Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time, and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space. While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes, vast areas of the tropics remain understudied. In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity, but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases. To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge, it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Determinação da energia metabolizável de alimentos para codornas japonesas em postura Metabolizable energy of different feedstuffs tested in female Japanese quails

Foram determinados os valores de energia metabolizável aparente (EMA), de energia metabolizável aparente corrigida por retenção de nitrogênio (EMAn) e do coeficiente de metabolização aparente da energia bruta (CMAEB%) do milho, sorgo, farelo de soja, farelo de glúten de milho e óleo de soja refinado. Foram utilizadas 240 codornas japonesas (Coturnix japonica), fêmeas com idade inicial de 60 dias, em delineamento experimental inteiramente ao caso, com seis tratamentos, cinco repetições e oito codornas por unidade experimental. Os tratamentos consistiram de cinco rações experimentais e uma ração referência. Cada ração experimental foi constituída, na base da matéria natural, por 70% da ração referência e 30% do ingrediente a ser testado, com exceção da ração para determinação da EMAn do óleo de soja, com 10% de inclusão e 90% da ração referência. O experimento foi realizado em gaiolas distribuídas em baterias metálicas. Os valores de EMA, EMAn (em kcal/kg de matéria natural) e do CMAEB (%) do milho moído, sorgo, farelo de soja, farelo de glúten de milho e óleo de soja refinado foram, respectivamente: 3.572 e 3.612kcal/kg e 92,6%; 3.108 e 3.149kcal/kg e 80,9%; 2.633 e 2.676kcal/kg e 65,3%; 4.043 e 4.096kcal/kg e 75,0%; 9.335 e 9.379kcal/kg e 98,8%. Os valores de EMA descritos para outras espécies de aves são discrepantes dos obtidos no presente estudo, não sendo recomendado seu uso em formulação de rações para codornas japonesas em postura.<br>The values of the apparent metabolizable energy (AME), the apparent metabolizable energy corrected for nitrogen retention (AMEn), and the apparent metabolization coefficient of crude energy (AMCCE) were determined in corn, sorghum, soybean meal, corn gluten meal, and refined soybean oil. Two-hundred and forty six-day-old female Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica) were used in a completely randomized design, with five replicates and eight quails per experimental unit. The treatments consisted of six experimental diets and one reference diet. Each experimental diet was constituted, as fed basis, for 70% of the reference ration and 30% of food that would be tested, except the ration that contained refined soybean oil that was tested, as fed basis, with 10% of addition and 90% of the reference ration. The biological assay was carried out in wired floor cages distributed in iron batteries. The respective values of AME, AMEn (kcal/kg of natural matter basis), and AMCCE (%) of ground corn, sorghum, soybean meal, corn gluten meal, and refined soybean oil were respectively: 3,572, 3,612kcal/kg, and 92.6%; 3,108, 3,149kcal/kg, and 80.9%; 2,633, 2,676kcal/kg, and 65.3%; 4,043, 4,096kcal/kg, and 75.0%; and 9,335, 9,379kcal/kg, and 98.8%. The values of AME described for other birds species were different from those obtained in this study and are not recommended to be used in ration composition for Japanese quails

Stress-inducible protein 1 is a cell surface ligand for cellular prion that triggers neuroprotection

Prions are composed of an isoform of a normal sialoglycoprotein called PrP(c), whose physiological role has been under investigation, with focus on the screening for ligands. Our group described a membrane 66 kDa PrP(c)-binding protein with the aid of antibodies against a peptide deduced by complementary hydropathy. Using these antibodies in western blots from two-dimensional protein gels followed by sequencing the specific spot, we have now identified the molecule as stress-inducible protein 1 (STI1). We show that this protein is also found at the cell membrane besides the cytoplasm. Both proteins interact in a specific and high affinity manner with a K(d) of 10(–7) M. The interaction sites were mapped to amino acids 113–128 from PrP(c) and 230–245 from STI1. Cell surface binding and pull-down experiments showed that recombinant PrP(c) binds to cellular STI1, and co-immunoprecipitation assays strongly suggest that both proteins are associated in vivo. Moreover, PrP(c) interaction with either STI1 or with the peptide we found that represents the binding domain in STI1 induce neuropro tective signals that rescue cells from apoptosis

Qualidade do inhame 'Da Costa' em função das épocas de colheita e da adubação orgânica Da Costa yam quality in relation to harvest time and organic fertilization

Foi desenvolvido um trabalho na EMEPA em João Pessoa, entre setembro/98 e junho/99, com o objetivo de quantificar o teor de matéria seca, de amido e de cinzas em rizomas do inhame, cultivar Da Costa, em função das épocas de colheita e da adubação orgânica, em solo Podzólico Vermelho-Amarelo, textura arenosa. Estudaram-se níveis de esterco bovino (5; 10; 15 e 20 t/ha) e de esterco de galinha (2,8; 5,6; 8,4 e 11,2 t/ha), duas épocas de colheita (sete e nove meses após o plantio) e uma testemunha, sem resíduo orgânico. Os tratamentos foram arranjados como fatorial 2x4x2+1, no delineamento de blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições. O teor de matéria seca nos rizomas aumentou com a maturidade do cará-da-costa, passando de 33% em rizomas colhidos aos sete meses, para 36% em rizoma colhidos aos nove meses. Os teores de matéria seca nos rizomas colhidos aos sete meses decresceram de 35,80% e 34,71%, respectivamente, na ausência de estercos para 30,03% e 29,25%, respectivamente, com as doses de 20 t/ha de esterco bovino e de 11,2 t/ha de esterco de galinha. Na colheita realizada aos sete meses, o teor de amido foi de 26%, elevando-se para 29% na colheita aos noves meses. O teor de amido, na colheita realizada aos nove meses, aumentou com as doses de esterco de galinha, atingindo o máximo de 31,6% com a dose de 4,8 t/ha. O teor de cinzas nos rizomas não foi influenciado pelas épocas de colheita, mas naqueles colhidos aos nove meses, o teor aumentou com as doses de esterco bovino e de galinha, atingindo o máximo de 0,78 e 0,67%, respectivamente, nas doses de 12,8 e 6,7 t/ha.<br>An experiment was carried out in EMEPA, João Pessoa, Brazil between September 98 and June 99 to quantify the dry matter, starch and ash content of yam rhizomes, cv. Da Costa, in relation to harvest time and organic fertilization. The area consisted of a red-yellow podzolic sandy soil. Four levels of cattle manure (5; 10; 15 and 20 t/ha), four levels of chicken manure (2.8; 5.6; 8.4 and 11.2 t/ha), and two harvest times [seven and nine months after planting date (APD))] plus a treatment without organic residue, were studied, arranged in a factorial cheme 2x4x2+1 in randomized blocks, with four replications. Dry matter was of 33% and 36% in rhizomes harvested seven and nine months APD, respectively. At seven months APD, dry matter decreased from 35.80% and 34.71%, without cattle or chicken manure, respectively, to 30.03% and 29.25%, for highest levels of cattle manure (20 t/ha) and chicken manure (11.2 t/ha). Starch content increased from 26% at seven months APD to 29% at nine months APD. Nine months APD, starch content in rhizomes increased (31.6%) with increasing levels of chicken manure (4.8 t/ha). Ash content was not affected by harvest dates. However, applying 12.8 t/ha of cattle manure and 6.7 t/ha of chicken manure, rhizomes presented increase in ash content of 0.78% and 0.67% respectively, when harvested nine months APD