RESUMO Com o objetivo de avaliar a biomassa e a extração de nutrientes por plantas de cobertura no Agreste de Alagoas, implantou-se um experimento no campo experimental da Universidade Federal de Alagoas - Campus Arapiraca. O delineamento experimental adotado foi em blocos casualizados, com oito tratamentos e quatro repetições. Os tratamentos foram: Crotalaria juncea, Crotalaria spectabilis, Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp., Cajanus cajan, Canavalia ensiforme, Dolichos lablab, Mucuna aterrima e a vegetação espontânea local (testemunha). A matéria verde foi avaliada em uma área de 1 m2 no florescimento de cada espécie sendo, em seguida, a biomassa secada em estufa a 65 ºC até atingir massa constante para obter a matéria seca, em que foram extraídos os teores de macro e micronutrientes. As leguminosas apresentaram potencial para uso como adubo verde na região Agreste de Alagoas, além de teores de N superiores aos da vegetação espontânea não sendo diferentes entre si no acúmulo de P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Mn e Zn. A vegetação espontânea foi semelhante às leguminosas na produção de matéria seca. Dentre os tratamentos o Cajanus cajan arbóreo apresentou maior produção de matéria seca e acúmulo de N na parte aérea.

Acute Chagas disease (ACD) has a distinct epidemiological profile in the Amazon Region, with cases and outbreaks of Trypanosoma cruzi infection being possibly related to the ingestion of contaminated food. Data on ACD in the state of Pará retrieved from 2000 to 2016 from the Brazilian Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN) were evaluated. During this period, 2,030 of the 16,807 reported cases were confirmed, with a higher incidence between the months of August and December, thus characterising a seasonal pattern of acute infection, and coinciding with the higher production of “açaí”, one fruit likely involved in the oral transmission of the disease. Evaluation of the absolute numbers of confirmed ACD cases secondary to oral infection suggests that infection through this route increased during the 2010-2016 period, differing from what was recorded in terms of vectorial or other infection routes. These findings point to the need of intensifying strategies to prevent or substantially reduce oral transmission.

Potassium contained in sugarcane straw quickly returns to the soil in a form readily available to crops. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of potassium on the nutritional status and grain yield of peanutscultivated in succession with sugarcane harvested without burning. The experiment was installed in Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil, in Dystrophic Red Latosolcultivated with the peanut crop, variety Runner IAC 886. The treatments consisted of the application of 30, 60, 90 and 120 kg ha-1 of K 2 O and a control (no potassium). The experimental design adopted consisted of randomized blocks with five replications. Parameters evaluated were height, diameter, number of leaves, nutritional status for potassium and grain yield. Potassium resulted in a significant increase in the number of leaves and height, K contents (50-70 g kg-1) and grain yield, obtaining 2790 kg ha-1 at a dose of 120 kg ha-1. The sugarcane straw alone is not sufficient to meet the nutritional needs of peanuts planted in succession with sugarcane, where application of potassium fertilizer is necessary to obtain high yields.Potassium fertilization improved the nutritional status and was reflected in the increased production of grains of peanuts grown in rotation with sugarcane, especially at the dose of 120 kg ha-1 K 2 O.

Biological damage caused by macronutrient deficiency in watermelon plants is still not known, and may lead to nutritional disorders and alterations in absorption and utilization efficiencies, depending on the evaluated nutrient. In this context, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the growth and nutritional efficiency of watermelon plants grown under macronutrient deficiencies. The experiments were carried out in pots containing an aerated nutrient solution. Treatments consisted of the nutrient solution containing (control) or lacking nitrogen (LN), phosphorus (LP), potassium (LK), calcium (LCa), magnesium (LMg), and sulfur (LS), in a completely randomized design with three replications. At the end of the experiment with the onset of symptoms of deficiency, plant growth, green color index, nutrient accumulation, nutrient uptake, nutrient utilization efficiency, root density, and foliar deficiency symptoms were evaluated. P, K, Ca, Mg, and S deficiencies increased plant utilization efficiency and can potentiate watermelon development in environments deficient in these nutrients. The opposite was observed concerning nitrogen deficiency, because this condition induced greater biological damage, with low utilization efficiency, indicating the sensitivity of this species in low N conditions.

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The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of potassium addition to the soil in first and second ratoon sugarcane cultures in a conservationist system. The experiment was conducted at the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil, in a Acriferric Red Latosol cultured with a IAC SP 93-3046 cane sugar variety after plant-cane cutting. The experiment involved five potassium treatments and four repetitions in randomized block design. The potassium (K) dosages were 27, 54, 108, and 162 kg K ha -1 , and a treatment without potassium. Six months after the start of the experiment, soil samples collected at 0-20 and 20-40 cm in depth were analyzed for K content. Four months after sprouting, plants were evaluated, by tiller numbers, height, diameter, technological analysis of stalks, and nutritional status. In the first ratoon, potassium fertilization increased stalk Downloaded by [University of Otago] at 10:46 17 July 2015 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT 2 diameters, increased potassium accumulation in the aerial parts, and increased stalk production.In the second ratoon, there was a water deficiency, and soil application of potassium did not influence plant growth, nutritional status, or production parameters. Application of potassium in cane sugar ratoons did not contribute to stalk technological quality.

Information on the nutritional status of plants enables adequate fertilisation management. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate how nutritional disorders alter the biological, nutritional and biochemical mechanisms of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica L.) plants grown under greenhouse conditions. A complete nutrient solution and omissions of macronutrients were tested in a completely randomised design with four replicates. Broccoli plants grown with the omission of N and Ca were the first of show deficiency symptoms and the greatest reduction in the net photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance, with evidently impaired plant growth and biomass. Omissions of macronutrients affected carbohydrate partitioning, and the content of soluble sugars significantly decreased by more 60% in response to Mg omission. With K omission, the contents of soluble sugars and starch increased in broccoli leaves by 40% and 60%, respectively. K transport increased in plants grown without Ca. S translocation decreased with the absence of any macronutrient in the nutrient solution. Deficiencies in the nutrients N, K, and Ca cause the most critical early damage in the photosynthetic apparatus and in the nutritional balance of broccoli plants, so attention should be given to replenishing these nutrients in plantations.

Objetivo: sintetizar evidências sobre o uso da simulação realística como mediadora do processo ensino-aprendizagem na formação de farmacêuticos. Métodos: Revisão sistemática e síntese narrativa. Resultados: Os achados evidenciam que o uso da simulação realística como mediadora do processo ensino-aprendizagem no âmbito da educação de profissionais farmacêuticos proporciona benefícios ao desempenho acadêmico, aperfeiçoando o processo ensino-aprendizagem, tornando-o facilitado, contribuindo para o desenvolvimento de competências e habilidades na prática farmacêutica. Conclusão: Há evidências de que o uso da simulação realística proporciona a melhoria na satisfação, desempenho e segurança com o processo ensino-aprendizagem; assim como, em termos de competências e habilidades, a melhoria da gestão técnica da assistência farmacêutica, da gestão clínica do medicamento, da prática do cuidado farmacêutico, da resolução de problemas relacionados com medicamentos e da empatia pelos pacientes enquanto relações interpessoais.