Potentials and limits to generate employment and income by the National Programme for Production and Use of Biodiesel

This study analyses the National Programme for Production and Use of Biodiesel launched by the Brazil Federal Government in 2005 as a public policy to generate sustainable employment and income within the context of development of new alternative sources of energy. It also verifies the impact of PNPB on occupation and income rate of farmers participating in the projects of production of biodiesel through field research carried out on 93 family farms participating in projects already implemented in the State of Goiás. The choice of producers was made at random from a list of all producers who had already gone through a complete cycle of production and stretched across 33 municipalities in the second half of 2007. The survey data was obtained through a closed-ended questionnaire which was designed to ascertain: 1) the increase of occupation and income regarding producers participating in the projects, 2) ways of including these farmers into the programme, 3) technical assistance offered to them (according to the guidelines of the programme) and 4) the evaluation of the programme by participating farmers. The SPSS software was used for processing and data analysis. The results show that most of the objectives of the programme, such as generation of occupation and income by family farming, are being achieved.biofuels, biodiesel, family farm, public policy, Agribusiness, Agricultural Finance, Industrial Organization,

The use of the ACC deaminase producing bacterium Pseudomonas putida UW4 as a biocontrol agent for pine wilt disease

Pine wilt disease, caused by the nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, is responsible for the devastation of worldwide pine forestlands. Until today, the only effective solution to this serious threat resides on the destruction of infected trees, which is both economic and ecologically unacceptable. The use of ACC deaminase-producing plant growth promoting bacteria has been shown to be a useful strategy in order to reduce biotic and abiotic constraints that affect plant health and development. In this sense, we report the use of the ACC deaminase-producing bacterium Pseudomonas putida UW4 as a potential biological control agent for pine wilt disease. An inoculation assay was performed in 3-4 months Pinus pinaster (maritime pine) seedlings obtained from a nursery in Portugal. The bacteria P. putida UW4 wild-type and ACC deaminase mutant strains were inoculated in the roots of pine seedlings followed by stem inoculation of B. xylophilus. The inoculation of the P. putida UW4 wild-type strain lead to a significant reduction of B. xylophilus induced symptoms. Moreover, regardless the inoculation with B. xylophilus, seedlings inoculated with P. putida UW4 also demonstrated an increased root and shoot development. In addition, P. putida UW4 ACC deaminase knockout mutant was unable to promote pine seedling growth or to decrease B. xylophilus induced symptoms. The results obtained indicate that the inoculation of ACC deaminase-producing bacteria in pine seedlings growing in a nursery system might constitute a novel strategy to obtain B. xylophilus resistant pine trees. This is the first report on the use of ACC deaminase-producing bacteria as potential biological control agents for tree diseases

Essential Oils and Volatiles as Nematodicides against the Cyst Nematodes Globodera and Heterodera

The cyst nematodes of the genera Heterodera (HET) and Globodera (GLO) are among the most damaging obligate plant parasitic nematodes (PPNs) that parasitize cereals, rice, potatoes and soybean. In the absence of resistant crops, soil fumigation of pesticides provides a good strategy for population control. However, synthetic nematicides can cause negative environmental and public health impacts and are feared to lead to the development of resistance and immunity. The use of essential oils (EOs) could be a viable environmentally friendly alternative, which has been poorly explored on cyst nematodes but has shown very good results on other PPNs. The present work reviews the existing bibliography on the biological activity of EOs against GLO and HET. EOs from Allium sativum, Eucalyptus globulus, and Salvia officinalis were the most active against GLO egg hatching. The EOs extracted from Hyssopus cuspidatus, Kaempferia galanga, Mentha canadensis, Ocimum basilicum, and Valeriana amurensis had the highest activity against HET J2 juveniles. Ethyl p-methoxycinnamate, a phenylpropanoid ester, was the EO volatile with the highest toxicity against HET, showing lower EC50 values than the nematodicide fosthiazate. The study of EOs against cyst nematodes is still preliminary in comparison to other PPNs. Future works must expand this line of research and explore greener practices in cyst nematode pest management

Pine Wilt Disease: insights into the Biology of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus-associated bacteria.

