A social and ecological assessment of tropical land uses at multiple scales: the Sustainable Amazon Network

Science has a critical role to play in guiding more sustainable development trajectories. Here, we present the Sustainable Amazon Network (Rede Amazonia Sustentavel, RAS): a multidisciplinary research initiative involving more than 30 partner organizations working to assess both social and ecological dimensions of land-use sustainability in eastern Brazilian Amazonia. The research approach adopted by RAS offers three advantages for addressing land-use sustainability problems: (i) the collection of synchronized and co-located ecological and socioeconomic data across broad gradients of past and present human use; (ii) a nested sampling design to aid comparison of ecological and socioeconomic conditions associated with different land uses across local, landscape and regional scales; and (iii) a strong engagement with a wide variety of actors and non-research institutions. Here, we elaborate on these key features, and identify the ways in which RAS can help in highlighting those problems in most urgent need of attention, and in guiding improvements in land-use sustainability in Amazonia and elsewhere in the tropics. We also discuss some of the practical lessons, limitations and realities faced during the development of the RAS initiative so far.Keywords: Social–ecological systems, Tropical forests, Land use, Interdisciplinary research, Sustainability, Trade-off

Tillering dynamics in palisadegrass swards continuously stocked by cattle

Plant communities on pastures adapt to varying frequencies and severities of defoliation through mechanisms capable of ensuring their longevity and photosynthetic efficiency. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate tiller population density, demographic patterns of tillering and population stability of palisadegrass swards subjected to four grazing intensities. Treatments corresponded to four sward steady state conditions (sward heights of 10, 20, 30 and 40 cm) generated by continuous stocking. Measurements of tiller population density and population dynamics were performed at 4 week intervals and the results were used to calculate tiller appearance, death and survival rates. Tiller appearance and death rate were used to calculate sward stability index. The results indicate that keeping swards low (10 cm or lower) may be prejudicial to persistency and productivity of palisadegrass. The results also indicate that a low tiller population alone should not be considered as an indicator of loss of productive potential and of reduced plant persistency, since swards may be stable even with low population of tillers.Fapesp (Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo, Brazil

Anticonvulsant, sedative, anxiolytic and antidepressant activities of the essential oil of annona vepretorum in mice: involvement of GABAergic and serotonergic systems

Annona vepretorum is an endemic species of the Caatinga biome, known in Northeastern Brazil as "araticum" and/or "pinha da Caatinga". In the present study it was evaluated the neuropharmacological potential of the essential oil obtained from the leaves of Annona vepretorum, as well as of the inclusion complexes of oil obtained with cyclodextrin. Thus, were used neuropharmacological tests already consolidated in the literature like open-field, elevated plus maze, rota-rod, tail suspension test, thiopental-induced sleep test, among others. The acute treatment of essential oil (EO) has anxiolytic, sedative, antiepileptic and antidepressant effects. The anxiolytic and anticonvulsant effects seems to be related to the GABAergic system, probably in the receptor subtypes that mediate the effects of the benzodiazepines, to generate anxiolytic activity. The sedative effect seems to be involved with other signaling pathways. The antidepressant effect of EO seems to be related to its action on serotonergic receptors. It was verified that some behavioral parameters were improved with the oil complexed with beta-cyclodextrin, but this effect was not uniform for all the doses and tests used. Further studies are needed in order to use other options for drug delivery systems. Thus, the essential oil of Annona vepretorum is a promising agent with neurobiological activity and a potential target for drug discovery, since the natural products such as medicinal plants have been a source of new therapeutic proposals11110741087CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal e Nível SuperiorCNPQ - Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e TecnológicoFACEPE - Fundação de Amparo à ciência E Tecnologia Do Estado De PernambucoFAPESP – Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa Do Estado De São Paulonão temnão temnão temnão te

Renal cell cancer treatment: an expert panel recommendation from the Latin American cooperative group-genitourinary and the Latin American renal cancer group: focus on surgery

