Benthic estuarine communities in Brazil: moving forward to long term studies to assess climate change impacts

Abstract Estuaries are unique coastal ecosystems that sustain and provide essential ecological services for mankind. Estuarine ecosystems include a variety of habitats with their own sediment-fauna dynamics, all of them globally undergoing alteration or threatened by human activities. Mangrove forests, saltmarshes, tidal flats and other confined estuarine systems are under increasing stress due to human activities leading to habitat and species loss. Combined changes in estuarine hydromorphology and in climate pose severe threats to estuarine ecosystems on a global scale. The ReBentos network is the first integrated attempt in Brazil to monitor estuarine changes in the long term to detect and assess the effects of global warming. This paper is an initial effort of ReBentos to review current knowledge on benthic estuarine ecology in Brazil. We herein present and synthesize all published work on Brazilian estuaries that has focused on the description of benthic communities and related ecological processes. We then use current data on Brazilian estuaries and present recommendations for future studies to address climate change effects, suggesting trends for possible future research and stressing the need for long-term datasets and international partnerships

TNF-α induces vascular insulin resistance via positive modulation of PTEN and decreased Akt/eNOS/NO signaling in high fat diet-fed mice

Abstract\ud \ud Background\ud High fat diet (HFD) induces insulin resistance in various tissues, including the vasculature. HFD also increases plasma levels of TNF-α, a cytokine that contributes to insulin resistance and vascular dysfunction. Considering that the enzyme phosphatase and tension homologue (PTEN), whose expression is increased by TNF-α, reduces Akt signaling and, consequently, nitric oxide (NO) production, we hypothesized that PTEN contributes to TNF-α-mediated vascular resistance to insulin induced by HFD. Mechanisms underlying PTEN effects were determined.\ud \ud \ud Methods\ud Mesenteric vascular beds were isolated from C57Bl/6J and TNF-α KO mice submitted to control or HFD diet for 18 weeks to assess molecular mechanisms by which TNF-α and PTEN contribute to vascular dysfunction.\ud \ud \ud Results\ud Vasodilation in response to insulin was decreased in HFD-fed mice and in ex vivo control arteries incubated with TNF-α. TNF-α receptors deficiency and TNF-α blockade with infliximab abolished the effects of HFD and TNF-α on insulin-induced vasodilation. PTEN vascular expression (total and phosphorylated isoforms) was increased in HFD-fed mice. Treatment with a PTEN inhibitor improved insulin-induced vasodilation in HFD-fed mice. TNF-α receptor deletion restored PTEN expression/activity and Akt/eNOS/NO signaling in HFD-fed mice.\ud \ud \ud Conclusion\ud TNF-α induces vascular insulin resistance by mechanisms that involve positive modulation of PTEN and inhibition of Akt/eNOS/NO signaling. Our findings highlight TNF-α and PTEN as potential targets to limit insulin resistance and vascular complications associated with obesity-related conditions.This work was supported by grants from Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa\ud do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP 2013/08216-2-CRID), Coordenação de Aper‑\ud feiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) and Conselho Nacional de\ud Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Brazil

Extraction/exportation of macronutrients by cladodes of ‘Gigante’ cactus pear under different spacings and organic fertilization

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the extraction/exportation of macronutrients by cladodes of ‘Gigante’ cactos pear, grown under diferente spacings and doses of cattle manure applied to the soil 600 days after planting. Twelve treatments were used, three spacing (1.00 x 0.50; 2.00 x 0.25 and 3.00 x 1.00 x 0.25 m) and four doses of cattle manure (0, 30, 60 and 90 Mg ha-1 year-1), arranged in a 3 x 4 factorial scheme in randomized blocks, with three replicates. The extraction/exportation of N, P, K, S, Ca and Mg was determined, whose respective values for maximum dry matter production (21.8 Mg ha-1), with a cattle manure dose of 71.8 Mg ha-1 year-1 were: 287.9, 46.2, 924.2, 40.7, 609.7 and 249.1 kg ha-1, 600 days after planting. The amounts extracted/exported from N, P, K and Ca varied independently with spacings and manure doses, while Mg and S were dependent on the interaction between factors. The doses of manure are insufficient to meet the demand of extracted/exported K, Ca and Mg. The increments in the doses promote greater nutrient uptake by the plant. The extracted/exported macronutrients in largest amounts are: K, Ca, N, Mg, P and S, in this order

