Leaf Epidermal Descriptors of Forage from Caatinga, NE Brazil

In the Brazilian semi-arid region, the predominant vegetation is the Caatinga, which has a diversity of plant species, some endemic and presenting forage potential. The characterization of the plant anatomy is important for animal diet studies, using a microhistological technique (Scott and Dahl 1980) for estimating the diet botanical composition from ruminant faeces. This paper determined leaf epidermal descriptors for Caatinga species using microscopic slides

Survivorship of Anopheles darlingi (Diptera: Culicidae) in Relation with Malaria Incidence in the Brazilian Amazon

We performed a longitudinal study of adult survival of Anopheles darlingi, the most important vector in the Amazon, in a malarigenous frontier zone of Brazil. Survival rates were determined from both parous rates and multiparous dissections. Anopheles darlingi human biting rates, daily survival rates and expectation of life where higher in the dry season, as compared to the rainy season, and were correlated with malaria incidence. The biting density of mosquitoes that had survived long enough for completing at least one sporogonic cycle was related with the number of malaria cases by linear regression. Survival rates were the limiting factor explaining longitudinal variations in Plasmodium vivax malaria incidence and the association between adult mosquito survival and malaria was statistically significant by logistic regression (P<0.05). Survival rates were better correlated with malaria incidence than adult mosquito biting density. Mathematical modeling showed that P. falciparum and P. malariae were more vulnerable to changes in mosquito survival rates because of longer sporogonic cycle duration, as compared to P. vivax, which could account for the low prevalence of the former parasites observed in the study area. Population modeling also showed that the observed decreases in human biting rates in the wet season could be entirely explained by decreases in survival rates, suggesting that decreased breeding did not occur in the wet season, at the sites where adult mosquitoes were collected. For the first time in the literature, multivariate methods detected a statistically significant inverse relation (P<0.05) between the number of rainy days per month and daily survival rates, suggesting that rainfall may cause adult mortality

ATLANTIC EPIPHYTES: a data set of vascular and non-vascular epiphyte plants and lichens from the Atlantic Forest

Epiphytes are hyper-diverse and one of the frequently undervalued life forms in plant surveys and biodiversity inventories. Epiphytes of the Atlantic Forest, one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world, have high endemism and radiated recently in the Pliocene. We aimed to (1) compile an extensive Atlantic Forest data set on vascular, non-vascular plants (including hemiepiphytes), and lichen epiphyte species occurrence and abundance; (2) describe the epiphyte distribution in the Atlantic Forest, in order to indicate future sampling efforts. Our work presents the first epiphyte data set with information on abundance and occurrence of epiphyte phorophyte species. All data compiled here come from three main sources provided by the authors: published sources (comprising peer-reviewed articles, books, and theses), unpublished data, and herbarium data. We compiled a data set composed of 2,095 species, from 89,270 holo/hemiepiphyte records, in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, recorded from 1824 to early 2018. Most of the records were from qualitative data (occurrence only, 88%), well distributed throughout the Atlantic Forest. For quantitative records, the most common sampling method was individual trees (71%), followed by plot sampling (19%), and transect sampling (10%). Angiosperms (81%) were the most frequently registered group, and Bromeliaceae and Orchidaceae were the families with the greatest number of records (27,272 and 21,945, respectively). Ferns and Lycophytes presented fewer records than Angiosperms, and Polypodiaceae were the most recorded family, and more concentrated in the Southern and Southeastern regions. Data on non-vascular plants and lichens were scarce, with a few disjunct records concentrated in the Northeastern region of the Atlantic Forest. For all non-vascular plant records, Lejeuneaceae, a family of liverworts, was the most recorded family. We hope that our effort to organize scattered epiphyte data help advance the knowledge of epiphyte ecology, as well as our understanding of macroecological and biogeographical patterns in the Atlantic Forest. No copyright restrictions are associated with the data set. Please cite this Ecology Data Paper if the data are used in publication and teaching events. © 2019 The Authors. Ecology © 2019 The Ecological Society of Americ

Estimated SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Seroprevalence in Firefighters from a Northeastern Brazilian State: A Cross-Sectional Study

The new coronavirus has been affecting health worldwide and essential service workers are continually exposed to this infectious agent, increasing the chance of infection and the development of the disease. Thus, this study aimed to estimate the frequency of infection and seroprevalence for SARS-CoV-2 in military firefighters in a city in Northeastern Brazil in January 2021. An observational cross-sectional study was carried out with 123 firefighters who answered a brief questionnaire to collect socio-epidemiological data and underwent RT-PCR and immunofluorescence test (IgM and IgG). The results found reveal a positive seroprevalence, with a high rate of infection in this class of workers, since they are essential service professionals who are exposed to risk due to their working hours, in addition to sharing some spaces and work materials. Besides, there were significant associations between positivity for IgG and IgM, as well as for positive RT-PCR prior to the study and the presence of IgG, with odd ratios of 3.04 and 4.9, respectively. These findings reinforce the need for immunization in this category, whose line of service hinders the adoption of distancing measures, since in many situations physical contact is inevitable

Efeito da fertilização fosfatada na produção de raízes, liteira e nodulação de Mimosa caesalpiniifolia benth Effects of phosphorus fertilization on root, litter and nodule production of Mimosa caesalpiniifolia

Este trabalho visou avaliar o efeito da adubação fosfatada sobre a nodulação, deposição de liteira e desenvolvimento do sistema radicular de M. caesalpiniifolia Benth, antes e depois da poda, na Estação Experimental de Itambé, da Instituto Agronômico de Pernambuco - IPA. Os tratamentos foram níveis de adubação fosfatada (0, 100 e 200 kg.ha-1 de P2O5), em delineamento com blocos casualizados com seis repetições no bloco I e sete no II, sendo o critério para formação de blocos a data do corte de uniformização. Amostragens foram realizadas antes e depois da poda da parte aérea. O comprimento, a massa seca radicular, a matéria seca de nódulos e a liteira tiveram resultados semelhantes antes e depois da poda. O número de nódulos antes da poda foi de 2, 15 e 6 nos níveis de 0, 100 e 200 kg.ha-1 de P2O5, respectivamente, e 1, 6 e 7 após a poda. Comprimentos radiculares médios variaram entre 552 e 734 cm antes da poda e 389 e 455 cm após. Apenas de agosto a novembro de 2005 o número de nódulos apresentou variação, sendo observados valores de 2 a 15 nódulos antes da poda e 1 a 7 depois.<br>This work aimed to evaluate the effect of phosphorus fertilization on nodulation, litter deposition and root system development of M. caesalpiniifolia Benth, before and after pruning, at the Itambé Experimental Station of Pernambuco Agronomical Institute - IPA in Pernambuco, Brazil. Treatments were levels of phosphorus fertilization (0, 100 and 200 kg.ha-1 of P2O5) arranged in a randomized block design with six replicates in block I and seven in block II, with the criterion for block formation being uniformization cut date. Samplings were taken before and after pruning of the aerial part Root length and root, nodule and litter dry matter had similar results before and after pruning. Nodule numbers before pruning were 2, 15 and 6 for 0, 100 and 200 kg.ha-1 of P2O5, respectively, and 1, 6 and 7 after pruning. Average root lengths ranged from 552 to 734 cm before and from 389 to 455 cm after pruning. The number of nodules presented variation only from August to November 2005, with values from 2 to 15 and from 1 to 7 nodules, before and after pruning, respectively