Resumo Simulações climáticas para o clima presente (1960-2005) utilizando o Modelo Climático Regional Eta e o Modelo Hidrológico de Grandes Bacias (MGB), forçado com o Brazilian Earth System Model Ocean-Atmosphere (BESM-AO 2.5) foram realizadas. O objetivo deste trabalho é avaliar o desempenho do Modelo Regional Eta e o Modelo Hidrológico de Grandes Bacias (MGB) na representação dos componentes do balanço de água (precipitação, evapotranspiração, convergência de umidade, vazão, cota e área de inundação) sobre a bacia do rio Madeira. A característica de sumidouro de umidade (P > E) foi simulada pelo modelo regional. Entretanto, o modelo subestimou a precipitação (33%), a evapotranspiração (12%) e a convergência de umidade (6%). O MGB-IPH conseguiu representar o ciclo anual das vazões, níveis do rio (cota) e área de inundação. Também conseguiu reproduzir a translação e amplitude das ondas de cheia, e o atraso de 3 meses entre os máximos da área de inundação e a precipitação sobre a bacia do Madeira. O MGB-IPH mostrou-se uma ferramenta útil para estudos de variabilidade climática, mudanças no clima e no uso da terra, e também para sistemas operacionais de previsão hidrológica na bacia Amazônica.

Abstract Downscaling climate simulation for present climate (1960-2005) based on the Eta Regional Climate Model and MGB Large-scale Hydrological Model, forced by Brazilian Model of the Terrestrial System (BESM-AO 2.5), was carried out. The objective of this work is assessment the performance of the Eta regional model and MGB-IPH in the representation of the components of the water budget in Madeira River basin. The moisture sink characteristic (P> E) was simulated by the regional model. In the terrestrial branch, the MGB-IPH hydrological model was able to represent the annual cycle of discharge, water level and floodplain inundation. The performance of the hydrological model and the regional model was satisfactory in the simulation of the seasonal dynamics of hydrological processes and water budget in Madeira river basin, indicating that the hydrological model is a useful tool for studies of climatic variability, changes in climate and land use and for hydrological forecasting operational systems in the Amazon basin.

Much is said and written regarding alchemy all across the world, in what could be called a renaissance of alchemical studies. However, relatively little is done in terms of actual alchemical laboratory work. The aim of the project described herein was to show how crucial the development of technical alchemical practice was along the centuries, in the discovery of an immense number of substances, processes and operations, which were of paramount importance in the establishment of modern chemistry. Alchemy is often derided in many circles. On the contrary, for two thousand years it constituted the basis of humankind’s understanding of the material world and the changes undergone by compounds and materials. Here we present an experimental reconstitution of several alchemical discoveries of great importance, using old descriptions followed by modern characterizations. The results were often startling and demonstrated how ancient wisdom bore fruit in different ways, even in the absence of our present-day means of analysis.

O conhecimento da exigência nutricional de variedades de cana-de-açúcar é de grande importância para um manuseamento adequado da cultura, pois possibilita a escolha de variedades eficientes no que se refere à utilização de nutrientes, contribuindo para uma melhor utilização de fertilizantes e redução dos custos de produção. O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar a produtividade de colmos e a acumulação de azoto (N), fósforo (P), potássio (K), cálcio (Ca), magnésio (Mg), enxofre (S), ferro (Fe), zinco (Zn), cobre (Cu) e manganês (Mn) da biomassa da parte aérea de quatro variedades de cana-de-açúcar, RB867515, RB92579, SP813250 e VAT90212, nos ciclos de cana-planta, primeira e segunda rebrota. O delineamento experimental foi de blocos ao acaso com quatro tratamentos e cinco repetições. Na maturação e nos três ciclos de cultivo, a cana foi colhida e foram avaliadas a produtividade de colmos e a acumulação de nutrientes. A produtividade obtida foi de 126, 102 e 86 t ha-1 nos ciclos de cana-planta, primeira e segunda rebrota, respectivamente. Na cana-planta a acumulação média de macronutrientes foi a seguinte, por ordem decrescente: K > N > Ca >Mg > S > P, enquanto que nas rebrotas a sequência observada foi K > N > Ca > S > Mg > P. As variedades apresentaram alto potencial produtivo e foram semelhantes na acumulação de nutrientes nos três ciclos.

