Dung Beetle community and functions along a habitat-disturbance gradient in the Amazon:a rapid assessment of ecological functions associated to biodiversity

Although there is increasing interest in the effects of habitat disturbance on community attributes and the potential consequences for ecosystem functioning, objective approaches linking biodiversity loss to functional loss are uncommon. The objectives of this study were to implement simultaneous assessment of community attributes (richness, abundance and biomass, each calculated for total-beetle assemblages as well as small- and large-beetle assemblages) and three ecological functions of dung beetles (dung removal, soil perturbation and secondary seed dispersal), to compare the effects of habitat disturbance on both sets of response variables, and their relations. We studied dung beetle community attributes and functions in five land-use systems representing a disturbance gradient in the Brazilian Amazon: primary forest, secondary forest, agroforestry, agriculture and pasture. All response variables were affected negatively by the intensification of habitat disturbance regimes, but community attributes and ecological functions did not follow the same pattern of decline. A hierarchical partitioning analysis showed that, although all community attributes had a significant effect on the three ecological functions (except the abundance of small beetles on all three ecological functions and the biomass of small beetles on secondary dispersal of large seed mimics), species richness and abundance of large beetles were the community attributes with the highest explanatory value. Our results show the importance of measuring ecological function empirically instead of deducing it from community metrics

Human-Induced Trophic Cascades along the Fecal Detritus Pathway

Human presence and activity in tropical forest is thought to exert top-down regulation over the various ‘green-world’ pathways of plant-based foodwebs. However, these effects have never been explored for the ‘brown-world’ pathways of fecal-detritus webs. The strong effects of humans on tropical game mammals are likely to indirectly influence fecal detritivores (including Scarabaeine dung beetles), with subsequent indirect impacts on detrivore-mediated and plant-facilitating detrital processes. Across a 380-km gradient of human influence in the western Brazilian Amazon, we conducted the first landscape-level assessment of human-induced cascade effects on the fecal detritus pathway, by coupling data on human impact, game mammal and detritivore community structure, and rate measurements of a key detritus process (i.e. dung beetle-mediated secondary seed dispersal). We found evidence that human impact indirectly influences both the diversity and biomass of fecal detritivores, but not detritivore-mediated processes. Cascade strength varied across detritivore groups defined by species' traits. We found smaller-bodied dung beetles were at higher risk of local decline in areas of human presence, and that body size was a better predictor of cascade structure than fecal resource manipulation strategy. Cascade strength was also stronger in upland, unflooded forests, than in seasonally flooded forests. Our results suggest that the impact of human activity in tropical forest on fecal-detritus food web structure is mediated by both species' traits and habitat type. Further research will be required to determine the conditions under which these cascade effects influence fecal-detritus web function

Spatial and temporal shifts in functional and taxonomic diversity of dung beetles in a human-modified tropical forest landscape

Functional diversity is commonly used to assess the conservation value of ecosystems, but we have not yet established whether functional and taxonomic approaches are interchangeable or complementary to evaluate community dynamics over time and in response to disturbances. We used a five-year dataset of dung beetles from undisturbed forest, primary forest corridors, and Eucalyptus plantations to compare the sensitivity of conceptually equivalent metrics to temporal variation in different anthropogenic disturbances. We compared species richness with functional richness, Pielou’s evenness with functional evenness, and Simpson’s diversity with Rao’s quadratic entropy. We assessed the sensitivity of the metrics to anthropogenic changes. The indices showed complex patterns among habitat types, with with similar responses in some cases and not in other, and little incongruence between the pairs within the same year. The influence of disturbance on longer-term temporal variation over the five-year period revealed lower temporal variation in functional than taxonomic metrics. Both approaches showed greater variation in plantations compared to native forests. We evaluated the variation in taxonomic and functional metrics between consecutive years and among habitats. Most metrics showed similar shifts between years in all habitats, except for species and functional richness. We demonstrate that even conceptually similar indices may not provide similar information on dung beetles responses to disturbance. However, the differences between the indices can yield key insights about the drivers of change, especially over the long-term. It is important to use taxonomic and functional diversity in tandem to better understand community responses to environmental and anthropogenic changes

Vascular flora of the Legado das Águas, Reserva Votorantim, municipalities of Tapiraí, Miracatú and Juquiá, São Paulo, Brazil

We present  a list of vascular plants found in Legado das Águas, Reserva Votorantim, a private reserve having an area of approximately 35,000 ha that spans the municipalities of Tapiraí, Miracatú, and Juquiá, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The reserve is part of a complex of state-protected areas including Alto Ribeira Touristic State Park, Intervales State Park , Carlos Botelho State Park, Jurupará State Park, and Serra do Mar State Park. Together, these form an important and large area of continuous and well-preserved forest. Our study, which involved two main floristic surveys in March/April 2013 and April 2014, recorded 768 species, representing 131 families and 432 genera. The majority of species were angiosperms (619) representing 106 families and 370 genera. There were also two species of gymnosperms belonging to two genera in separate families; 147 species of ferns and lycophytes belonging to 23 families and 60 genera. In demonstrating the presence of almost 800 species of plants, of which 16 are threatened, our study highlights the importance of floristic surveys and the critical role of private protected areas in managing and preserving native flora

