Recurring extensional and strike-slip tectonics after the Neoproterozoic collisional events in the southern Mantiqueira province

In Eastern South America, a series of fault-bounded sedimentary basins that crop out from Southern Uruguay to Southeastern Brazil were formed after the main collisional deformation of the Brasiliano Orogeny and record the tectonic events that affected the region from the Middle Ediacaran onwards. We address the problem of discerning the basin-forming tectonics from the later deformational events through paleostress analysis of more than 600 fault-slip data, mainly from the Camaquã Basin (Southern Brazil), sorted by stratigraphic level and cross-cutting relationships of superposed striations, and integrated with available stratigraphic and geochronological data. Our results show that the Camaquã Basin was formed by at least two distinct extensional events, and that rapid paleostress changes took place in the region a few tens of million years after the major collision (c.a. 630 Ma), probably due to the interplay between local active extensional tectonics and the distal effects of the continued amalgamation of plates and terranes at the margins of the still-forming Gondwana Plate. Preliminary paleostress data from the Castro Basin and published data from the Itajaí Basin suggest that these events had a regional nature

Silage quality of six sorghum cultivars for sheep.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the silage quality, fermentation profile, intake, and digestibility of six sorghum cultivars for sheep feeding. 'SF 15', 'IPA 2502', 'BRS 655', 'BR 601', 'BRS 506', and 'Sudão' were cultivated in randomized complete block designs with five replicates, harvested, and ensiled when plants reached the soft-dough grain stage. Silage quality was determined in laboratory silos. Intake and apparent digestibility were determined during 22 days, using 24 Santa Inês lambs (35.5±2.21 kg) randomly distributed in the treatments. Silage from 'IPA 2502' had the lowest contents of dry matter, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber; the highest nonfibrous carbohydrate and total digestible nutrient contents; and the greatest dry matter degradability. Silages from 'BR 601' and 'BRS 506' showed the highest values of crude protein, whereas those of 'SF 15' and 'Sudão' had the highest levels of fibrous fractions. Lambs fed silage from 'IPA 2502' consumed more dry matter and nonfibrous carbohydrates, and their crude protein digestibility was also greater than that from the consumption of other cultivar silages. 'IPA 2502' stands out for its nutritional characteristics, which resulted in better animal performance.Título em português: Qualidade das silagens de seis cultivares de sorgo para ovinos

Avaliação da assistência à saúde da mulher e da criança em localidade urbana da região Sudeste do Brasil

OBJECTIVE: To describe and analyze primary health care provided to mother-and-child population in Teresópolis, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. METHODS: A population survey was performed at the main vaccination station on the local Vaccine National Day, to collect information about the use of health care services and preventive primary care. RESULTS: Information was collected from 329 mothers and their children. More than 90% of children had at least one pediatric visit in the past three months. Almost all had their growth chart, but in 30% of them the child's weight was not registered. There was a positive association between having a routine visit and the registration of the child's weight in the card (RP = 1.34; IC: 1.13-1.58; p = 0.0002). Around 59% of the mothers had a medical visit after giving after birth; 25% said they had never had a Pap smear test before, and 36% never had a breast examination. There was a positive association between the mother's age being over 20 years and ever having a Pap smear test (RP = 1.56; IC: 1.08-2.26; p = 0.03). Almost 70% of the mothers referred the use of any contraceptional method, and the most common used were contraceptive pills, condoms and tubal ligation. CONCLUSIONS: Despite some limitations, the results suggest a valid and useful methodology, which allows the identification of important needs in primary health care delivery to children and their mothers.OBJETIVO: Analisar e comparar os cuidados primários prestados à população materno-infantil e contribuir para a avaliação da assistência integral a esse grupo. MÉTODOS: Inquérito populacional realizado por entrevistas, no principal posto de vacinação do Município de Teresópolis, RJ, no Dia Nacional de Vacinação, que abrangeu questões sobre utilização de serviços de saúde e prestação de cuidados primários preventivos. RESULTADOS: Foram colhidas informações de 329 crianças e suas respectivas mães. Mais de 90% das crianças haviam comparecido à consulta pediátrica nos três meses anteriores e quase todas possuíam o cartão da criança, embora em 30% desses cartões não havia qualquer peso registrado no período. Observou-se associação positiva entre consulta de puericultura e registro de peso no cartão da criança (RP = 1,34; IC: 1,13-1,58; p = 0,0002). Cerca de 59% das mães compareceram à consulta de revisão de parto, mas 25% referiram nunca ter feito exame colpocitológico-oncótico e 36% nunca haviam realizado exame de mama. Observou-se associação positiva entre a idade materna acima de 20 anos e a realização de algum exame colpocitológico-oncótico durante a vida reprodutiva (RP = 1,56; IC: 1,08-2,26; p = 0,03). Quase 70% das mães relataram uso de algum método anticoncepcional, principalmente pílula, condom e laqueadura tubária. CONCLUSÕES: Apesar de algumas limitações, os resultados sugerem a viabilidade da metodologia utilizada, permitindo a identificação de deficiências importantes na prestação de cuidados primários de saúde para crianças e principalmente para mães