Sugarcane nutritional requirement knowledge has great importance for an adequate crop management, since allows the selection of efficient varieties in the use of nutrients, contributing to a better use of fertilizers and reduction of production costs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the stalks yield and the accumulation of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sulfur (S), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) and manganese (Mn) of aerial biomass of four sugarcane varieties, RB867515, RB92579, SP813250 and VAT90212 during the plant-cane, first and second regrowth cycles. The experimental design was a randomized block with four treatments and five replicates. The cane was harvested due to maturity in the three crop cycles. The stalks yield and the nutrient accumulation of the aerial part of the varieties were evaluated. The stems yield presented were 126, 102 and 86 t ha-1 for plant-cane, first and second regrowth, respectively. Plant-cane macronutrients accumulation average presented the following decreasing order: K > N > Ca > Mg > S > P, for regrowth the observed sequence was K > N > Ca > S > Mg > P. The varieties presented high productive potential, and similar nutrients accumulation in the three cycles.

A typical problem related to airline crew management consists of optimally assigning the required crew members to planned flights for a given period of time, while complying with a variety of labor regulations, safety rules and policies of the airline. This problem, called crew assignment problem (CAP), is of the NPHard class. So, it is usually divided into two independent subproblems, crew pairing problem (CPP) and crew rostering problem (CRP), modeled and solved sequentially. This division does not provide a global treatment to the CAP in terms of total cost and quality of the final solution. The state of the art involves the integrated solution of CAP, with both subproblems (CPP and CRP) solved simultaneously. It still requires high computational effort. Its combinatorial nature makes it difficult (or even impossible) to be solved by exact methods. The methodology proposed in this research provides an integrated solution of the CAP with heuristic procedures. The methodology was tested to solve instances related to small and medium-sized Brazilian airlines. The results were also compared with those obtained through an exact model adapted from the literature.

Cancer constitutes the second main mortality cause in the world, after cardiovascular diseases. In spite of the progresses in the chemotherapeutics treatments, many patients fail chemotherapy, mainly because of side effects or multi-drugs resistance, proving the need and importance of the research for new molecules with anticancer activity, more effective and with smaller adverse effects. Various compounds derived from plant secondary metabolites are commonly used in the chemotherapy against cancer and the natural products play an important role in the research for new molecules. Among several molecules of natural origin evaluated by MTT assay in murine tumor cell lines [breast (LM3) and lung (LP07)] the quinona-methide triterpenes tingenone and pristimerin showed marked cytotoxic activity presenting IC50 around 2 and 5 µM respectively. The structure-activity relationship suggests that rings A and B containing an α, ß-unsaturated carbonyl group are essential for the observed cytotoxic activity. The interaction between these positions and acetylcisteyne residues suggests a probable mechanism of action. The in vitro mutagenic activity was also evaluated by the Salmonella microsome assay (Ames test) for pristimerin and tingenone with and without metabolic activation (S9) in the strains TA98, TA97a, TA100 and TA102, none of which showed mutagenic potential in any strains. Estrogenic and anti-estrogenic activities were also studied by the e-screen assay in MCF-7 cells with negative results. The present data point to the importance of pristimerin and tingenone as representative of an emerging class of potential anticancer chemicals.

São analisados, neste trabalho, a precipitação, a evapotranspiração e o resíduo (ET-P) para três áreas de controle de 10 por 10 graus de latitude e longitude sobre as regiões Nordeste, Norte e Sudeste do Brasil. O fluxo de vapor d'água resultante é calculado e comparado com o resíduo. As análises são feitas a partir dos dados de reanálise mensais do National Center for Atmospheric Research/National Centers for Environmental Prediction - NCAR/NCEP, para o período de 1958 a 1998. Aspectos da variação sazonal e interanual dos elementos citados são apresentados para cada uma das áreas e, entre os resultados obtidos, destacam-se a boa correlação entre o resíduo e o fluxo de vapor d'água resultante, com coeficientes de determinação de 0,86, 0,84 e 0,74 para as áreas Nordeste, Norte e Sudeste, respectivamente.

This paper presents an analysis of precipitation, evapotranspiration and ET-P residuals for three 10º by 10º latitude/longitude control areas over the northeast, north and southeast of Brazil. The resulting water vapor flux is calculated and compared to the residual. The analysis is performed through the NCAR/NCEP reanalysis data for the period from 1958 to 1998. Some aspects of both seasonal and interannual variation of these variables are presented for each depicted area. The main result is the good correlation between the residuals and the resulting water vapor flux with determination coefficients of 0.86, 0.84 and 0.74 for these respective regions.

