Mangrove carbon stocks and biomass partitioning in an extreme environment

Global inventories that show mangrove forests have rich carbon stores currently lack data from arid areas where carbon stocks may be functionally impoverished relative to humid regions. We quantified total carbon stocks (C) of three arid Avicennia marina stands in Qatar and report an aboveground biomass allometric equation and the first below ground biomass allometric equation in the region. The allometric relationships indicate that below ground mangrove C stocks in arid locations are more important than previously reported. Comparison of previously published and our locally developed allometric equations show that A. marina in Qatar allocate comparatively more biomass to below ground components than the same species in tropical humid settings, which is consistent with plant adaptations to living in stressed conditions. Total C stocks were 45.70 ± 3.70 Mg C ha−1, of which tree and soil C stocks to 50 cm depth represented 10.18 ± 0.82 Mg C ha−1 and 35.52 ± 2.88 Mg ha−1 respectively. Soil C stocks to 1 m depth were 50.17 ± 6.27 Mg C ha−1. Overall, mangroves sustain relatively small C stocks in the arid, hypersaline environment of Qatar, which may be due to both relatively low tree productivity and growth, as well as limited rainfall-driven transport of terrigenous sediment inputs. By providing further estimates of mangrove carbon at their climatic extremes, these results can contribute to a better quantification of global mangrove carbon, reduce uncertainty in below ground tree C estimates from arid mangroves and have implications for mangrove carbon stocks in the face of climate change.Qatar National Research Fund, National Priorities Research Program (NPRP) [grant number 7–1302 – 1–24

Multidisciplinary management of head and neck sarcomas

BackgroundHead and neck sarcomas are extremely rare. This article reviews the management and outcomes in a multidisciplinary clinic.MethodsThe records of 41 male and 19 female patients (mean age, 50 years) were reviewed. Forty percent underwent surgical resection only, 35% underwent surgery and adjuvant therapy, and 25% underwent radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy without surgery. Seventy-one percent had complete histologic clearance.ResultsThe mean follow-up was 3 years and 10 months, with an overall 5-year survival rate of 60%. Completeness of surgical excision was highly significant in determining 5-year local control (p ConclusionThese tumors are best managed in multidisciplinary clinics, and the mainstay of treatment is wide local excision and planned postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy

Algumas reflexões para estabelecer a cronologia do "fenômeno transexual" (1910-1995)

O "fenômeno transexual" (Benjamin) é um indicador muito seguro das modificações históricas da percepção científica, mas também cultural e política da identidade sexual no século XX. Para apresentar uma cronologia e uma bibliografia escolhida desse fenômeno, este artigo propõe um fio condutor: a recusa sistemática das interpretações psicanalíticas do transexualismo pelos sexólogos, endocrinologistas e sociólogos que estudaram o problema.<br>The "Transsexual Phenomenon" (Benjamin) is a reliable index of the historical modifications of scientific, cultural and political perception of sexual identity in the 20th century. As an introduction to a chronology and selected bibliography of this phenomenon, I suggest a clue: the systematic denial of the relevance of psychoanalytic explanations of transsexualism by all the biologists, endocrinologists and sociologists who dealt with the problem

Effect of different diets on digestive enzyme activities, in vitro digestibility, and midgut gland structure in juvenile crayfish, Cherax quadricarinatus

This study investigated the effects of food quality on digestive enzyme activities, in vitro protein digestibility and histological traits of the midgut gland in juvenile crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus. Animals of a wide weight range were fed different diets: two commercial diets with high or low lipid content (high lipid and low lipid, respectively) and were compared with a reference diet (RF) previously formulated for this species. Proteinase, lipase and amylase activities were significantly influenced by diet and weight. Specific trypsin activity was significantly higher for crayfish fed with the HL diet. Trypsin activity depended on diet and weight. Protein digestibility showed that HL was the most digestible diet and RF the least. The weight of the animals did not affect protein digestibility. Structural disorganization, hypertrophy of B-cells and presence of large vacuoles in R-cells were mainly observed in juveniles fed with HL, indicative of malnutrition. Thus, our data suggest that the HL diet would not be the most appropriate for C. quadricarinatus, while RF diet would be more convenient for culture of this species.Fil: Sacristán, Hernán Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada; ArgentinaFil: Fernandez Gimenez, Analia Veronica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencia Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaFil: Chaulet, Anouk. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Tadic, Luis Marcelo Franco. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada; ArgentinaFil: Fenucci, Jorge Lino. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencia Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaFil: Lopez, Laura Susana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada; Argentin