Population recovery, seasonal site fidelity and daily activity of pirarucu (Arapaima spp.) in an Amazonian floodplain mosaic

1. Pirarucu (Arapaima spp.) are the world's largest scaled freshwater fish, reaching 3 m in length and >200 kg in weight. Historical overfishing has devastated populations of this remarkable fish across Amazonian floodplains, but community‐based management programmes are now stimulating the recovery of wild populations. 2. Pirarucu have evolved a unique set of life history traits, some of which have important implications for population management. Individuals exhibit lateral annual migration patterns during the prolonged annual flood pulse, entering flooded forests to reproduce and forage. During this period, although managed fish stocks become less monopolisable by local communities responsible for managing protected lakes, pirarucu can occupy and reproduce in new environments and thus potentially contribute to population recovery. 3. Here, we show a strong pattern of pirarucu (Arapaima cf. gigas) population recovery under community‐based management in an area along the Juruá River, in western Brazilian Amazonia. We show evidence of population recovery even outside formal protected areas, reinforcing the suitability of pirarucu community‐based management as a powerful tool for both biodiversity conservation and the improvement of local livelihoods. We also show pirarucu movements across a floodplain mosaic—including lakes, the main river channel, tributary streams, and flooded forests—during the wet season. 4. Our results support evidence of site fidelity among migrating pirarucu, justifying the high effort invested by local communities in seasonally protecting lakes from poachers and illegal fishers. Finally, restricted daily movement patterns by pirarucu support the suitability of population estimates based on day‐time counts because the chance of double counting is substantially reduced during the day when these counts are conducted. We highlight the strong suitability of this species for community‐based management, since they can: (1) replenish new environments during the wet season through migration and possibly also reproduction; and (2) be efficiently harvested during the dry season, delivering social and ecological benefits at large spatial scales. 5. Positive examples of fisheries management, which align biodiversity conservation and social development, are important for building optimism, and influencing local and international stakeholders. Our study shows how engaging and empowering local communities to help monitor the movement ecology of target species can be an effective strategy to support the sustainable management of aquatic resources in tropical environments

La risa: niveles y factores demográficos, en el contexto de la COVID-19: Laughter: demographic levels and factors, in the context of COVID-19

Introduction: The pandemic does not stop, neither does the studies on it; This pandemic produces pain, sadness, despair and deaths, the numbers of which are incalculable. Faced with this difficult and painful situation, laughter raises its flag of hope. Objective: The study aims to describe the levels and demographic factors of laughter, in the context of COVID-19. Methods: The study corresponds to a quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional approach. The data were obtained through a virtual survey, whose participants were 101, from the three regions. Results: Of the 101 participants, 87 (between 20 and 60 years old) are located in the high level and 14 in the medium level. Similarly, 14 (among single, married, divorced and cohabitants) in the medium level and 87 in the high level. Of the three regions (coast, mountains and jungle), 14 in the medium level and 87 in the high level. On the other hand, 6 men and 8 women are in the medium level, in the high 28 and 59, respectively. In the factor: religion, 14 (among Catholics, Adventists, Evangelicals and others) in the medium level, 87 in the high. According to the factor: educational level (primary, secondary and higher), 14 and 87 are located in the low and high level, respectively. In the family and friends circle, laughter is always experienced: 58.4% and 66.3%, respectively; for respondents it is easier to laugh, always, 54.5% and 66.3%, in the family environment and with friends, respectively. They declared that laughter prevents diseases, strengthens health, prevents covid-19, strengthens the immune system and limits the production of the hormone cortisol (responsible for stress), always 70.3%, 31.7%, 81.2; 31.7%, 71.3% and 83.2%, respectively. Conclusion: In the context of COVID-19, the most significant levels of laughter found in the study are two: medium and high; the most weighted demographic factors are: age, sex, religion, and employment status.Introducción: La pandemia no se detiene, los estudios sobre la misma tampoco; esta pandemia produce dolor, tristeza, desesperación y muertes, cuyos números son incalculables. Ante esta situación difícil y dolorosa, la risa levanta su bandera de esperanza. Objetivo: El estudio tiene el objetivo de describir los niveles y los factores demográficos de la risa, en el contexto la COVID-19. Métodos: El estudio corresponde a un enfoque cuantitativo, de tipo descriptivo, de corte transversal. Los datos sobre los niveles de la risa se obtuvieron mediante una encuesta virtual, cuyos participantes fueron 101, de edades entre 20 y 60 años, quienes participaron voluntariamente, procedentes de las tres regiones del Perú: costa, sierra y selva. Los datos sobre la experiencia de la risa, con misma encuesta, con el tipo Likert: nunca, a veces y siempre. Resultados: De los 101 participantes, 87 (entre 20 y 60 años) presentan una risa en el nivel alto y 14 en el nivel medio. 14 participantes (entre solteros, casados, divorciados y convivientes) revelan una risa en el nivel medio y 87 en el nivel alto. De las tres regiones (costa, sierra y selva), 14 participantes se ubican en el nivel medio y 87 en el nivel alto. Por otro lado, 6 hombres y 8 mujeres practican una risa ubicada en el nivel medio, en el alto 28 y 59, respectivamente. En el factor: religión, 14 (entre católicos, adventistas, evangélicos y otros) revelan una sonrisa en el nivel medio, 87 en el alto. Según el factor: nivel de estudios (primario, secundario y superior), 14 y 87 ubican su risa en el nivel bajo y alto, respectivamente. En el círculo familiar y de los amigos, se experimenta siempre la risa: 58.4% y 66.3%, respectivamente; para los encuestados es más fácil reír, siempre, 54.5% y 66.3%, en el entorno familiar y de los amigos, respectivamente. Declararon que la risa previene las enfermedades, fortalece la salud, evita el covid-19, fortalece el sistema inmunológico y limita la producción de la hormona cortisol (responsable del estrés), siempre 70.3%, 31.7%, 81.2; 31.7%, 71.3% y 83.2%, respectivamente. Conclusión: En el contexto de la COVID-19, los niveles más significativos de la risa encontrados en el estudio son dos: medio y alto; los factores demográficos más ponderados son: edad, sexo, religión y estado laboral

