The role of habitat features in a primary succession

In order to determine the role of habitat features in a primary succession on lava domes of Terceira Island (Azores) we addressed the following questions: (1) Is the rate of cover development related to environmental stress? (2) Do succession rates differ as a result of habitat differences? One transect, intercepting several habitats types (rocky hummocks, hollows and pits, small and large fissures), was established from the slope to the summit of a 247 yr old dome. Data on floristic composition, vegetation bioarea, structure, demography and soil nutrients were collected. Quantitative and qualitative similarities among habitats were also analyzed. Cover development and species accumulation are mainly dependent on habitat features. Habitat features play a critical role in determining the rate of succession by providing different environmental conditions that enable different rates of colonization and cover development. Since the slope’s surface is composed of hummocks, hollows and pits the low succession rates in these habitats are responsible for the lower rates of succession in this geomorphologic unit, whereas the presence of fissures in the dome’s summit accelerates its succession rate

Pollination ecology of the tropical weed Triumfetta semitriloba Jacq. ( tiliaceae), in the south- eastern Brazil

This work aimed to study the pollination ecology of the tropical weed Triumfetta semitriloba Jacq. (Tiliaceae), in Viçosa, South-eastern Brazil, during the flowering season of 1993 and 1994. Two patches located in pasture (P1 and P2) and one patch in a forest trail (P3) were chosen and ten plants on each patch were sorted. The number of opened flowers were counted during one day, in each flowering month and patch. All observed flower visitors were identified and their behavior while visiting flowers was recorded. Frequency of visits to flowered branches was obtained and some pollinator individuals were captured for analysis of pollen load. Flowers are conspicuously yellow and actinomorphic, with five nectaries around the ovary base, and opened sequentially in the afternoon. Flower phenology followed a modified steady-state Gentry's pattern. The number of opened flowers was higher in P2, but differences between months were not homogeneous between patches. Considering behaviour when collecting pollen or nectar, which permitted impregnation of stigma with pollen, visiting frequency and percent of T. semitriloba pollen on pollen load (100% for all of them, except for Augochlorella michaelis which was 81%) the following species were the mainly pollinators: Augochloropsis cupreola, Augochlorella michaelis, Cressomiella aff. sussurans, Cressomiella sussurans, Cressomiella sp., Pseudocentron paulistana, Ceratinula sp1, Ceratinula sp2 and Ceratinula sp3, Melissodes sexcincta, Apis mellifera, Plebeia cf. nigriceps, Plebeia droryana. Frequency of pollinators visitation was not different between patches and not uniform during anthesis. There was a higher pollinator activity between 15:00 and 17:00 hr.Este trabalho tem por objetivo estudar a ecologia da polinização da planta invasora Triumfetta semitriloba Jacq. (Tiliaceae), em Viçosa, MG, Brasil, durante a estação de floração de 1993 e 1994. Foram escolhidas duas manchas de plantas localizadas em pastos abandonados (P1 e P2) e uma mancha em clareira de mata (P3). Dez plantas, em cada mancha, foram sorteadas. Durante um dia de cada mês de floração foi contado o número de flores abertas por planta. Todos os visitantes florais foram identificados e registrado o comportamento. Foi obtida a freqüência de visitas aos ramos floridos e alguns polinizadores foram coletados para análise da carga de pólen. As flores de T. semitriloba são actinomórficas com cinco nectários em torno da base do ovário, e abrem, seqüencialmente, no período da tarde. A fenologia floral seguiu o padrão "steady-state" modificado de Gentry. O número de flores abertas foi maior em P2, mas as diferenças entre meses não foram homogêneas entre as manchas. Considerando o comportamento enquanto coletavam pólen ou néctar, a freqüência de visita e a porcentagem de pólen de T. semitriloba na carga polínica (100% para todas as espécies de abelhas, exceto para Augochlorella michaelis que foi igual a 81%) as seguintes abelhas foram consideradas como principais polinizadoras: Augochloropsis cupreola, Augochlorella michaelis, Cressomiella aff. sussurans, Cressomiella sussurans, Cressomiella sp., Pseudocentron paulistana, Ceratinula sp1, Ceratinula sp2 e Ceratinula sp3, Melissodes sexcincta, Apis mellifera, Plebeia cf. nigriceps, Plebeia droryana. A distribuição de freqüência de visitas dos polinizadores não foi diferente entre manchas e não foi uniforme durante a antese. Houve uma maior atividade dos visitantes entre 15 e 17 horas