Renal cell cancer (RCC) is one of the 10 most common cancers in the world, and its incidence is increasing, whereas mortality is declining only in developed countries. Therefore, two collaborative groups, The Latin American Oncology Cooperative Group-Genitourinary Section (LACOG-GU) and the Latin American Renal Cancer Group (LARCG), held a consensus meeting to develop this guideline. Methods: Issues (134) related to the treatment of RCC were previously formulated by a panel of experts. The voting panel comprised 26 specialists (urologists and medical oncologists) from the LACOG-GU/LARCG. A consensus was reached if 75% agreement was achieved. If there was less concordance, a new discussion was undertaken, and a consensus was determined by the most votes after a second voting session. Results: The expert meeting provided recommendations that were in line with the global literature; 75.0% of the recommendations made by the panel of experts were evidence-based level A, 22.5% of the recommendations were level B, and 2.5% of the recommendations were level D. Conclusions: This review suggests recommendations for the surgical treatment of RCC according to the LACOG-GU/LARCG experts11sem informaçãosem informaçã

Hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence after liver transplantation in a brazilian multicenter study : clinical profile and prognostic factors of survival

Liver transplantation (LT) is the treatment of choice for patients with unresectable early hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Post-LT HCC recurrence rates range from 8 to 20% and still impact on overall survival (OS). The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of HCC recurrence on post-LT survival and analyze prognostic factors among those patients with recurrence. We carried out a national, multicenter, retrospective cohort study in Brazil. Medical records of 1119 LT recipients with HCC were collected. Data from patients with post-LT HCC recurrence were analyzed and correlated with post-relapse survival. OS of the 1119 patients included in the study was 63% over 5 years. Post-LT HCC recurrence occurred in 86 (8%) patients. The mean time to recurrence was 12 months. Sites of recurrence were extrahepatic in 55%, hepatic in 27%, and both hepatic and extrahepatic in 18%. Recurrence treatment was performed in 50 (64%) cases, mostly with sorafenib. Post-relapse survival rates were 34% at 1 year and 13% at 5 years. Univariable analysis identified alpha-fetoprotein more than 1000 ng/ml at relapse, recurrence treatment, extrahepatic location, and time to recurrence more than 2 years as prognostic factors. In multivariable analysis, recurrence treatment, extrahepatic location, and time to recurrence more than 2 years were independent predictors of better survival. In a large Brazilian cohort of LT recipients with HCC, post-LT HCC recurrence occurred in 8% and impacted significantly on the OS. Patients with early recurrence presented a worse prognosis. However, treatment of recurrence improved outcomes, highlighting the importance of early diagnosis3191148115

A social and ecological assessment of tropical land uses at multiple scales:the Sustainable Amazon Network

Science has a critical role to play in guiding more sustainable development trajectories. Here, we present the Sustainable Amazon Network (Rede Amazonia Sustentavel, RAS): a multidisciplinary research initiative involving more than 30 partner organizations working to assess both social and ecological dimensions of land-use sustainability in eastern Brazilian Amazonia. The research approach adopted by RAS offers three advantages for addressing land-use sustainability problems: (i) the collection of synchronized and co-located ecological and socioeconomic data across broad gradients of past and present human use; (ii) a nested sampling design to aid comparison of ecological and socioeconomic conditions associated with different land uses across local, landscape and regional scales; and (iii) a strong engagement with a wide variety of actors and non-research institutions. Here, we elaborate on these key features, and identify the ways in which RAS can help in highlighting those problems in most urgent need of attention, and in guiding improvements in land-use sustainability in Amazonia and elsewhere in the tropics. We also discuss some of the practical lessons, limitations and realities faced during the development of the RAS initiative so far

NEOTROPICAL ALIEN MAMMALS: a data set of occurrence and abundance of alien mammals in the Neotropics