Yield and vegetative growth of cactus pear at different spacings and under chemical fertilizations

ABSTRACT The objective was to evaluate the effect of different spacings and mineral fertilizations on cactus pear growth and production in a randomized block design, with three replicates, in a 3 x 4 factorial scheme: three spacings, 1.00 x 0.50 m, 2.00 x 0.25 m and 3.00 x 1.00 x 0.25 m, and four fertilizations, 000-000-000, 000-150-000, 200-150-000 and 200-150-100 kg ha-1 of N, P2O5 and K2O, respectively. Plant growth was evaluated between 90 and 390 days and production and growth were evaluated at 620 days after planting. There were significant interactions between spacing and fertilization for plant height, number of cladodes and cladode area index from 90 to 390 days and for production of fresh and dry matter at 620 days after planting. Spacing influenced cladode area index, while fertilization influenced plant height, number of cladodes and cladode area index at 620 days after planting. Plant height showed cubic effect for the days after planting. Number of cladodes and cladode area index were dependent on spacing, fertilization and plant age, and fitted to cubic models. The best results of growth and production of fresh and dry matter are associated with NPK and NP fertilizations and the spacing of 1.00 x 0.50 m

Extraction/export of nutrients in Opuntia ficus-indica under different spacings and chemical fertilizers

ABSTRACT This work aimed to evaluate extraction/ export of nutrients and dry matter production in the 'Gigante' cactus pear, grown in different spacings and fertilizations 620 days after planting. Twelve combination of treatments were used consisting of: three spacings - 1.00 x 0.50; 2.00 x 0.25; and 3.00 x 1.00 x 0.25 m, and four fertilizations - 000-000-000; 000-150-000; 200-150-000; and 200-150-100, kg ha-1, of N, P2O5 and K2O, in a 3 x 4 factorial scheme in a randomized block design, with three replicates. Extraction/export of N, P, K, S, Ca, Mg, B, Fe, Mn, Zn, Na and Cu were determined and the means were 304.35; 18.81; 421.04; 62.35; 464.63; 215.77; 0.39; 0.81; 23.74; 1.11; 0.62 and 0.08 kg ha-1, besides the mean dry matter production of 17.11 Mg ha-1. There were significant interactions for extraction/export of Mg and dry matter production. The fertilizations used were insufficient to meet the demand of N, K, Ca, Mg, S and micronutrients. Fertilization increased the extraction of nutrients, particularly N, P and S at the spacing of 1.00 x 0.50 m, and increased dry matter production. The decreasing order of extraction/export was Ca, K, N, Mg, S and P for macronutrients and Mn, Zn, Fe, Na, B and Cu for micronutrients

Photochemical efficiency in cladodes of ‘Gigante’ cactus pear cultivated under different spacings and organic fertilization

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to determine the photochemical efficiency of ‘Gigante’ cactus pear cultivated under different spacings and bovine manure doses in the semi-arid region. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design in a 4 x 3 x 7 factorial scheme, with three replicates. The first factor consisted of four doses of organic fertilization (0, 30, 60 and 90 Mg ha-1 year-1 of bovine manure), the second one, of three spacings (1.0 x 0.5, 2.0 x 0.25 and 3.0 x 1.0 x 0.25 m) and the third one of seven reading times (6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 h). Chlorophyll a fluorescence readings were taken in cactus pear cladodes in the dry and rainy seasons using a pulse-modulated fluorometer. Cladodes of ‘Gigante’ cactus pear cultivated under different spacings and bovine manure doses undergo changes in photosystem II during the dry season under the physiographic conditions of the semi-arid region in Bahia. During the rainy season in the semi-arid region, the photosynthetic yield in cactus pear cladodes is considered ideal