Distribution and environmental determinants of darkling beetles assemblages (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) in península valdés (argentinean patagonia)

Arid lands provide several products and services to humankind, but human activities affect this environment, increasing the extinction risk of the native species. Thus, to successfully conserve the biodiversity of these ecosystems, it is necessary to identify which environmental factors influence the spatial distribution of the organisms that offer these benefits. Darkling beetles play a relevant role on the functioning of deserts. Although these insects are among the most abundant and diverse in these environments, there is no agreement on the relative importance that different environmental factors have as determinants of their spatial distribution. In this work, we assessed the role of climate, vegetation, and soil variables as factors that determine distribution patterns of darkling beetles within the Natural Protected Area Península Valdés (Northeastern Patagonia). Five groups of environmental units were identified, each one with an exclusive tenebrionid species assemblage and different species diversity. The most influential environmental variables were temperature, precipitations, and soil texture. Results suggest that the magnitude of several ecosystem processes may vary among the groups of environmental units. We recommend prioritizing the conservation of the five groups of environmental units and incorporating the darkling beetles-environment relationship in future conservation strategies for arid Patagonia.Fil: Cheli, German Horacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto Patagónico para el Estudio de los Ecosistemas Continentales; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco"; ArgentinaFil: Carrara, Rodolfo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas; ArgentinaFil: Bandieri, Lucas Martín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto Patagónico de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto Patagónico para el Estudio de los Ecosistemas Continentales; ArgentinaFil: Flores, Gustavo Ernesto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas; Argentin

Geoprocessing applied to history: the “vínculo da Jaguara”

In spite of the growth of historical GIS in the world since the 1990s, geotechnologies are still relatively unknown among historians in Brazil and very limited the number of those who practice it. This article aims at putting forward an example of the use of geoprocessing in the creation of geographic information systems - GIS in support of agrarian history research. Specifically, it analyses, through the georeferenced demarcation, a set of large rural properties of Minas Gerais in the eighteenth century known under the name of “vínculo da Jaguara”, based on documentary and cartographic sources. More than an analysis of a set of specific rural properties, we hope that the methodology presented in this study can be explored in much more comprehensive research.Apesar do crescimento da SIG histórica no mundo a partir dos anos 1990, no Brasil, as geotecnologias ainda são relativamente pouco conhecidas entre os historiadores e o número dos que a praticam, muito limitado. Este artigo tem por objetivo apresentar um exemplo de uso do geoprocessamento na criação de sistemas de informação geográfica - SIG em auxílio à pesquisa em história agrária. Especificamente, analisa, por meio da demarcação georreferenciada, um conjunto de grandes propriedades rurais de Minas Gerais no século XVIII conhecidas pelo nome de vínculo da Jaguara, com base em fontes documentais e cartográficas. Mais do que uma análise sobre um conjunto de propriedades rurais específicas, esperamos que a metodologia exposta neste estudo possa ser explorada em pesquisas bem mais abrangentes

Geoprocessamento aplicado à história agrária: o vínculo da Jaguara

Apesar do crescimento da SIG histórica no mundo a partir dos anos 1990, no Brasil, as geotecnologias ainda são relativamente pouco conhecidas entre os historiadores e o número dos que a praticam, muito limitado. Este artigo tem por objetivo apresentar um exemplo de uso do geoprocessamento na criação de sistemas de informação geográfica – SIG em auxílio à pesquisa em história agrária. Especificamente, analisa, por meio da demarcação georreferenciada, um conjunto de grandes propriedades rurais de Minas Gerais no século XVIII conhecidas pelo nome de vínculo da Jaguara, com base em fontes documentais e cartográficas. Mais do que uma análise sobre um conjunto de propriedades rurais específicas, esperamos que a metodologia exposta neste estudo possa ser explorada em pesquisas bem mais abrangentes.In spite of the growth of historical GIS in the world since the 1990s, geotechnologies are still relatively unknown among historians in Brazil and very limited the number of those who practice it. This article aims at putting forward an example of the use of geoprocessing in the creation of geographic information systems – GIS in support of agrarian history research. Specifically, it analyses, through the georeferenced demarcation, a set of large rural properties of Minas Gerais in the eighteenth century known under the name of “vínculo da Jaguara”, based on documentary and cartographic sources. More than an analysis of a set of specific rural properties, we hope that the methodology presented in this study can be explored in much more comprehensive research

Surface-Parallel Sensor Orientation for Assessing Energy Balance Components on Mountain Slopes

The consistency of eddy-covariance measurements is often evaluated in terms of the degree of energy balance closure. Even over sloping terrain, instrumentation for measuring energy balance components is commonly installed horizontally, i.e. perpendicular to the geo-potential gradient. Subsequently, turbulent fluxes of sensible and latent heat are rotated perpendicular to the mean streamlines using tilt-correction algorithms. However, net radiation (Rn) and soil heat fluxes (G) are treated differently, and typically only Rn is corrected to account for slope. With an applied case study, we show and argue several advantages of installing sensors surface-parallel to measure surface-normal Rn and G. For a 17 % south-west-facing slope, our results show that horizontal installation results in hysteresis in the energy balance closure and errors of up to 25 %. Finally, we propose an approximation to estimate the surface-normal Rn, when only vertical Rn measurements are available.Andalusia Regional Government through projects P12RNM-2409Andalusia Regional Government through projects P10-RNM-6299Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness though projects CGL2010-18782, CGL2014-52838-C2-1-R (GEISpain) and CGL2013-45410-REuropean Community’s Seventh Framework Programme through INFRA-2010-1.1.16-262254 (ACTRIS),INFRA-2011-1-284274 (InGOS) and PEOPLE-2013-IOF-625988 (DIESEL) project

