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IntroductionInformation about how physical exercise affects patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) is still missing. This study evaluated the impact of multicomponent exercise training on cognition and brain structure in aMCI subjects with cerebral spinal fluid positive AD biomarkers.MethodsForty aMCI subjects were divided in training (multicomponent exercise thrice a week for 6 months) and nontraining groups. Assessments included cardiorespiratory fitness, neurocognitive tests, and a structural magnetic resonance imaging using 3.0 T scanner. FreeSurfer software analyzed hippocampal volume and cortical thickness.ResultsThe training group showed increased volume in both hippocampi and better performance in episodic memory test after 6 months. In contrast, the nontraining group declined in functional activities, recognition, and cardiorespiratory fitness for the same period.DiscussionMulticomponent exercise seems to improve hippocampal volume and episodic memory, and maintains VO2max in aMCI due to AD.

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This study aimed to determine the wood density using destructive and non-destructive sampling methods in a eucalypt hybrid clonal and determine the best point for the non-destructive sampling of the tree. A 5,6-year-old Eucalyptus urophylla x Eucalyptus grandis hybrid clone, from an energetic forest, was used, planted in the municipal district of Martinho Campos, MG, Brazil. The trees were sampled by three methods of destructive sampling. The traditional method (0%, 25%, 50%,75% and 100% of the commercial height Hc); alternative method (2%, 10%, 30% and 70% Hc) and via a meter by meter method starting from a height of 1,30 m from the soil (DBH). Three non-destructive sampling methods were also appraised: Resistograph®, Pi-lodyn® and 22 mm diameter cores at a DBH. The use of the Resistograph® at the 1,10 m or 1,50 m points and the Pilodyn® at 1,50m of height from the soil results the best correlations with the basic density determined by the three destructive sampling methods considered.

Plasticity of Eucalyptus grandis trees in the contexto of climate change: interaction of drought and fertilization on wood growth and quality The plasticity of the Eucalyptus to changes in the climate deserves to be highlighted, mainly because most of the forests implanted in Brazil are generally established in regions of low fertility, poor in potassium (K) and subjected to long periods of drought. Expansion of plantations can be hindered by climate change, with changes in the frequency and intensity of precipitation. The objective of this work is to evaluate the interaction of drought and fertilization with K and sodium (Na) on the growth and quality of E. grandis trees in the context of climate change. In a split-plot experiment installed in June 2010, 54 Eucalyptus trees with five years submitted to two water regimes (100% and 63%) and three fertilizers (K, Na and control) were selected. Sampling was carried out by collecting six discs at the base positions, DBH, 25, 50, 75 and 100% of the total height. The physical properties (apparent density by x-ray densitometry and basic density prediction by NIR), anatomical properties (fibers and vessels) and chemistry (prediction of total extractive content by HI-NIR image acquisition) were evaluated according to the treatments. For the prediction of extractives, the direct prediction and calibration transfer between NIR and HI-NIR equipment was proposed. The transfer was based on a complete calibration base collection measured on both devices. Four calibration transfer models (Update, Repfile, PDS and TOP) were compared. The efficacy of the models was tested in test set samples (1/3 of the total samples). The results show that in all the properties of the wood there was significant effect of the treatments; the apparent density is lower in the trees fertilized with K and Na and without partial throughfall exclusion. The prediction of the basic density presented satisfactory results with RMSECV of 0.022 g/cm³. The fibers are larger in the trees fertilized with K and present a greater thickness of wall in the control trees, both in partial throughfall exclusion. The vessels and the width of the growth rings were influenced, mainly, by partial throughfall exclusion. The direct prediction of the total extractive content was efficacy, showing similar results with the literature for values of predicted and observed Eucalyptus extractives. The K treatment without partial rainfall exclusion had the lowest predicted mean value of total extractives (3.90%). The best calibration transfer model was the TOP, with SEP of 1.53%, SECV of 1.41% and R² of 0.88. The conclusion of this work is that the interaction of water deficit and fertilization influences the wood properties of E. grandis trees and the analyzes carried out allow to draw up more adequate strategies to subsidize the expansion of Brazilian plantation forests in areas subject to long periods of drought.