LITTER PRODUCTION AND NUTRIENTS IN AREA OF CAATINGA BIOME

A Caatinga \ue9 um dos biomas brasileiros no qual se registram os maiores \uedndices de degrada\ue7\ue3o, associada, principalmente, \ue0 supress\ue3o da vegeta\ue7\ue3o para produ\ue7\ue3o energ\ue9tica e pr\ue1tica da agricultura de subsist\ueancia, ocasionando interfer\ueancias na ciclagem de nutrientes. O objetivo do trabalho foi quantificar e analisar quimicamente a deposi\ue7\ue3o de serapilheira em um fragmento de Caatinga, localizado no munic\uedpio de Pombal - PB. Foi coletada mensalmente, durante 12 meses, e separada em diferentes fra\ue7\uf5es (folhas, estruturas reprodutivas, galhos e miscel\ue2nea) toda serapilheira depositada em coletores de 1,0 m2 de \ue1rea, distribu\ueddas de forma sistem\ue1tica. Os nutrientes analisados foram N, P, K, Ca e Mg. A deposi\ue7\ue3o anual de serapilheira foi de 3.785,67 kg ha-1, composta predominantemente da fra\ue7\ue3o folha com 70,2%, seguida pela fra\ue7\ue3o estruturas reprodutivas com 18,3%. Os teores de nutrientes na serapilheira seguiram a ordem Ca>N>K>Mg>P. O teor de nutrientes nas fra\ue7\uf5es varia em fun\ue7\ue3o do tempo e h\ue1 evid\ueancias de sua rela\ue7\ue3o com a precipita\ue7\ue3o pluviom\ue9trica. A deposi\ue7\ue3o da serapilheira coincidiu com o per\uedodo de sazonalidade da Caatinga.Caatinga is one of the Brazilian biomes where the highest degradation rates are recorded. It is associated mainly to the removal of vegetation for energy production and practice of subsistence agriculture, causing interference in nutrient cycling. The aim of the study was to quantify and chemically analyze litter deposition in a fragment of Caatinga, located in the municipality of Pombal, Para\uedba (PB) state. It was collected monthly for 12 months, and separated into different fractions (leaves, reproductive structures, branches and miscellaneous), all litter deposited on collectors of 1.0 m2, distributed systematically. The nutrients analyzed were N, P, K, Ca and Mg. The annual litter was of 3785.67 kg ha-1, predominantly composed of leaf fraction with 70.2%, followed by the fraction reproductive structures with 18.3%. The nutrient content in the leaf litter followed the order Ca> N> K> Mg> P. The nutrient content in the fractions vary according to time and there is evidence of their relationship with the rainfall. The deposition of litter coincided with the seasonal period of Caatinga

Growth And Mineral Nutrition Of Neem ( Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) And Chinaberry Tree (Melia azedarach Linn.) Submitted To Salinity

Este trabalho teve como objetivo verificar os efeitos da salinidade do solo no crescimento e no ac\ufamulo de macronutrientes e de s\uf3dio em nim (Azadirachta indica) e cinamomo ( Melia azedarach ). O experimento foi disposto em delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado em arranjo fatorial 2 x 4, sendo duas esp\ue9cies (nim e cinamomo) e quatro n\uedveis de salinidade (Condutividade el\ue9trica (C.E.) 0,49 (solo n\ue3o salino); 4,15; 6,33 e 10,45 dS m-1), com 4 repeti\ue7\uf5es. As plantas cresceram inicialmente em tubetes e, 60 dias ap\uf3s a emerg\ueancia, foram transferidas para vasos contendo 3 kg de substrato [solo + esterco (2:1)], de acordo com o tratamento de salinidade. Ap\uf3s 45 dias foram avaliadas altura das plantas, mat\ue9ria seca (folhas, caule, parte a\ue9rea (caule + folhas), ra\uedzes e total) e ac\ufamulo de N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S e Na+ na parte a\ue9rea. A salinidade reduziu a altura das plantas em ambas as esp\ue9cies, mas o efeito foi mais pronunciado no nim. Eleva\ue7\ue3o na salinidade dos solos causou aumento no ac\ufamulo de Na+ e redu\ue7\ue3o no ac\ufamulo de macronutrientes na parte a\ue9rea em ambas as esp\ue9cies, principalmente no nim. O cinamomo foi mais tolerante aos n\uedveis de salinidade dos solos do que o nim.The objective of this study was to verify the effects of soil salinity on growth and nutrient and sodium accumulation in neem (Azadirachta indica) and cinnamomum ( Melia azedarach ). The experimental delineation was completely randomized in a 2 x 4 factorial arrangement, with two species (neem and cinnamomum), four salinity levels (electrical conductivity 0.49 (non saline soil), 4.15, 6.33 and 10.45 dS m-1) and four replications. Initially, plants were grown in tubes, and 60 days after emergence, they were transferred to pots containing 3 kg of substrate [soil + manure (2:1)], according to the saline treatment. After 45 days, plant height, dry matter (leaves, stem, shoot (stem + leaves), roots and total) and N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S and Na+ shoot accumulation were evaluated. Salinity reduced the plant height in both species, but the effect was more pronounced in neem. Increases in soil salinity caused an increase in the accumulation of Na+ and reduced the accumulation of nutrients in shoots of both species, especially in neem. The cinnamomum was more tolerant to salinity levels of soils than neem