Biological invasion is one of the main threats to native biodiversity. For a species to become invasive, it must be voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into a nonnative habitat. Mammals were among first taxa to be introduced worldwide for game, meat, and labor, yet the number of species introduced in the Neotropics remains unknown. In this data set, we make available occurrence and abundance data on mammal species that (1) transposed a geographical barrier and (2) were voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into the Neotropics. Our data set is composed of 73,738 historical and current georeferenced records on alien mammal species of which around 96% correspond to occurrence data on 77 species belonging to eight orders and 26 families. Data cover 26 continental countries in the Neotropics, ranging from Mexico and its frontier regions (southern Florida and coastal-central Florida in the southeast United States) to Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay, and the 13 countries of Caribbean islands. Our data set also includes neotropical species (e.g., Callithrix sp., Myocastor coypus, Nasua nasua) considered alien in particular areas of Neotropics. The most numerous species in terms of records are from Bos sp. (n = 37,782), Sus scrofa (n = 6,730), and Canis familiaris (n = 10,084); 17 species were represented by only one record (e.g., Syncerus caffer, Cervus timorensis, Cervus unicolor, Canis latrans). Primates have the highest number of species in the data set (n = 20 species), partly because of uncertainties regarding taxonomic identification of the genera Callithrix, which includes the species Callithrix aurita, Callithrix flaviceps, Callithrix geoffroyi, Callithrix jacchus, Callithrix kuhlii, Callithrix penicillata, and their hybrids. This unique data set will be a valuable source of information on invasion risk assessments, biodiversity redistribution and conservation-related research. There are no copyright restrictions. Please cite this data paper when using the data in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us on how they are using the data

The Unquantified Risk of Post-Fire Metal Concentration in Soil: a Review

Forest fire is a natural disturbance that occurs in many terrestrial ecosystems specifically in the semi-arid environments and is considered to be an important cause of environmental change. Though many causes of fire are identified, including lightning, volcanic eruption, power line sparks, etc., human involvement is the most significant factor. Fire events are able to alter the physical, chemical and biogeochemical properties of the soil and surface materials and are able to release major and trace metals into the environment. This may be more significant in mining-affected and industrial landscapes, where elevated concentrations of metals present in the soil. After the fire event, metals become more mobile due to the increase in soil surface exposure and the mobility associated with ash dispersal. This mobility may increase the bioavailability of the metals, which may generate water quality issues and may contribute to human and environmental health concerns. Even though, the influences of fire on many soil properties are well established, the behaviour of metals with respect to fire is not well investigated. However, a few studies report that major and trace metals include Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn and As are mobilized after fire with increased concentrations in soil and water resources and this might pose a risk to human health and ecosystems. Climate change may increase the intensity, frequency and areal extend of fire events and hence increase the metal concentrations and their potential health impacts. This paper reviews post-fire (wild fire) mobility of metals in soil common in contaminated forest ecosystems. The human and ecological health risks of these metals are also considered. © 2017, Springer International Publishing Switzerland

Observation of the suppressed Λb0→DpK- decay with D→K+π- and measurement of its CP asymmetry

International audienceA study of Λb0 baryon decays to the DpK- final state is presented based on a proton-proton collision data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9  fb-1 collected with the LHCb detector. Two Λb0 decays are considered, Λb0→DpK- with D→K-π+ and D→K+π-, where D represents a superposition of D0 and D¯0 states. The latter process is expected to be suppressed relative to the former, and is observed for the first time. The ratio of branching fractions of the two decays is measured, and the CP asymmetry of the suppressed mode, which is sensitive to the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa angle γ, is also reported

Simultaneous determination of CKM angle γ\gamma and charm mixing parameters

A combination of measurements sensitive to the CP violation angle γ of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa unitarity triangle and to the charm mixing parameters that describe oscillations between D$^{0}$ and $\overline{D} ^{0}$ mesons is performed. Results from the charm and beauty sectors, based on data collected with the LHCb detector at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, are combined for the first time. This method provides an improvement on the precision of the charm mixing parameter y by a factor of two with respect to the current world average. The charm mixing parameters are determined to be $x=\left({0.400}_{-0.053}^{+0.052}\right)\%$ and y = $\left({0.630}_{-0.030}^{+0.033}\right)\%$. The angle γ is found to be γ = $\left({65.4}_{-4.2}^{+3.8}\right){}^{\circ}$ and is the most precise determination from a single experiment.[graphic not available: see fulltext