Human-wildlife conflicts with crocodilians, cetaceans and otters in the tropics and subtropics

Conservation of freshwater biodiversity and management of human-wildlife conflicts are major conservation challenges globally. Human-wildlife conflict occurs due to attacks on people, depredation of fisheries, damage to fishing equipment and entanglement in nets. Here we review the current literature on conflicts with tropical and subtropical crocodilians, cetaceans and otters in freshwater and brackish habitats. We also present a new multispecies case study of conflicts with four freshwater predators in the Western Amazon: black caiman (Melanosuchus niger), giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis), boto (Inia geoffrensis) and tucuxi (Sotalia fluviatilis). Documented conflicts occur with 34 crocodilian, cetacean and otter species. Of the species reviewed in this study, 37.5% had conflicts frequently documented in the literature, with the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) the most studied species. We found conflict severity had a positive relationship with species body mass, and a negative relationship with IUCN Red List status. In the Amazonian case study, we found that the black caiman was ranked as the greatest ‘problem’ followed by the boto, giant otter and tucuxi. There was a significant difference between the responses of local fishers when each of the four species were found entangled in nets. We make recommendations for future research, based on the findings of the review and Amazon case study, including the need to standardise data collection

Human-wildlife conflicts with crocodilians, cetaceans and otters in the tropics and subtropics

Conservation of freshwater biodiversity and management of human-wildlife conflicts are major conservation challenges globally. Human-wildlife conflict occurs due to attacks on people, depredation of fisheries, damage to fishing equipment and entanglement in nets. Here we review the current literature on conflicts with tropical and subtropical crocodilians, cetaceans and otters in freshwater and brackish habitats. We also present a new multispecies case study of conflicts with four freshwater predators in the Western Amazon: black caiman (Melanosuchus niger), giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis), boto (Inia geoffrensis) and tucuxi (Sotalia fluviatilis). Documented conflicts occur with 34 crocodilian, cetacean and otter species. Of the species reviewed in this study, 37.5% had conflicts frequently documented in the literature, with the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) the most studied species. We found conflict severity had a positive relationship with species body mass, and a negative relationship with IUCN Red List status. In the Amazonian case study, we found that the black caiman was ranked as the greatest ‘problem’ followed by the boto, giant otter and tucuxi. There was a significant difference between the responses of local fishers when each of the four species were found entangled in nets. We make recommendations for future research, based on the findings of the review and Amazon case study, including the need to standardise data collection