Functional status of persons with chronic fatigue syndrome in the Wichita, Kansas, population

BACKGROUND: Scant research has adequately addressed the impact of chronic fatigue syndrome on patients' daily activities and quality of life. Enumerating specific problems related to quality of life in chronic fatigue syndrome patients can help us to better understand and manage this illness. This study addresses issues of functional status in persons with chronic fatigue syndrome and other fatiguing illnesses in a population based sample, which can be generalized to all persons with chronic fatigue. METHODS: We conducted a random telephone survey in Wichita, Kansas to identify persons with chronic fatigue syndrome and other fatiguing illnesses. Respondents reporting severe fatigue of at least 1 month's duration and randomly selected non-fatigued respondents were asked to participate in a detailed telephone interview. Participants were asked about symptoms, medical and psychiatric illnesses, and about physical, social, and recreational functioning. Those meeting the 1994 chronic fatigue syndrome case definition, as determined on the basis of their telephone responses, were invited for clinical evaluation to confirm a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome. For this analysis, we evaluated unemployment due to fatigue, number of hours per week spent on work, chores, and other activities (currently and prior to the onset of fatigue), and energy level. RESULTS: There was no difference between persons with chronic fatigue syndrome and persons with a chronic fatigue syndrome-like illness that could be explained by a medical or psychiatric condition for any of the outcomes we measured except for unemployment due to fatigue (15% vs. 40%, P < .01). Persons with chronic fatigue syndrome and other fatiguing illnesses had substantially less energy and spent less time on hobbies, schooling, or volunteer work than did non-fatigued controls (P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Persons with chronic fatigue syndrome are as impaired as persons whose fatigue could be explained by a medical or psychiatric condition, and they have less energy than non-fatigued controls

Effects of consumption of galactooligosaccharides obtained through whey enzymatically modified on the faecal flora and nutritional parameters of hamsters

The aim of this research was to evaluate the influence of wheyenzymatically modified rich in galactooligosaccharides in thenutritional characteristics and effects in the microflora of cecumcontents by the study with Golden Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetusauratus) for 28 days (controlled conditions). Three isoproteic dietswere prepared (20% w/w): C (casein), W (whey) and G (wheymodified). The groups studied differed positively from the C regardingfeed and protein efficiency ratio. The relationships (w/w) oforgan/body were found proportional in all diets. The counts ofprobiotics from the cecum contents the groups showed no difference.The pHs of studied groups were lower than C, this acidity can atimpairs the ability of pathogens to grow in the intestine. Resultssuggest that using whey enzymatically modified rich ingalactooligosaccharides could replace the standard diet withnutritional efficiency and possible inhibit the microorganismspathogenic without induce damage in health.Fil: Dos Santos Da Fonseca, Renata Aline. Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande; Brasil. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Rodrigues Machado, Adriana. Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande; BrasilFil: Muniz Moreira, Lidiane. Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande; BrasilFil: Rodrigues, Rosane S.. Universidade Federal de Pelotas; BrasilFil: Machado, Mirian. Universidade Federal de Pelotas; BrasilFil: Souza Soares, Leonor A.. Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande; BrasilFil: Burkert, Carlos André V.. Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande; BrasilFil: Burkert, Janaína Fernandes de Medeiros. Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande; Brasi

Comparative analyze of the kefir fermentation process and microbiota, using milk and cheese whey as substrates

