DONALD FYSON, Magistrates, Police and People : Everyday Criminal Justice in Quebec and Lower Canada, 1764-1837, Toronto, The Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History / University of Toronto Press, 2006, 467 p., ISBN-13 978-0-8020-9223-6, ISBN-10 0-8020-9223-3.

Nutrient recycling in the forest is linked to the production and decomposition of litter, which are essential processes for forest maintenance, especially in regions of nutritionally poor soils. Human interventions in forest such as selecttive logging may have strong impacts on these processes. The objectives of this study were to estimate litterfall production and evaluate the influence of environmental factors (basal area of vegetation, plant density, canopy cover, and soil physicochemical properties) and anthropogenic factors (post-management age and exploited basal area) on this production, in areas of intact and exploited forest in southern Amazonia, located in the northern parts of Mato Grosso state. This study was conducted at five locations and the average annual production of litterfall was 10.6 Mg ha-1 year-1, higher than the values for the Amazon rainforest. There were differences in litterfall productions between study locations. Effects of historical logging intensity on litterfall production were not significant. Effects of basal area of vegetation and tree density on litterfall production were observed, highlighting the importance of local vegetation characteristics in litterfall production. This study demonstrated areas of transition between the Amazonia-Cerrado tend to have a higher litterfall production than Cerrado and Amazonia regions, and this information is important for a better understanding of the dynamics of nutrient and carbon cycling in these transition regions.A capacidade de reaproveitamento de nutrientes pela floresta está ligada à produção e decomposição da serrapilheira, sendo estes processos essenciais para manutenção da floresta, especialmente em regiões de solos nutricionalmente pobres. Intervenções humanas na floresta como a extração seletiva de madeira, podem ter fortes impactos sobre esses processos. Os objetivos deste trabalho foram estimar a produção de serrapilheira e avaliar a influência de fatores ambientais (área basal da vegetação, densidade de plantas, abertura de dossel, atributos físico-químicos do solo) e antrópicos (idade pós-exploração e área basal explorada) sobre esta produção, em áreas de floresta intactas e exploradas no sul da Amazônia, norte do estado de Mato Grosso. Este estudo foi conduzido em cinco áreas e a produção média anual de serrapilheira foi de 10,6 Mg ha-1 ano-1, superior aos valores geralmente encontrados para a floresta amazônica. Houve diferença entre a produção de serrapilheira entre as áreas de estudo. Os efeitos do histórico de exploração madeireira e da intensidade de exploração não foram significativos sobre a produção de serrapilheira. Foi observado o efeito da área basal da vegetação e da densidade de árvores sobre a produção de serrapilheira, destacando a importância das características da vegetação local para a produção de serrapilheira. Este estudo demonstrou que áreas de transição entre Amazônia-Cerrado tendem a apresentar uma maior produção de serrapilheira que regiões típicas de Cerrado e Amazônia, e estas são informações importantes para uma melhor compreensão da dinâmica de ciclagem de nutrientes e carbono nestas regiões de transição

PERCEPÇÃO DO ESTUDANTE DE GRADUAÇÃO SOBRE O AMBIENTE ACADÊMICO DA UFG: ANÁLISE FATORIAL E DE CLUSTER

Este artigo apresenta os resultados da utilização de análise fatorial e de cluster a partir da percepção dos estudantes de graduação em relação ao ambiente acadêmico da Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG). A primeira metodologia, qual seja, a análise fatorial, permite identificar cinco fatores extraídos a partir das 19 questões analisadas de um total de 26 respondidas pelos discentes no momento da matrícula no segundo semestre de 2013. Enquanto a segunda metodologia, a análise de cluster, segmentou oito grupos para os 106 cursos da UFG, destacando que em alguns agrupamentos predominaram áreas como das ciências da saúde, da informação e das engenharias, permitindo concluir que os estudantes possuem percepções semelhantes conforme sua área do conhecimento, mesmo variando os campi em que frequentam as aulas

Assessment of the microbiological quality of pattern minas cheese commercialized in Uberlândia and Patos de Minas, Minas Gerais