Spontaneous R-Parity violation bounds

We investigate bounds from tree-level and one-loop processes in generic supersymmetric models with spontaneous R-parity breaking in the superpotential. We analyse the bounds from a general point of view. The bounds are applicable both for all models with spontaneous R-parity violation and for explicit bilinear R-parity violation based on general lepton-chargino and neutrino-neutralino mixings. We find constraints from semileptonic B, D and K decays, leptonic decays of the mu and tau, electric dipole moments, as well as bounds for the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon.Comment: 22 page

Neutrino Oscillations and R-parity Violating Collider Signals

R-parity and L violation in the MSSM would be the origin of the neutrino oscillation observed in Super-Kamiokande. A distinctive feature of this framework is that it can be tested in colliders by observing decay products of the destabilized LSP. We examine all the possible decay processes of the neutralino LSP assuming the bilinear contribution to neutrino masses dominates over the trilinear one which gives rise to the solar neutrino mass. We find that it is possible to probe neutrino oscillations through colliders in most of the R-parity conserving MSSM parameter space.Comment: 23 pages, 8 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Neutrino Physics from Charged Higgs and Slepton Associated Production in AMSB

In the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model with bilinear R-Parity violation, terms that violate R-Parity and lepton number are introduced in the superpotential, and sneutrino vacuum expectation values are induced. As a result, neutrino masses and mixing angles are generated via a low energy see-saw mechanism. We show that this model embedded into an anomaly mediated supersymmetry breaking scenario is testable at a linear collider using charged Higgs boson production in association with a stau. This is possible in regions of parameter space where the charged Higgs and stau have similar mass, producing an enhancement of the charged scalar mixing angles. We show that the bilinear parameter and the sneutrino vev can be determined from charged scalar observables, and estimate the precision of this determination.Comment: 21 pages, including 8 figure

Defensive behaviors of Leptodactylus rhodomystax (Anura: Leptodactylidae) from northern Brazil

The study of defensive behaviors in anurans can lead to new hypotheses for a better understanding of prey-predator interactions. Herein, based on field observations, we described for the first time defensive behaviors of Leptodactylus rhodomystax. The studied individual displayed stretching limbs posture and evidenced hidden aposematism. Hidden aposematism was occasionally described to occur with stretching limbs posture. Our observations suggest that synergistic defense mechanisms in anurans may be more common than currently known.Asociación Herpetológica Argentin

Probing neutrino properties with charged scalar lepton decays

Supersymmetry with bilinear R-parity violation provides a predictive framework for neutrino masses and mixings in agreement with current neutrino oscillation data. The model leads to striking signals at future colliders through the R-parity violating decays of the lightest supersymmetric particle. Here we study charged scalar lepton decays and demonstrate that if the scalar tau is the LSP (i) it will decay within the detector, despite the smallness of the neutrino masses, (ii) the relative ratio of branching ratios Br({tilde tau}_1 --> e sum nu_i)/ Br({tilde tau}_1 --> mu sum nu_i) is predicted from the measured solar neutrino angle, and (iii) scalar muon and scalar electron decays will allow to test the consistency of the model. Thus, bilinear R-parity breaking SUSY will be testable at future colliders also in the case where the LSP is not the neutralino.Comment: 24 pages, 8 ps figs Report-no.: IFIC/02-33 and ZU-TH 11/0

Unusual association of NDM-1 with KPC-2 and armA among Brazilian Enterobacteriaceae isolates

We report the microbiological characterization of four New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase-1 (bla(NDM-1))-producing Enterobacteriaceae isolated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. bla(NDM-1) was located on a conjugative plasmid and was associated with Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-2 (bla(KPC-2)) or aminoglycoside-resistance methylase ( armA), a 16S rRNA methylase not previously reported in Brazil, in two distinct strains of Enterobacter cloacae. Our results suggested that the introduction of bla(NDM-1) in Brazil has been accompanied by rapid spread, since our isolates showed no genetic relationship.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Med, Lab Especial Microbiol Clin, São Paulo, SP, BrazilDASA, Lab Diagnost Amer, São Paulo, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Med, Lab Especial Microbiol Clin, São Paulo, SP, BrazilWeb of Scienc