Kefir, a mixed culture that ferments lactose, is known for the production of a refreshing fermented beverage popular in EasternEuropean countries by inoculating milk with kefir grains. Kefir grains are gelatinous white or creamcoloured, water insoluble, irregular granules with diameter ranging 0,33,5 cm. They are composed mostly of proteins and polysaccharides in which the complex microbiota is enclosed. The beverage consists of a microbial diversity that includes lactic acid bacteria, yeasts and their metabolites. The aim of this work was to compare the fermentation and the microbiota of kefir , using milk and cheese whey as substrates. The grains were added in the proportion of 5% in 250ml of each substrate. Assays were performed at 25 °C for 48h. The concentrations of lactose, ethanol, lactic acid and acetic acid were quantified by HPLC. To determinate the composition of microbiota in Kefir of fermentation, PCRDGGE analysis was used.The fermentation of milk and cheese whey by kefir grains are observed in this study. It can be observed that the lactose concentration at the end of the milk fermentation was lower in comparison with that obtained at 48 h for cheese whey fermentation. Despite the higher lactose consumption during the fermentation of milk by kefir grains, the concentrations of ethanol, acetic acid and lactic acid did not show significant differences with those obtained during the cheese whey fermentation. No changes in the DGGE profiles in all fermentations were observed to fungal and bacterial communities. It was thus concluded that lactose from cheese whey is converted to products with higher yields than lactose from milk, in addition to showing the same group of microorganisms for both fermentation process

Association between C-reactive protein with all-cause mortality in ELSA-Brasil cohort

Background: High-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) has been proposed as a marker of incident cardiovascular disease and vascular mortality, and it may also be a marker of non-vascular mortality. However, most evidence comes from either North American or European cohorts. The present proposal aims to investigate the association of high-sensitive C-reactive protein with the risk of all-cause mortality in a multi-ethnic Brazilian population Methods: Cohort data from baseline (2008–2010) of 14 792 subjects participating in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health were used. HsCRP was assayed with Immunochemistry. The association of baseline covariates with all-cause mortality was calculated by Cox regression for univariate model and adjusted for different confounders after mean follow-up of 8.0 ± 1.1 years. The final model was adjusted for age, sex, self-rated race/ethnicity, schooling, health behaviours and prevalent chronic disease. Results: The risk of death increased steadily by quartiles of hsCRP from 1.45 (95% Confidence Interval: 1.05, 2.01) in Quartile 2 to 1.95 (1.42, 2.69) in Quartile 4 compared to Quartile 1. Furthermore, the persistence of a significant graded association after the exclusion of deaths in the first year of follow-up suggests that these results are unlikely to be due to reverse causality. Finally, the hazard ratios were unaffected by the exclusion of participants that had self-reported past medical history for diabetes, cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Conclusions: Our study shows that hsCRP levels is associated with mortality in a highly admixed population, independently of a large set of lifestyle and clinical variables

Characterization of a brazilian smectite by solid state NMR and X-ray diffraction techniques

X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential thermal analysis (DTA) and 27Al and 29Si solid state MAS-NMR techniques were used to monitor the fractionation steps of a brazilian smectite, previously crushed, from Campina Grande, Paraíba. The sand, silt and clay fractions were obtained by physical and chemical treatments. The XRD analysis of sand and silt fractions showed that both fractions had predominant quartz and feldspar, respectively. The XRD results of the K+ saturated and heated clay fraction confirmed that the natural clay belongs to the 2:1 clay-mineral group, whereas the analysis of the Mg2+ saturated and glycolated clay fraction confirmed the presence of a smectite group clay. The MAS-NMR results of 27Al and 29Si showed that the sand fraction contains 79% of quartz and the silt fraction contains 55% of quartz, while the clay fraction is rich in smectite with low isomorphic replacement of Si by Al, and contains 38 % of quartz