Abordagens terapêuticas inovadoras na gestão da dor crônica: uma síntese de evidências

Inovações terapêuticas, como o uso de células-tronco mesenquimais e plasma rico em plaquetas, oferecem avanços promissores na gestão da dor crônica, proporcionando não apenas alívio imediato, mas também abordando as causas subjacentes para melhorar a qualidade de vida dos pacientes. Este estudo teve como objetivo desenvolver uma síntese de evidências sobre abordagens terapêuticas inovadoras na gestão da dor crônica. Nesse sentido, foi desenvolvida uma revisão sistemática da literatura, utilizando Scielo, Lilacs e Medline como bases de dados. A partir da análise qualitativa dos resultados, concluiu-se que abordagens terapêuticas inovadoras, como fisioterapia, terapias cognitivo-comportamentais e intervenções farmacológicas específicas, são eficazes na gestão da dor crônica. A ênfase na personalização do tratamento, considerando a diversidade da condição, destaca-se como crucial para otimizar resultados

Pericardite Constritiva: Constrictive Pericarditis

Introdução: O pericárdio é uma membrana fibrosserosa que envolve o coração. Pericardite é a inflamação dos folhetos pericárdicos. Na ocorrência da Pericardite Constritiva (PC) o pericárdio encontra-se espessado, fibrótico e frequentemente calcificado, reduzindo expressivamente sua complacência e impedindo o adequado enchimento cardíaco durante a diástole. Apresentação do caso: ACAJ, sexo masculino, 39 anos, negro, natural do Pará, deu entrada no pronto-socorro da Santa Casa de Misericórdia, com queixa de edema de membros inferiores e dispneia. Relatou associação com perda ponderal e febre diária, vespertina e com calafrios. Antecedentes patológicos prévios de hipertensão arterial, diabetes mellitus tipo 2, dislipidemia e hábitos tabágicos pregressos. Apresentava-se hemodinamicamente estável, taquipneia discreta associada a estertores crepitantes bibasais, bulhas arrítmicas e abafadas com presença de estalido protodiastólico, pulsos finos e pressão arterial levemente reduzida. Hepatomegalia não pulsátil, ascite volumosa e dor a palpação de região epigástrica na avaliação abdominal. Além da presença de edema em membros inferiores. Discussão: Por se tratar de uma condição rara, em muitos momentos o diagnóstico da pericardite constritiva é feito tardiamente. Alguns exames  complementares  têm  se  mostrado  de  grande  auxílio  na presunção do diagnóstico, como a radiografia de tórax, tomografia computarizada de tórax, ressonância nuclear magnética cardíaca (RNM) e ecocardiograma transtorácico. Estes deverão se associar com achados clínicos, como o sinal de Kussmaul e o som protodiastólico. Conclusão: Percebe-se a importância do diagnóstico precoce da PC, visto que, após o tratamento, a melhora da qualidade de vida do paciente é significativa. Apesar de ser um evento raro, está associado a uma elevada mortalidade, sendo fundamental a adoção de medidas terapêuticas singulares.. A pericardiectomia pode ser uma opção no tratamento dos casos crônicos e de difícil manejo

Síndrome de Hermansky - Pudlak : Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome

Introdução: a síndrome de hermansky – pudlak é uma doença genética caracterizada por albinismo oculocutâneo, disfunção plaquetária, e em alguns casos também há colite, insuficiência renal e fibrose pulmonar. Apresentação do caso: paciente, 4 anos, buscou atendimento para investigação de episódios frequentes de gengivorragia, epistaxe e hematomas nos membros inferiores. Discussão: o diagnóstico é realizado pela clínica do albinismo oculocutâneo associada ao déficit placentário e teste genético. O  tratamento consiste em acompanhamento multidisciplinar para melhorar a qualidade de vida do paciente. Conclusão: por se tratar de uma doença rara e de difícil diagnóstico é importante compreender a patogenicidade para evitar complicações e fornecer melhor qualidade de vida

A social and ecological assessment of tropical land uses at multiple scales: the Sustainable Amazon Network

Science has a critical role to play in guiding more sustainable development trajectories. Here, we present the Sustainable Amazon Network (Rede Amazonia Sustentavel, RAS): a multidisciplinary research initiative involving more than 30 partner organizations working to assess both social and ecological dimensions of land-use sustainability in eastern Brazilian Amazonia. The research approach adopted by RAS offers three advantages for addressing land-use sustainability problems: (i) the collection of synchronized and co-located ecological and socioeconomic data across broad gradients of past and present human use; (ii) a nested sampling design to aid comparison of ecological and socioeconomic conditions associated with different land uses across local, landscape and regional scales; and (iii) a strong engagement with a wide variety of actors and non-research institutions. Here, we elaborate on these key features, and identify the ways in which RAS can help in highlighting those problems in most urgent need of attention, and in guiding improvements in land-use sustainability in Amazonia and elsewhere in the tropics. We also discuss some of the practical lessons, limitations and realities faced during the development of the RAS initiative so far.Keywords: Social–ecological systems, Tropical forests, Land use, Interdisciplinary research, Sustainability, Trade-off