Pine wilt disease (PWD) is caused by the parasitic nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (pinewood nematode; PWN), which infects mainly Pinus spe- cies with the aid of an insect-vector, Monochamus sp.. Bacteria isolated from B. xylophilus are being con- sidered as a fourth element in this disease complex. Their precise roles of these organisms in this interac- tion are unclear, as both beneficial and pathogenic bacteria have been found associated with PWD. Previously, we have shown the high oxidative stress tolerance of the PWN-associated bacteria Serratia sp. LCN16 and Serratia marcescens PWN146, and their beneficial effects towards the nematode under harsh oxidative stress conditions. Here, we present a de- tailed analysis of the genome sequences of these two PWN-associated bacteria and provide new insights into their biology and contributions to PWD and the PWN. Serratia sp. LCN16 is phylogenetically most closely related to the phytosphere group of Serratia, and shares many features with endophytes (plant- associated bacteria). These include genes coding for plant polymer degrading enzymes, iron uptake/ transport, siderophore and phytohormone synthesis, aromatic compound degradation and detoxification enzymes. Serratia marcescens PWN146 can also with- stand and colonize the plant environment, without having any deleterious effects towards B. xylophilus nor to the nematode model C. elegans. PWN146 has the potential to interfere with plant metabolism via hormonal pathways or nutritional acquisition (i.e. iron), and to be competitive against other bacteria and fungi, through resource acquisition or produc- tion of antimicrobial compounds

The composition of hindgut microbiota of Periplaneta japonica in the presence of thelastomatid parasitic nematodes

Thelastomatid nematodes (Nematoda: Oxyurida: Thelastomatoidea) are obligatory parasites that occur naturally in the hindgut of arthropods. Their origin and impact in the host is still unknown. Previous studies showed that the presence of thelastomatid nematodes in the gut of cockroaches (Periplaneta fuliginosa and P. americana) could influence the composition of their hindgut microflora. Through a metagenomic approach (16S rRNA V3-V4 sequencing), we have characterized the hindgut microbiome of P. japonica in the presence of thelastomatid nematodes (L1986, natural parasitic nematode Protrellus sp. present as a natural infection condition; and L1987, non-native parasitic nematode Leidynema appendiculatum present as an artificial infection condition). The hindgut microbiome of P. japonica in both conditions were mainly composed of Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. Moreover, the natural and artificial infection by thelastomatid nematodes lead to shifts in the relative abundance of these main resident flora as seen in P. americana. The OTUs percentage of Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria were higher in P. japonica infected with Protrellus sp. (L1986) than in P. japonica infected by L. appendiculatum (L1987), while OTUs from Firmicutes phylum was higher in L1987 than in L1986. This study fosters a detailed investigation in the role played by these animal parasites in their host insect

Essential oils as phytochemical nematodicides with activity against plant parasitic nematodes

Synthetic pesticides used against plant parasitic nematodes (PPNs) have been discontinued due to serious environmental and public health concerns. Essential oils (EOs) are promising alternatives given they are easily accessible, show high biological activities, have low environmental impacts, and are subjected to less strict regulatory approval mechanismsWe reviewed the chemical composition of EOs with direct biological activity against the root-knot nematodes (RKNs), plant cyst nematodes (PCNs), and the pinewood nematode (PWN). The compositions (≥10%) of the top 10 most active EOs were compared

Composition of the Cockroach Gut Microbiome in the Presence of Parasitic Nematodes

Cockroaches are parasitized by thelastomatid nematodes, which live in an obligate manner in their hindgut and interact with the resident microbial community. In the present study, a composition analysis was performed on the gut microbiome of Periplaneta fuliginosa and P. americana to investigate natural and artificial infection by thelastomatid nematodes. Nine librar- ies of the 16S rRNA gene V3–V4 region were prepared for pyrosequencing. We examined the complete gut microbiome (fore-, mid-, and hindgut) of lab-reared P. fuliginosa naturally infected with the parasitic nematode Leidynema appendiculatum and those that were nematode-free, and complemented our study by characterizing the hindgut microbial communities of lab-reared P. americana naturally infected with Hammerschmidtiella diesingi and Thelastoma bulhoesi, artificially infected with L. appendiculatum, and those that were nematode-free. Our results revealed that the fore- and midgut of naturally infected and nematode-free P. fuliginosa have close microbial communities, which is in contrast with hindgut communities; the hindgut communities of both cockroaches exhibit higher microbial diversities in the presence of their natural parasites and marked differences were observed in the abundance of the most representative taxa, namely Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. Our results have provided basic information and encourage further studies on multitrophic interactions in the cockroach gut as well as the thelastomatid nematodes that play a role in this environment

Pasado y presente de las salas cinematográficas del norte y occidente. Monterrey y Morelia 1930-1970.