O queijo minas padrão é um produto elaborado com leite pasteurizado, fermentado com culturas mesófilas e adição de coalho. Esse queijo passa por um processo de maturação artesanal, possui uma casca firme de cor amarelada e sabor ácido. O presente trabalho avaliou a qualidade microbiológica de queijo minas padrão comercializado em duas microrregiões (Uberlândia e Patos de Minas) da mesorregião do Triângulo Mineiro e Alto Paranaíba do estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. Foram examinadas 40 amostras de queijo. Os ensaios microbiológicos foram contagens de enterobactérias, Escherichia coli, coliformes a 35 oC, Staphylococcus coagulase positiva e pesquisa de Salmonella spp. Na microrregião de Patos de Minas, os resultados foram de 45%, 35%, 20% e 20% superiores a 103 CFU/g para as contagens de enterobactérias, Escherichia coli, coliformes a 35oC e Staphylococcus coagulase positiva, respectivamente. Cinco por cento das amostras analisadas foram positivas à pesquisa de Salmonella spp. Considerando a microrregião analisada (Uberlândia e Patos de Minas), a conclusão obtida foi que na região estudada, as condições de higiene nas etapas de fabricação, manuseio, transporte e armazenamento do queijo minas padrão são precárias, sendo necessária a implementação de sistemas de Boas Práticas de Fabricação (GMP), incluindo Análise de Perigos e Pontos Críticos de Controle (HACCP).Pattern minas cheese is a product developed with pasteurized milk, fermented with mesophilic cultures, and with the final addition of rennet. This cheese undergoes an artisanal maturation process and possesses a firm shell of yellowish color and striking and acidic flavor. Our study objective was to evaluate the microbiological quality of pattern minas cheese. We collected 40 samples from two micro regions (Uberlândia and Patos de Minas) of the Triângulo Mineiro and Alto Paranaíba mesor regions of the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The microbiological test results were recorded as counts of enterobacteria, Escherichia coli, coliforms at 35°C, coagulase-positive Staphylococcus and Salmonella spp. In the Patos de Minas micro region, the results were 45%, 35%, 20%, and 20% higher than 103 CFU/g for the counts of enterobacteria, Escherichia coli, coliforms at 35°C, and Staphylococcus coagulase-positive, respectively. Five percent of the analyzed samples were positive for Salmonella spp. in the Uberlândia micro region. Based on the findings of the microbiota in the cheese analyzed from the micro regions (Uberlândia and Patos de Minas), we concluded that the hygiene conditions in the manufacturing, handling, transport, and storage stages were precarious, requiring the implementation of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) systems, including Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)

Unraveling Amazon tree community assembly using Maximum Information Entropy: a quantitative analysis of tropical forest ecology

In a time of rapid global change, the question of what determines patterns in species abundance distribution remains a priority for understanding the complex dynamics of ecosystems. The constrained maximization of information entropy provides a framework for the understanding of such complex systems dynamics by a quantitative analysis of important constraints via predictions using least biased probability distributions. We apply it to over two thousand hectares of Amazonian tree inventories across seven forest types and thirteen functional traits, representing major global axes of plant strategies. Results show that constraints formed by regional relative abundances of genera explain eight times more of local relative abundances than constraints based on directional selection for specific functional traits, although the latter does show clear signals of environmental dependency. These results provide a quantitative insight by inference from large-scale data using cross-disciplinary methods, furthering our understanding of ecological dynamics