CONSERVATION OF THE ORINOCO GOOSE (NEOCHEN JUBATA) IN THE MIDDLE ARAGUAIA RIVER, TOCANTINS, BRAZIL.

The Orinoco goose, (Neochen jubata) is a grazing herbivore of open habitats that was once widely distributed in tropical South America. Centuries of overhunting and habitat loss have reduced it to widely scattered remnant populations; it is categorized as Near Threatened globally. Within the Cerrado biome, the Middle Araguaia River houses the largest remnant population. In August 2017, a study was started to assess the situation of the Orinoco Goose in the regions of Araguaia National Park, Cantão State Park, and adjacent rice fields. We conducted counts from an aerial census (a 700 km transect), monthly boat censuses (40 km) and land censuses in rice plantations. The aircraft census counted 367 individuals in August 2017, while monthly monitoring of a stretch of the lower Javaés River over more than two years showed a seasonal population variation associated with the flood regime, with the species virtually disappearing during the flood period between January and April when river beaches are submerged. During this period, large flocks of about 1,000 Orinoco Geese were discovered not far away, concentrated in small stretches of rice plantation agro-systems in the region.  This behavioral seasonal concentration makes the species susceptible to poisoning and epizootic diseases. The findings suggest the need to re-categorize the Orinoco Goose population of the Middle Araguaia River as “Threatened” for the State of Tocantins due to the decline observed in the last 10 years, the maximum estimated population size, and the significant seasonal concentrations in a restricted area. At the same time, it is necessary to develop an action plan for its conservation in the surroundings of Ilha do Bananal, and throughout Brazil, where its threat status must be reviewed

Satellite telemetry of Blue-throated Macaws in Barba Azul Nature Reserve (Beni, Bolivia) reveals likely breeding areas

The Blue-throated Macaw (Ara glaucogularis) is a Critically Endangered species endemic to the Llanos de Moxos ecosystem of Beni, Bolivia. To aid conservation of the northwestern population that utilizes the Barba Azul Nature Reserve during the non-breeding season, we set out to learn the sites where these birds breed using satellite telemetry. We describe preliminary tests conducted on captive birds (at Loro Parque Foundation, Tenerife, Spain) that resulted in choosing Geotrak Parrot Collars, a metal, battery-operated unit that provides data through the Argos satellite system. In September 2019, we tagged three birds in Barba Azul with Geotrak collars, and received migration data for two birds, until battery depletion in November and December 2019. Our two migrant birds were tracked leaving Barba Azul on the same date (27 September), but departed in divergent directions (approximately 90 degrees in separation). They settled in two sites approximately 50-100 km from Barba Azul. Some details of the work are restricted out of conservation concern as the species still faces poaching pressures. Knowing their likely breeding grounds, reserve managers conducted site visits to where the birds were tracked, resulting in the discovery of breeding birds, although no birds still carrying a transmitter were seen then. A single individual still carrying its collar was spotted 13 August 2021 at Barba Azul. The work suggests that the Blue-throated Macaws of Barba Azul use breeding sites that are scattered across the Llanos de Moxos region, although within the recognized boundaries of the northwestern subpopulation. We conclude that the use of satellite collars is a feasible option for research with the species and could provide further conservation insights

Breast-conserving surgery in locally advanced breast cancer submitted to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Safety and effectiveness based on ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence and long-term follow-up

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence after breast-conserving surgery for locally advanced breast cancer. METHODS: A retrospective observational cohort study was performed in patients with locally advanced breast cancer submitted to breast-conserving surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy based on an adriamycin-cyclophosphamide-paclitaxel regimen. We evaluated the clinical, pathologic, immunohistochemistry, and surgical factors that contribute to ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence and locoregional recurrence. A Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox model were used to evaluate the main factors related to disease-free survival. RESULTS: Of the 449 patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy, 98 underwent breast-conserving surgery. The average diameter of the tumors was 5.3 cm, and 87.2% reached a size of up to 3 cm. Moreover, 86.7% were classified as clinical stage III, 74.5% had T3-T4 tumors, 80.5% had N1-N2 axilla, and 89.8% had invasive ductal carcinoma. A pathologic complete response was observed in 27.6% of the tumors, and 100.0% of samples had free margins. The 5-year actuarial overall survival rate was 81.2%, and the mean follow-up was 72.8 months. The rates of ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence and locoregional recurrence were 11.2% and 15.3%, respectively. Multifocal morphology response was the only factor related to ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence disease-free survival (p=0.04). A multivariate analysis showed that the pathologic response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST)-breast cutoff was the only factor related to locoregional recurrence disease-free survival (p=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Breast-conserving surgery is a safe and effective therapy for selected locally advanced breast tumors