Profile of sugars comsumption in fruit wines produced by different Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In wine fermentation, the two main soluble sugars present in must (glucose and fructose) are fermented to ethanol, CO2 and other compounds. Wine yeasts have a slight preference for glucose compared to fructose resulting in a difference between glucose and fructose consumption. Fructose is approximately twice as sweet as glucose and its presence as a residual sugar has a much stronger effect on the final sweetness of wine. The objective of this study was to evaluate the profile of sugars consumption by different yeasts during fruit wines production. Different Saccharomyces cerevisiae were used in the fermentation of raspberry must with 16 ºBrix and pH adjusted to 4.0. Batch fermentations were carried out at 22ºC. The concentrations of sucrose, glucose and fructose were determined by HPLC. The total conversion of sucrose into glucose and fructose by yeast UFLA CA11 was the fastest, within the first 8 h of fermentation, while for the yeast UFLA CA1174 the total hydrolysis of sucrose occurred after 32 h of fermentation. For the yeasts UFLA CA15 and UFLA EU 60.1, the sucrose hydrolysis occurred after 12 and 16 h, respectively. As expected, for all yeasts, was confirmed a preferential and fast consumption of glucose in comparison to the consumption of fructose. The highest residual concentrations of glucose and fructose were respectively, 300 and 920 mg/l for yeast UFLA CA11 and 400 and 2100 mg/l for yeast UFLA CA1174. Based on the concentrations of ethanol and residual sugar, the best efficiency of conversion was 93.88% for the yeast UFLA CA15. The other yeasts showed an efficiency of 75.56% (UFLA EU 60.1), 82.08% (UFLA CA11) and 83.69% (UFLA CA1174). It can be concluded that the evaluated yeasts were able to ferment the main sugars present in raspberry must. The yeast UFLA CA15 showed the best performance with higher conversion efficiency, rapid hydrolysis of sucrose and low concentration of residual sugars at the end of fermentation

Profile of higher alcohols in fruit wines produced by different Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Higher alcohols are secondary yeast metabolites, and can have both positive and negative impacts on the aroma and flavour of wine. Concentrations lower than 300 mg/l of higher alcohols contribute to the aroma, while concentrations above 400 mg/l negatively influence the wine quality. The formation of these compounds is influenced by several factors like temperature, presence of nitrogen compounds and the type of yeasts used for the fermentation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the profile of higher alcohols in alcoholic beverage produced from the fermentation of raspberry must by different yeast. The pH of the must was adjusted to 4.0 by the addition of CaCO3 and the initial sugar concentration to 16 Brix (adjusted with sucrose syrup). Batch fermentations were carried out at 22º C. Higher alcohols were determined by gas chromatography (GC­FID). Five higher alcohols (1­propanol, 2­methyl­1­propanol, 2­methyl­1­butano, 3­methyl­1­butanol and 2­phenylethanol) were identified and quantified. 3­methyl­1­butanol was the alcohol found in highest quantity. The highest concentrations were 140.9 and 149.4 mg/l for the yeast UFLA CA1162 and UFLA CA15, respctively. The beverage produced by the yeast UFLA CA155 showed the highest concentration of 2­phenylethanol (29.1 mg/l). 1­propanol was found in similar values (21 mg/l) in raspberry wine fermented by the yeast UFLA CA11 and UFLA CA1174. The highest and lowest total concentrations of higher alcohols were 284.5 and 161.8 mg/l for the beverage produced by the yeast UFLA CA1162 and UFLA CA11, respectively. It can be concluded that raspberry wine with a total higher alcohol concentration similar to that considered desirable (300 mg/l) in alcoholic beverages can be produced by using the yeast UFLA CA1162

Performance of Calves Receiving By-Products of Oil Palm during the Dry Season in an Integrated Pasture-Forestry System in Pré-Amazonic Regions of Brazil

The integrated farming and livestock-forestry constitutes a viable alternative for the advancement of sustainable agriculture through its influence on social and ecological processes. Silvopastoral systems are integrated systems characterised by the management of animals in an agricultural-forestry association. These systems aim to provide shade for animals, stabilize forage production for meat production and/or milk products, forestry and various other environmental services (Maurício et al. 2010). Despite the benefits mentioned, the seasonality in the production of tropical forages needs to be considered. An efficient way to avoid losses in animal production in the dry season is with the use of supplementation. By-products from agri-business with high nutritional value, are often not recovered, and are discarded, sometimes incorrectly harming the environment. The use of these residues in animal feed can reduce environmental impacts and the cost of animal feed. In this context, the aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of a cattle silvopastoral system in the dry season, supplemented with babassu meal