Diagnosis : a future field of medical activity.

O sequenciamento de ?ltima gera??o (NGS) ? um tipo de tecnologia de sequenciamento de DNA que usa o sequenciamento paralelo de m?ltiplos fragmentos pequenos de DNA. Essa tecnologia permitiu um aumento dram?tico na velocidade (e uma diminui??o no custo) na qual o genoma de um indiv?duo pode ser sequenciado. O sequenciamento de Sanger ? usado para confirmar a presen?a de muta??es espec?ficas identificadas pela NGS em situa??es cl?nicas, devido ? maior precis?o dos m?todos tradicionais de sequenciamento, embora essa pr?tica esteja sendo questionada. A NGS pode ser apropriada para diagnosticar dist?rbios gen?ticos suspeitos quando ? improv?vel que o sequenciamento de um ?nico gene forne?a um diagn?stico. Pain?is de genes baseados em NGS s?o usados clinicamente em certas neoplasias hematol?gicas, e os primeiros testes de painel gen?tico para tumores s?lidos. Outras utiliza??es, como o diagn?stico de infec??es e a triagem de pessoas saud?veis continuam sendo investigados.Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) is a type of DNA sequencing technology that uses parallel sequencing of multiple small fragments of DNA. This technology has allowed for a dramatic increase in speed (and a decrease in cost) in which an individual's genome can be sequenced. Sanger sequencing is used to confirm the presence of specific mutations identified by NGS in clinical situations due to the greater accuracy of traditional sequencing methods, although this practice is being questioned. NGS may be appropriate to diagnose suspected genetic disorders when single gene sequencing is unlikely to provide a diagnosis. NGS-based gene panels are used clinically in certain hematological malignancies, and the first genetic panel tests for solid tumors. Other uses, such as the diagnosis of infections and the screening of healthy people, continue to be investigated

ALLOMETRY AND ARCHITECTURE OF Copaifera langsdorffii (Desf.) Kuntze (FABACEAE) IN NEOTROPICAL PHYSIOGNOMIES IN SOUTHEASTERN BRAZIL

