occurring during the disease process. Transcriptional profiling generates a 'snapshot' of the sampled cells' activity and thus can provide insights into the molecular processes driving the disease process. We undertook a whole-genome microarray approach to identify candidate genes associated with AS and validated these gene-expression changes in a larger sample cohort.MethodsA total of 18 active AS patients, classified according to the New York criteria, and 18 gender- and age-matched controls were profiled using Illumina HT-12 whole-genome expression BeadChips which carry cDNAs for 48,000 genes and transcripts. Class comparison analysis identified a number of differentially expressed candidate genes. These candidate genes were then validated in a larger cohort using qPCR-based TaqMan low density arrays (TLDAs).ResultsA total of 239 probes corresponding to 221 genes were identified as being significantly different between patients and controls with a P-value <0.0005 (80% confidence level of false discovery rate). Forty-seven genes were then selected for validation studies, using the TLDAs. Thirteen of these genes were validated in the second patient cohort with 12 downregulated 1.3- to 2-fold and only 1 upregulated (1.6-fold). Among a number of identified genes with well-documented inflammatory roles we also validated genes that might be of great interest to the understanding of AS progression such as SPOCK2 (osteonectin) and EP300, which modulate cartilage and bone metabolism.ConclusionsWe have validated a gene expression signature for AS from whole blood and identified strong candidate genes that may play roles in both the inflammatory and joint destruction aspects of the disease.

Since soybean [Glycine max (L) Merr.] acreage continues to increase in the higher latitudes of the world the objective was to obtain agronomic information on the effect of inter and intra‐row spacings on several of the most widely grown, early cultivars in America. Ten soybean cultivars differing in maturity (Group 0 through II) and growth characteristies were grown in two row spacings (27‐cm and 76‐cm) and varying populations (132,000 to 741,000 plants/ha) for 3 years in field trials on Typic Arguidolls fine silty; mixed mesic soil near Madison, Wis. Planting soybeans in 27‐cm rows vs. more conventional 76‐cm rows showed an average seed yield increase of 21% over all years, populations, and cultivars. All cultivars produced higher seed yields in narrow row spacings. The three early cultivars (Group O Maturity) generally exhibited a greater yield response (+27%) to narrow row spacings than did cultivars in Maturity Groups I and II (+19%). However, the later maturing cultivars generally produced the highest yields over all row spacings, plant populations and years. Varying the intra‐row plant spacing did not significantly affect seed yields. Increasing plant populations decreased the number of branches per plant and increased lodging, seed weight, and LAI. While the LAI increased as plant population increased in both the narrow and wide rows, no correlation existed with grain yield. Increasing the plant population in each row spacing increased the height of the lower pod by a range of 40 to 50%. The availability of new varieties with improved lodging resistance and herbicides with greater selectivity may lead to an accelerated acceptance of narrow row soybean production systems to capitalize on the increased yield potential in the northern growing regions.

Over 1 year, we found no difference in effectiveness between adalimumab, etanercept and infliximab.