Crescimento inicial de mudas pré-brotadas de cana-de-açúcar em duas modalidades de aplicação de herbicidas

The specie Cyperus rotundus is among the weeds most difficult to control and can cause high losses in the sugarcane crop. The practices adopted in the culture guarantee the values of yield, among them, is the weed management. The objective of this work was to evaluate the initial growth of sugarcane pre-sprouted seedlings submitted to herbicide application before or after planting. Two experiments (pre and post-planting) were conducted in greenhouse, in a completely randomized design, with four replications. The treatments corresponded to the herbicides applied in three pre-planting doses: sulfentrazone (400, 800 and 1,600 g a.i. ha-1), diclosulam (96.6, 193.17 and 386.34 g a.i. ha-1), imazapic (66.5, 133 and 266 g a.i. ha-1) and imazapyr (250, 500 and 1,000 g e.a. ha-1) and post-planting: halosulfuron (56.25, 112.5 and 225 g a.i. ha-1), ethoxysulfuron (67.5, 135 and 270 g a.i. ha-1), 2,4-D (670, 1,340 and 2,680 g a.e. ha-1) and MSMA (987.5, 1,975 and 3,950 g a.i. ha-1). In addition to two controls without herbicide application. The crop injury, height, diameter, number of leaves, number of tillers, chlorophyll content, leaf area, dry mass of shoot and root were evaluated. Post-planting treatments were considered selective, since the crop injury were low, and the other parameters evaluated were not different from the control. For pre-planting applications, crop injury were observed up to 60 days after application (DAA) for sulfentrazone.A espécie Cyperus rotundus está entre as plantas daninhas mais difíceis de controlar, podendo causar elevados prejuízos na cultura da cana-de-açúcar. As práticas adotadas garantem os valores de produtividade, dentre elas, está o manejo de plantas daninhas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o crescimento inicial de mudas pré-brotadas de cana-de-açúcar submetidas à aplicação de herbicidas em pré ou pós-plantio. Foram conduzidos dois experimentos (pré e pós-plantio) em casa-de-vegetação, em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com quatro repetições. Os tratamentos correspondem aos herbicidas aplicados em três doses em pré-plantio: sulfentrazone (400, 800 e 1.600 g i.a. ha-1), diclosulam (96,6; 193,17 e 386,34 g i.a. ha-1), imazapic (66,5, 133 e 266 g i.a. ha-1) e imazapyr (250, 500 e 1.000 g e.a. ha-1) e pós-plantio: ethoxysulfuron (67,5, 135 e 270 g i.a. ha-1), halosulfuron (56,25, 112,5 e 225 g i.a. ha-1), 2,4-D (670, 1.340 e 2.680 g e.a. ha-1) e MSMA (987,5, 1975 e 3.950 g i.a. ha-1). Além de duas testemunhas sem aplicação de herbicidas. Foram avaliados os sintomas de injúrias, altura, diâmetro, número de folhas, número de perfilhos, teor de clorofila, área foliar, matéria seca da parte aérea e raiz. Os herbicidas em pós-plantio foram considerados seletivos, uma vez que os sintomas de injúrias foram baixos e os outros parâmetros avaliados não foram diferentes da testemunha. Para as aplicações em pré-plantio foram observados sintomas de injúrias até os 60 dias após a aplicação (DAA) para sulfentrazone

Micronutrient status in lactating mothers before and after introduction of fortified flour: cross-sectional surveys in Maela refugee camp

Background Deficiency of micronutrients is common in refugee populations. Objectives Identify deficiencies and whether provided supplements and wheat flour fortified with 10 micronutrients impacts upon status among breast-feeding women from Maela refugee camp. Methods Two sequential cross-sectional studies were conducted in different groups of lactating mothers at 12 weeks postpartum. The first survey was before and the second 4-5 months after micronutrient fortified flour (MFF) had been provided to the camp (in addition to the regular food basket). Iron status and micronutrients were measured in serum, whole blood, and in breast milk samples. Results Iron and zinc deficiency and anemia were highly prevalent while low serum retinol and thiamine deficiency were rarely detected. Iron and zinc deficiency were associated with anemia, and their proportions were significantly lower after the introduction of MFF (21 vs. 35% with soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR)>8.5 mg/L, P = 0.042, and 50 vs. 73% with serum zinc<0.66 mg/L, P = 0.001). Serum sTfR, whole-blood thiamine diphosphate (TDP) and serum β-carotene were significant predictors (P<0.001) of milk iron, thiamine and β-carotene, respectively. Lower prevalence of iron deficiency in the MFF group was associated with significantly higher iron and thiamine in breast milk. Conclusions High whole-blood TDP and breast milk thiamine reflected good compliance to provided thiamine; high prevalence of iron deficiency suggested insufficient dietary iron and low acceptance to ferrous sulfate supplements. MFF as an additional food ration in Maela refugee camp seemed to have an effect in reducing both iron and zinc deficiency postpartum. © Springer-Verlag 2012