Vinte e dois genótipos de pimentão (Capsicum annuum L.) foram cultivados em vasos com 2,45 dm3 de solo em seis doses de fósforo (P) (25, 50, 100, 200, 300 e 600 mg.dm-3 P). Avaliou-se o desempenho dos genótipos em cada dose de P aplicada pelas características que expressam o crescimento e a eficiência nutricional. Houve acentuada diferença entre os genótipos nas várias doses de P, tanto na acumulação de matéria seca total quanto nas demais características relacionadas com o crescimento, enquanto, para as características nutricionais, houve menores diferenças. Entre as diferentes doses, a de 200 mg.dm-3 P, pela maior precisão experimental e maior variabilidade genotípica, foi escolhida como a mais indicada para a identificação de genótipos tolerantes à baixa disponibilidade de P e para estudos genéticos. Pela comparação das médias de matéria seca total e com base em funções discriminantes (técnica de análise multivariada proposta por T.W. Anderson), identificaram-se seis genótipos tolerantes, dez moderadamente tolerantes e seis intolerantes ao baixo teor de P. Aparentemente, um único fator foi o responsável pela diferença no crescimento entre os genótipos tolerantes e intolerantes. Os tolerantes, que foram 2,34 vezes mais eficientes na produção de matéria seca total, acumularam 2,38 vezes mais P, em média, do que os intolerantes, provavelmente em razão da sua maior biomassa de raiz. Diferenças no uso interno do P não contribuíram para a diferenciação dos genótipos tolerantes e intolerantes.

Twenty two genotypes of sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) were grown in pots containing 2.45 dm3 soil, in which six phosphorus (P) levels were applied (25, 50, 100, 200, 300 and 600 mg.dm-3 P). For each P level, the genotype performance was evaluated according to the characteristics expressing growth and nutritional efficiency. For several P levels, there was an occurrence of great differences among genotypes either in total dry matter accumulation and other characteristics related to growth, whereas low differences were observed in the nutritional characteristics. Among all P levels applied, 200 mg.dm-3 P was the most adequate for both identification of genotypes which are tolerant to low P availability and genetic studies, for its experimental accuracy and greater genotypic variability provided. By comparing the averages of total dry matter and based on discriminatory functions (multivariate analysis technique proposed by T. W. Anderson), six genotypes were identified as tolerant, ten as moderately tolerant and six as intolerant to low P contents. Apparently, only one factor was responsible for the difference in growing, which was observed between tolerant and intolerant genotypes. The tolerant genotypes which showed to be 2.34 times more efficient in producing total dry matter, also accumulated 2.38 times more P in the average, than those intolerant, probably due to greater biomass of tolerant-genotype roots. Differences in internal P use did not contribute for the differences between tolerant and intolerant genotypes.

Seis linhagens de pimentão (Capsicum annuum L.) diferindo na tolerância ao baixo teor de fósforo (P) no solo, os híbridos F1 e seus recíprocos, obtidos de um cruzamento dialélico completo, foram avaliados em casa de vegetação, para estimar as capacidades combinatórias em relação à acumulação de matéria seca total, matéria seca da parte aérea, matéria seca das raízes, razão raiz:parte aérea, área foliar, altura da planta, conteúdo de P total na planta e coeficiente de translocação de P. Ambas as capacidades, geral (CGC) e específica de combinação (CEC), foram estatisticamente significativas, com o componente quadrático associado à CEC superior ao relativo à CGC em todas as características avaliadas, evidenciando predominância de efeitos gênicos não aditivos nos cruzamentos. Linhagens tolerantes à baixa disponibilidade de P exibiram elevadas estimativas positivas da CGC, foram as mais divergentes e seus híbridos revelaram médias elevadas para a maioria das características avaliadas, enquanto comportamento inverso foi apresentado pelas linhagens intolerantes. Levando-se em consideração o desempenho das linhagens, as heteroses e o efeito da CEC, destacaram-se as combinações P-141-190-F16 x P-142-403-F11, P-142-215-F15 x P-142-270-F12, P-141-152-F14 x P-142-215-F15, P-141-152-F14 x P-142-403-F11 e P-141-150-F10 x P-141-152-F14. Não houve ocorrência de diferenças entre cruzamentos recíprocos, em relação às características avaliadas

Six lines of sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) differing in tolerance to low phosphorus (P) content in the soil, their F1 hybrids and reciprocals, obtained from a complete diallel cross, were assessed under greenhouse conditions in order to estimate their combining abilities for total dry matter accumulation (shoot) dry matter, root dry matter, root (shoot) ratio, leaf area, plant height, total P content in the plant and P translocation coefficient. Both general (GCA) and specific (SCA) combining abilities were statistically significant with quadratic component associed to SCA which was always greater in magnitude than GCA for all traits, showing a predominance of non-additive genic effects in crosses. In addition to high positive GCA estimates, the tolerant lines to low P availability were the most divergent and their hybrids showed high average values for most of the assessed traits, while an opposite behaviour was observed in the tolerant lines. Considering the performance of the lines, the heterosis and the SCA effect, the following are promissing combinations: P-141-190--F16 x P-142-403-F11, P-142-215-F15 x P-142-270-F12, P-141-152-F14 x P-142-215-F15, P-141-152-F14 x P-142-403-F11 and P-141-150-F10 x P-141-152-F14. No difference was found among reciprocal crosses in relation to the assessed traits.