Este documento presenta unos antecedentes, narrando el surgimiento del cine, pasando por las primeras funciones o "vistas", hasta los primeros cines-teatro, analizando la tipología de los teatros como antecedente arquitectónico directo. Se presentan las características generales de los cines, identificando sus aportaciones y adaptaciones, especialmente en sus aspectos formales, funcionales y constructivos. El segundo apartado presenta una descripción condensada de la evolución de la arquitectura mexicana del siglo XX en los dos casos de estudio: Monterrey y Morelia. Así mismo, presenta una semblanza de la evolución de los cines y las transformaciones sociales aparejadas con este desarrollo. La tercera parte del documento aborda la lectura arquicultural de algunas salas cinematográficas representativas tanto de Monterrey como de Morelia, para concluir con un análisis comparativo identificando similitudes y especificidades. Se cierra el apartado con un esbozo de las causas que generaron la decadencia, abandono y desaparición de las grandes salas cinematográficas. Finalmente se presentan las reflexiones finales junto con algunas recomendaciones que permitan la conservación de este valioso patrimonio cultural arquitectónico

Resilience and Environmental Justice: Potential Linkages

AbstractIn May 2008, the remote city of Chaiten in Chile was evacuated due to the risk of a volcano eruption. Few days later, severe floods drove to the destruction of the almost entire city. In the months following the disaster, the Government developed projects that failed to relocate the city to a safer location as well as strategies to support the affected population aimed to improve community resilience. Contradictory institutional policies as well as the unforeseen effects of implemented bond schemes have resulted in a highly segregated and environmentally unjust city where public policies. outputs are unevenly distributed. Thus, this paper addresses how some related processes of increasing resilience may impact negatively upon environmental justice, hence exploring a potential inverse relationship between resilience and environmental justice. Five years on, nearly half of the population have returned to Chaiten despite the refusal of the authorities. While northern Chaiten concentrates most of the population and investment, 160 families living in the southern Chaiten bear the lack of potable water and other basic services, and are more vulnerable to future disaster impacts. Split in two due to both geography and policies, Chaiten faces now two realities

Biological interactions between nematophagous fungi, Esteya spp., and the pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus

The pinewood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, is a quarantine organism in several countries and the causal agent of pine wilt disease (PWD), a serious threat to pine forests worldwide. PWD results from complex interactions between the nematode, its insect vector, Monochamus spp., and host plants (conifers), being the nematode the common element in this interaction. The PWN is considered the sixth most economically important plant-parasitic nematode. In Europe, this pest was first reported in Portugal in 1999, in maritime pine, Pinus pinaster. Due to its economic importance and worldwide distribution, an enormous amount of effort is devoted to research on B. xylophilus and PWD. Scenarios strongly suggest that climate change is likely going to cause a spread of PWD and outbreaks in areas free of the disease. The urgent need for sustainable management strategies has led to an increasing interest in antagonists capable of suppressing the PWN. Nematophagous fungi belonging to the Esteya genus are reported as natural enemies of the PWN and promising biocontrol agents. There are currently two described species: E. vermicola and E. floridanum, the first of which is capable of mimicking volatile organic compounds produced naturally by Pinus spp. in order to attract PWN. However, few studies have been carried out on the development of Esteya spp. inside pine trees, and none using maritime pine, the main and most affected species in Portuguese forests and its largest carbon reservoir. It is therefore crucial to understand the plant-nematode-fungus interactions between P. pinaster, B. xylophilus and Esteya spp. In this sense, biological interactions between these two antagonists, the PWN and P. pinaster were investigated, namely fungus-fungus, fungus-nematode and fungus-tree, as well as feeding trials and chemotaxis assays, to determine the attractive power of both fungal species. These results will enlighten us on the most promising species for biocontrol and help us devise new ways to manage PWD