PREVALÊNCIA DO FORAME E INCISURA SUPRAORBITAL EM UMA COLEÇÃO OSTEOLÓGICA DA REGIÃO NORDESTE DO BRASIL

In Anatomy, anatomical variation is a deviation from the normal morphology of an organ or structure of an individual that does not harm function and can occur internally or externally. One of the segments of the body that presents great variability in its structures is the skull, which is also widely used in the study of sexual dimorphism in Forensic Anthropology. The objective of our study was to verify the prevalence of the supraorbital foramen and notch in dry adult skulls and relate it to sex. For our study, 300 dry adult skulls were used, 117 females and 183 males. Of the 300 skulls analyzed, 216 (72%) had a bilateral notch, 44 (14.7%) had a bilateral foramen and 40 (13.4%) were of the mixed type, notch on one side and foramen on the other. Regarding males, 134 skulls (73.2%) had a bilateral notch, 31 (17%) had a bilateral foramen and 18 skulls (9.8%) had the mixed type. In females, 82 skulls (70.1%) had a bilateral notch, 16 skulls (13.7%) had a bilateral foramen and 19 (16.2%) had a mixed type. In view of the above, it is necessary to carry out more studies on our population, due to the large territorial area of Brazil and the great miscegenation that exists.Em Anatomia, variação anatômica é um desvio da morfologia normal de um órgão ou estrutura de um indivíduo que não traz prejuízo à função, podendo ocorrer interna ou externamente. Um dos segmentos do corpo que apresenta grande variabilidade de suas estruturas é o crânio, inclusive sendo muito utilizado no estudo do dimorfismo sexual em Antropologia Forense. O objetivo do nosso estudo foi verificar a prevalência do forame e incisura supraorbital em crânios secos de adultos e relacionar com o sexo. Para o nosso estudo foram utilizados 300 crânios secos de adultos, sendo 117 do sexo feminino e 183 do sexo masculino. Dos 300 crânios analisados, 216 (72%) apresentaram incisura bilateral, 44 (14,7%) apresentaram forame bilateral e 40 (13,4%) foram do tipo misto, incisura de um lado e forame do outro. Com relação ao sexo masculino, 134 crânios (73,2%) apresentaram incisura bilateral, 31 (17%) forame bilateral e 18 crânios (9,8%) apresentaram o tipo misto. Já no sexo feminino, 82 crânios (70,1%) apresentaram incisura bilateral, 16 crânios (13,7%) forame bilateral e 19 (16,2%) tipo misto. Diante do exposto faz-se necessário a realização de mais estudos em nossa população, devido à grande área territorial do Brasil e a grande miscigenação existente

Dynamics and determinants of SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR testing on symptomatic individuals attending healthcare centers during 2020 in Bahia, Brazil

RT-PCR testing data provides opportunities to explore regional and individual determinants of test positivity and surveillance infrastructure. Using Generalized Additive Models, we explored 222,515 tests of a random sample of individuals with COVID-19 compatible symptoms in the Brazilian state of Bahia during 2020. We found that age and male gender were the most significant determinants of test positivity. There was evidence of an unequal impact among socio-demographic strata, with higher positivity among those living in areas with low education levels during the first epidemic wave, followed by those living in areas with higher education levels in the second wave. Our estimated probability of testing positive after symptom onset corroborates previous reports that the probability decreases with time, more than halving by about two weeks and converging to zero by three weeks. Test positivity rates generally followed state-level reported cases, and while a single laboratory performed ~90% of tests covering ~99% of the state's area, test turn-around time generally remained below four days. This testing effort is a testimony to the Bahian surveillance capacity during public health emergencies, as previously witnessed during the recent Zika and Yellow Fever outbreaks

Mapping density, diversity and species-richness of the Amazon tree flora

Using 2.046 botanically-inventoried tree plots across the largest tropical forest on Earth, we mapped tree species-diversity and tree species-richness at 0.1-degree resolution, and investigated drivers for diversity and richness. Using only location, stratified by forest type, as predictor, our spatial model, to the best of our knowledge, provides the most accurate map of tree diversity in Amazonia to date, explaining approximately 70% of the tree diversity and species-richness. Large soil-forest combinations determine a significant percentage of the variation in tree species-richness and tree alpha-diversity in Amazonian forest-plots. We suggest that the size and fragmentation of these systems drive their large-scale diversity patterns and hence local diversity. A model not using location but cumulative water deficit, tree density, and temperature seasonality explains 47% of the tree species-richness in the terra-firme forest in Amazonia. Over large areas across Amazonia, residuals of this relationship are small and poorly spatially structured, suggesting that much of the residual variation may be local. The Guyana Shield area has consistently negative residuals, showing that this area has lower tree species-richness than expected by our models. We provide extensive plot meta-data, including tree density, tree alpha-diversity and tree species-richness results and gridded maps at 0.1-degree resolution

The pace of life for forest trees.

Tree growth and longevity trade-offs fundamentally shape the terrestrial carbon balance. Yet, we lack a unified understanding of how such trade-offs vary across the world's forests. By mapping life history traits for a wide range of species across the Americas, we reveal considerable variation in life expectancies from 10 centimeters in diameter (ranging from 1.3 to 3195 years) and show that the pace of life for trees can be accurately classified into four demographic functional types. We found emergent patterns in the strength of trade-offs between growth and longevity across a temperature gradient. Furthermore, we show that the diversity of life history traits varies predictably across forest biomes, giving rise to a positive relationship between trait diversity and productivity. Our pan-latitudinal assessment provides new insights into the demographic mechanisms that govern the carbon turnover rate across forest biomes