O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar padr\uf5es alom\ue9tricos e fei\ue7\uf5es arquiteturais de Copaifera langsdorffii em diferentes fisionomias de uma regi\ue3o de tens\ue3o ecol\uf3gica. As fisionomias de floresta, corredor, cerrado e cerrado rupestre foram estudadas nos munic\uedpios de Lavras e Carrancas, sul de Minas Gerais, Brasil. Foram estudadas as rela\ue7\uf5es entre di\ue2metro do tronco, altura, \ue1rea da copa, grau de deflex\ue3o e deslocamento relativo da copa, sendo analisado o grau de semelhan\ue7a, entre as fisionomias, por meio de regress\uf5es e an\ue1lise covari\ue2ncia. Foi realizada uma an\ue1lise de componentes principais (PCA) com vari\ue1veis biom\ue9tricas coletadas e morfom\ue9tricas calculadas, para caracteriza\ue7\ue3o de grupos mais homog\ueaneos que evidenciem a plasticidade morfol\uf3gica da esp\ue9cie e suas diferentes estrat\ue9gias e investimento em recursos. Como resultado das an\ue1lises de regress\ue3o e covari\ue2ncia, encontraram-se padr\uf5es distintos, principalmente entre as fisionomias de floresta e cerrado, das fisionomias de cerrado rupestre e corredor. Um padr\ue3o de crescimento com maior investimento em altura na floresta, objetivando a garantia de espa\ue7o no dossel, e outro mais ligado ao crescimento horizontal da copa, nas fisionomias de cerrado rupestre e corredor. A PCA apresentou um gradiente de plasticidade morfol\uf3gica para a esp\ue9cie. A fisionomia de floresta apresentou maiores valores de altura total, largura de copa e di\ue2metro do tronco, e a fisionomia de cerrado rupestre mostrou valores mais elevados de grau de deflex\ue3o da copa (assimetria). O cerrado e o corredor formaram uma transi\ue7\ue3o entre floresta e cerrado rupestre, no gradiente de fei\ue7\uf5es morfol\uf3gicas da esp\ue9cie nas fisionomias.This study examined allometric patterns and architectural features of Copaifera langsdorffii , in different physiognomies in a region of ecological tension. The forest, corridor, \u2018cerrado\u2019, and rocky cerrado physiognomies were studied in the districts of Lavras and Carrancas, south of Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The relationships between stem diameter, height, crown area, degrees of deflection and relative displacement were analyzed, as well as the degree of similarity between the physiognomies by means of regressions and covariance analysis. The principal component analysis (PCA) was performed with the collected biometric and calculated morphometric variables to characterize the most homogeneous groups which show the morphological plasticity of the species and their different strategies and resources investment. As a result of the regression and covariance analysis, two distinct patterns were found mainly between forest and \u2018cerrado\u2019 physiognomies from rocky cerrado and corridor physiognomies. It was found a pattern of growth through higher investment in height in the forest, aiming to guarantee space in the canopy, and a more connected to the horizontal growth of the crown, in the rocky \u2018cerrado\u2019 and corridor. The PCA showed a gradient of morphological plasticity for the species. The forest physiognomy presented higher values of total height, crown width and stem diameter, while the rocky \u2018cerrado\u2019 physiognomy presented higher degrees of deflection of the crown (asymmetry). The \u2018cerrado\u2019 and the corridor formed a transition between forest and rocky \u2018cerrado\u2019 for the gradient of morphological features of the studied species in these physiognomies

SOIL-VEGETATION RELATIONSHIP IN FOREST ISLANDS AND ADJACENT SAVANNA AT THE NORTHEAST RORAIMA, AMAZONIA

O estudo de solos em ilhas florestais inseridas em \ue1reas de dom\uednio de savanas \ue9 fundamental para compreender os processos de forma\ue7\ue3o da paisagem. Este trabalho caracterizou propriedades morfol\uf3gicas, f\uedsicas e qu\uedmicas de solos em quatro fragmentos naturais de florestas de ocorr\ueancia no mosaico savanafloresta em Roraima, norte da Amaz\uf4nia. O m\ue9todo consistiu em transectos atravessando as ilhas nos sentidos leste-oeste e norte-sul, onde foram abertas cinco trincheiras para a coleta de amostras e estudos de solos. Nas \ue1reas de savana cont\uedguas a cada ilha foram estabelecidos transectos de 100 m de comprimento e abertas cinco trincheiras equidistantes para caracteriza\ue7\ue3o qu\uedmica e f\uedsica do solo comparativa. Os Latossolos foram as classes de solos predominantes nas quatro ilhas investigadas, seguida de Argissolos e Plintossolos, todos predominantemente oligotr\uf3ficos (distr\uf3ficos, de baixa CTC, \ue1cidos). Condi\ue7\uf5es qu\uedmicas e f\uedsicas melhores foram verificadas nos solos das ilhas florestais em rela\ue7\ue3o \ue0s \ue1reas de savana circundantes, numa mesma classe de solo. Assim, embora a classe de solo n\ue3o tenha variado entre diferentes fitofisionomias em um dado gradiente, caracter\uedsticas qu\uedmicas e f\uedsicas espec\uedficas variaram e podem exercer influ\ueancia positiva no estabelecimento de vegeta\ue7\ue3o florestada. Embora florestas e savanas ocorram lado a lado, em mosaico, o clima atual com longa esta\ue7\ue3o seca \ue9 concordante com a exist\ueancia da savana em relevo plano e a ocorr\ueancia das ilhas florestais parece condicionada a varia\ue7\uf5es f\uedsico-qu\uedmicas sutis dos solos, sem necessidade de invocar uma rela\ue7\ue3o com oscila\ue7\uf5es paleoclim\ue1ticas. Estudos mais aprofundados posteriores poder\ue3o testar a hip\uf3tese de contra\ue7\ue3o ou expans\ue3o florestal durante o Quatern\ue1rio, buscando evid\ueancias de que tais ilhas possam representar rel\uedquias paleoclim\ue1ticas imersas em dom\uednio sav\ue2nico.Studies on soils of forest islands within the savanna domain are key for understanding processes of landscape formation and evolution. We characterized the morphological, physical and chemical properties of soils at four different forest fragments that occur in the savanna-forest mosaic of northeastern Roraima, north Amazonia. The methodology was based on transects crossing the entire island, from east-west and northsouth direction, digging up five soil profiles for sampling and classification. In addition, the neighboring savannas were also sampled following the same strategy, at 100 m long transects departing from the border, allowing comparisons to be made. Latosols were the dominant soil class in all four islands, followed by Ultisols and Plinthosols. All soils were dystric, with low CEC and acid. Better chemical and physical conditions were observed in forested soils compared with surrounding savannas, in a given soil class. Thus, in spite of no variation on soil class at different phytophysionomies at a given gradient, specific chemical and physical attributes were significantly varied, exerting a positive effect for the establishment of forest vegetation. Despite their occurrence side-by-side in the savanna-forest mosaic, the present-day climate agrees with the existence of savanna in the flat landforms, whereas forest islands are conditioned by subtle, yet significant, soil physico-chemical variations, with no need to invoke any paleoclimate for explaining this relationship. Further in depth studies may contribute for testing the hypothesis that Quaternary shifts of the expansion and contraction of forest may represent paleoclimate relicts isolated within the savanna domain

