The Prevalence of Urogenital Infections in Pregnant Women Experiencing Preterm and Full-Term Labor

Urogenital infections are extremely prevalent during pregnancy and are an important cause of premature labor. However, the prevalence of urogenital infections during childbirth is not well known. Objective. Identify urogenital infections present at the beginning of labor in both full-term and preterm pregnancies. Study Design. Ninety-four women were admitted to the inpatient maternity clinic of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). In total, 49 women in preterm labor and 45 women in full-term labor were included in the study, and samples of urinary, vaginal, and perianal material were collected for microbiological analysis. Results. The prevalences of general infections in the preterm labor group and the full-term labor group were 49.0% and 53.3% (P = 0.8300), respectively. Urogenital infections in the preterm and full-term labor groups included urinary tract infection in 36.7% and 22.2% of women, vaginal candidiasis in 20.4% and 28.9% of women, bacterial vaginosis in 34.7% and 28.9% of women, and group B streptococcus in 6.1% and 15.6% of women, respectively. Conclusions. Urogenital infections were prevalent in women in preterm labor and full-term labor; however, significant differences between the groups were not observed

Risk of local extinction and genetic diversity of Melipona quadrifasciata (Apidae: Meliponini) in a possible Northeastern limit of its distribution in Brazil

Rapid loss of genetic diversity among eusocial bees, and extinction of their local population has become a major world concern. Populations of M. quadrifasciata have increasingly declined due to predatory extractivism and destruction of their habitat. Knowledge of their local population could give insights on the strategies for monitoring and conservation of this species. In this study, initially, 14 colonies (140 workers) from the Northern limit of the Northeastern sandbank of the Atlantic Forest were analyzed employing geometric morphometrics techniques. Then the cytochrome b gene sequences and ISSR primers were utilized for molecular analysis. The results were compared with the results of 30 M. quadrifasciata colonies (300 workers) found in the semiarid Caatinga region. The morphometrics and the molecular analysis suggested the formation of disjunct populations between the studied geographical zones. All the 14 colonies analyzed from the river São Francisco region were found on the Southern margin of the river São Francisco and they all belonged to one single haplotype. No colonies were found on the Northern bank of the river. We suggest that the river São Francisco is an effective georgraphical barrier for the distribution of this species and propose an urgent need for the development of a conservation program for the population of M. quadrifasciata as it represents a unique haplotype in the region. Also their nesting habit exclusively in the diseased coconut trees which probably will be replaced by new trees, create the risk of population extinction due to the lack of nesting site

The global abundance of tree palms

Aim Palms are an iconic, diverse and often abundant component of tropical ecosystems that provide many ecosystem services. Being monocots, tree palms are evolutionarily, morphologically and physiologically distinct from other trees, and these differences have important consequences for ecosystem services (e.g., carbon sequestration and storage) and in terms of responses to climate change. We quantified global patterns of tree palm relative abundance to help improve understanding of tropical forests and reduce uncertainty about these ecosystems under climate change. Location Tropical and subtropical moist forests. Time period Current. Major taxa studied Palms (Arecaceae). Methods We assembled a pantropical dataset of 2,548 forest plots (covering 1,191 ha) and quantified tree palm (i.e., ≥10 cm diameter at breast height) abundance relative to co‐occurring non‐palm trees. We compared the relative abundance of tree palms across biogeographical realms and tested for associations with palaeoclimate stability, current climate, edaphic conditions and metrics of forest structure. Results On average, the relative abundance of tree palms was more than five times larger between Neotropical locations and other biogeographical realms. Tree palms were absent in most locations outside the Neotropics but present in >80% of Neotropical locations. The relative abundance of tree palms was more strongly associated with local conditions (e.g., higher mean annual precipitation, lower soil fertility, shallower water table and lower plot mean wood density) than metrics of long‐term climate stability. Life‐form diversity also influenced the patterns; palm assemblages outside the Neotropics comprise many non‐tree (e.g., climbing) palms. Finally, we show that tree palms can influence estimates of above‐ground biomass, but the magnitude and direction of the effect require additional work. Conclusions Tree palms are not only quintessentially tropical, but they are also overwhelmingly Neotropical. Future work to understand the contributions of tree palms to biomass estimates and carbon cycling will be particularly crucial in Neotropical forests

Adubação foliar com macro e micronutrientes no crescimento de mudas micropropagadas do abacaxizeiro cv. Gold [Ananas comosus (L.) Merrill] em diferentes recipientes Foliar fertilization with macro and micronutrients in the growth of plantlets micropropagated of pineapple cv. Gold [Ananas comosus (L.) Merrill] in different containers

Objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar o efeito da adubação foliar com macro e micronutrientes no crescimento das mudas micropropagadas do abacaxizeiro cv. Gold [Ananas comosus (L.) Merrill], em diferentes recipientes. O experimento foi em esquema fatorial 8x3, adubação foliar em 8 níveis e recipientes em 3 níveis, através de um delineamento inteiramente casualizado com 5 repetições. As mudas foram padronizadas com altura média de 7,12 cm. As adubações foliares foram feitas com uréia, cloreto de potássio, ácido bórico, um formulado comercial com macro e micronutrientes e testemunha (pulverização com água) e os recipientes: bandeja de isopor com 200 células; tubete pequeno de 115 cm³; e tubete grande com 300 cm³. O substrato utilizado foi o plantmax hortaliças®. Avaliaram-se as características área foliar, altura de planta e massa seca da parte aérea e da raiz, aos 140 dias do transplantio. Os adubos foliares proporcionaram maior crescimento em área foliar, altura e massa seca da parte aérea às mudas do abacaxizeiro, embora com resultados diferentes. Os adubos foliares não aumentaram a massa seca do sistema radicular. A bandeja de isopor apresentou as menores médias, com todos os adubos foliares para área foliar, altura e massa seca da parte aérea das mudas do abacaxizeiro. O tubete pequeno e o tubete grande apresentaram resultados semelhantes com a maioria dos adubos foliares utilizados.<br>The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the foliar fertilization with macro and micronutrients on the growth of the plantlets micropropagated of pineapple cv. Gold [Ananas comosus (L.) Merrill] in different containers. The experiment was mounted in factorial arrangement 8x3, with foliar fertilization in 8 levels and containers in 3 levels, through a completely randomized design with five repetitions. The plantlets were standardized with average height of 7,12 cm. The foliar fertilization was used in the urea, potassium chloride, boric acid, a commercial formulated with macro and micronutrients and witness (pulverization with water) and the containers were: polystyrene tray with 200 cells; small tubete with 115 cm³; and big tubete with 300 cm³. The substratum used for all the containers was the plantmax hortaliças®. The foliar area characteristics, plant height and dry mass of the aerial part and of the root at 140 days after planting were evaluated. All the foliar fertilizers, in all used containers, provided larger growth in foliar area, height and dry mass of the aerial part to the plantlets of the pineapple, however with different results. The foliar fertilizers do not increase the dry mass of the radicular system. The container polystyrene tray presents the smallest averages for foliar area, height and dry mass of the aerial part of the plantlets of the pineapple with all the foliar fertilizer. The containers small tubete and big tubete present similar results in all levels of foliar fertilizers