ABSTRACT:The increase in food consumption and limitations in food production areas requires improved fertilizer efficiency. Slow-or controlled-release fertilizers are an alternative for synchronizing nutrient availability with the plant demands, reducing losses to the environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of polymer-coated KCl compared with conventional KCl. The products were incubated in soil under controlled conditions to evaluate the time required for nutrient release. A greenhouse experiment was performed with corn plants in pots with loamy sand-or clay-textured soil types to evaluate plant nutrition and losses due to leaching. The K application rates were 0, 18, 36, and 54 mg dm . The pots were irrigated, and the percolated liquid was collected. The plants were harvested 30 days after sowing to quantify dry matter (DM) and its K content. In the incubation study, the K release from the coated fertilizer was found to be 42 % over 154 days. The data were fit to a linear function from which a period of 315 days was estimated as required for the release of 75 % of the nutrient. Meanwhile, conventional KCl releases 85 % of the K nutrient in the first 48h. In the cultivation of plants in pots, the coating reduced K losses due to leaching in the loamy sand soil; however, only the application rate of 54 mg dm -3 promoted DM production equivalent to conventional KCl. It is possible that the need for K in the early stages of corn development was not met by a coated KCl.

O setor de serviços vem apresentando um rápido crescimento na economia mundial, o que tem feito com que as empresas busquem se manter competitivas eliminando desperdícios e reduzindo custos, além de estar otimizando seus processos. A utilização de técnicas e ferramentas da produção enxuta, que até então eram exclusivas das manufaturas, vêm crescendo rapidamente em empresas de serviços como, por exemplo, no setor da saúde. Desenvolver um fluxo enxuto de valor expõe as fontes dos desperdícios, significando que as pessoas em todas as funções do negócio podem ter que mudar os seus hábitos. O presente artigo visa diagnosticar a aplicabilidade dos princípios da produção enxuta em uma empresa prestadora de serviços de saúde, analisando as possibilidades de melhorias e de utilização de princípios enxutos nos processos existentes através do mapeamento do processo. Constata-se que é promissora a adaptação da produção enxuta para incrementar a qualidade e o desempenho do setor de serviços.

Testis-mediated gene transfer (TMGT) has been used as in vivo gene transfer technology to introduce foreign DNA directly into testes, allowing mass gene transfer to offspring via mating. In this study, we used plasmid DNA (pEGFP-N1) mixed with dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA) or liposome (Lipofectin) in an attempt to improve TMGT. Males receiving consecutive DNA complex injections were mated to normal females to obtain F0 progeny. In vivo evaluation of EGFP expression, RT-PCR and PCR were used to detect the expression and the presence of exogenous DNA in the progeny. We also evaluated possible testicular damage by histological procedures. PCR and RT-PCR analyses revealed that liposome and DMSO increased the rate of TMGT. Histological analyses demonstrated that repeated (4 times) injections of DNA complexes can affect spermatogenesis. DMSO was the most deleterious among the reagents tested. In this study, we detected the presence of transgene in the progeny, and its expression in blood cells. Consecutive injections of DNA complexes were associated with impaired spermatogenesis, suggesting requirement of optimal conditions for DNA delivery through TMGT.

SUMMARYOne of the largest strawberry-producing municipalities of Rio Grande do Sul (RS) is Turuçu, in the South of the State. The strawberry production system adopted by farmers is similar to that used in other regions in Brazil and in the world. The main difference is related to the soil management, which can change the soil chemical properties during the strawberry cycle. This study had the objective of assessing the spatial and temporal distribution of soil fertility parameters using principal component analysis (PCA). Soil sampling was based on topography, dividing the field in three thirds: upper, middle and lower. From each of these thirds, five soil samples were randomly collected in the 0-0.20 m layer, to form a composite sample for each third. Four samples were taken during the strawberry cycle and the following properties were determined: soil organic matter (OM), soil total nitrogen (N), available phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), exchangeable calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg), soil pH (pH), cation exchange capacity (CEC) at pH 7.0, soil base (V%) and soil aluminum saturation(m%). No spatial variation was observed for any of the studied soil fertility parameters in the strawberry fields and temporal variation was only detected for available K. Phosphorus and K contents were always high or very high from the beginning of the strawberry cycle, while pH values ranged from very low to very high. Principal component analysis allowed the clustering of all strawberry fields based on variables related to soil acidity and organic matter content.Index terms: Fragaria x ananassa Duch, soil fertility, multivariate analysis, temporal variability.(