In vivo antileishmanial efficacy of a naphthoquinone derivate incorporated into a Pluronic? F127-based polymeric micelle system against Leishmania amazonensis infection.

New therapeutic strategies against leishmaniasis are desirable, since the treatment against disease presents problems, such as the toxicity, high cost and/or parasite resistance. As consequence, new antileishmanial compounds are necessary to be identified, as presenting high activity against Leishmania parasites, but low toxicity in mammalian hosts. Flau-A is a naphthoquinone derivative recently showed to presents an in vitro effective action against Leishmania amazonensis and L. infantum species. In the present work, the in vivo efficacy of Flau-A, which was incorporated into a Poloxamer 407-based micelle system, was evaluated in a murine model against L. amazonensis infection. Amphotericin B (AmB) and Ambisome? were used as controls. The animals were infected and later treated with the compounds. Thirty days after the treatment, parasitological and immunological parameters were evaluated. Results showed that AmB, Ambisome? , Flau-A or Flau-A/M-treated animals presented significantly lower average lesion diameter and parasite burden in tissue and organs evaluated, when compared to the control (saline and micelle) groups. Flau-A or Flau-A/M-treated mice were those presenting the most significant reductions in the parasite burden, when compared to the others. These animals developed also a more polarized antileishmanial Th1 immune response, which was based on significantly higher levels of IFN-?, IL-12, TNF-?, GM-CSF, and parasite-specific IgG2a isotype; associated with low levels of IL-4, IL10, and IgG1 antibody. The absence of toxicity was found in these animals, although mice receiving AmB have showed high levels of renal and hepatic damage markers. In conclusion, results suggested that the Flau-A/M compound may be considered as a possible therapeutic target to be evaluated against human leishmaniasis

Local hydrological conditions influence tree diversity and composition across the Amazon basin

Tree diversity and composition in Amazonia are known to be strongly determined by the water supplied by precipitation. Nevertheless, within the same climatic regime, water availability is modulated by local topography and soil characteristics (hereafter referred to as local hydrological conditions), varying from saturated and poorly drained to well-drained and potentially dry areas. While these conditions may be expected to influence species distribution, the impacts of local hydrological conditions on tree diversity and composition remain poorly understood at the whole Amazon basin scale. Using a dataset of 443 1-ha non-flooded forest plots distributed across the basin, we investigate how local hydrological conditions influence 1) tree alpha diversity, 2) the community-weighted wood density mean (CWM-wd) – a proxy for hydraulic resistance and 3) tree species composition. We find that the effect of local hydrological conditions on tree diversity depends on climate, being more evident in wetter forests, where diversity increases towards locations with well-drained soils. CWM-wd increased towards better drained soils in Southern and Western Amazonia. Tree species composition changed along local soil hydrological gradients in Central-Eastern, Western and Southern Amazonia, and those changes were correlated with changes in the mean wood density of plots. Our results suggest that local hydrological gradients filter species, influencing the diversity and composition of Amazonian forests. Overall, this study shows that the effect of local hydrological conditions is pervasive, extending over wide Amazonian regions, and reinforces the importance of accounting for local topography and hydrology to better understand the likely response and resilience of forests to increased frequency of extreme climate events and rising temperatures