Is the expansion of sugarcane over pasturelands a sustainable strategy for Brazil's bioenergy industry?

The authors gratefully thank the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) (grants # 2014/08632-9 # 2015/14122-6, # 2013/17581-6, # 2014/16612-8 and 2018/09845-7) for the scholarship granted while this research was carried out, and CNPq (grants # 402992/2013-0 and # 311661/2014-9) for the financial support of the present research. Anonymous reviewers are also thanked for their valuable criticisms and comments, which led to substantial improvements of this manuscript.Peer reviewedPostprintPostprin

Microbially induced pseudotraces from a Pantanal soda lake, Brazil : Alternative interpretations for Ediacaran simple trails and their limits

Despite the absence of metazoans, structures resembling animal traces are common in a soda lake from the western Brazil Pantanal wetland. Pantanal soda lakes are ecologically extreme environments that preclude complex life, allowing extremophiles to flourish. Direct observation indicates that these structures are pseudotraces, representing groove marks that result from the interaction of wave-transported floating rafts of epibenthic microbial mat fragments with the substrate. Variations in wind/wave direction and intensity result in marks of different size and morphology. The most common pseudotraces are simple and slightly curved, narrow grooves (type 1), whereas others are straight and present raised lateral ridges (type 2). Both are V-shaped in cross section. Type 3 comprises long, sinuous, shallow grooves, displaying internal crescentic laminated infill and U-shaped cross section. The similarity of these pseudotraces to Ediacaran structures usually interpreted as animal trace fossils suggests that care should be exercised in their analysis. A set of criteria is proposed to differentiate microbially induced pseudotraces from trace fossils. Analysis of Ediacaran structures needs to be performed on a case-by-case basis, taking into account morphology, orientation, and preservation style of the structure, sedimentary environment, and presence or absence of microbial mats.Centro de Investigaciones Geológica

Dissociation between skin test reactivity and anti-aeroallergen IgE: Determinants among urban Brazilian children.

BACKGROUND: The dissociation between specific IgE and skin prick test reactivity to aeroallergens, a common finding in populations living in low and middle-income countries, has important implications for the diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases. Few studies have investigated the determinants of this dissociation. In the present study, we explored potential factors explaining this dissociation in children living in an urban area of Northeast Brazil, focusing in particular on factors associated with poor hygiene. METHODS: Of 1445 children from low income communities, investigated for risk factors of allergies, we studied 481 with specific IgE antibodies to any of Blomia tropicalis, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Periplaneta americana and Blatella germanica allergens. Data on demographic, environmental and social exposures were collected by questionnaire; serum IgG and stool examinations were done to detect current or past infections with viral, bacterial, protozoan and intestinal helminth pathogens. We measured atopy by skin prick testing (SPT) and specific IgE (sIgE) to aerollergens in serum (by ImmunoCAP). SIgE reactivity to B. tropicalis extract depleted of carbohydrates was measured by an in-house ELISA. Total IgE was measured by in house capture ELISA. SNPs were typed using Illumina Omni 2.5. RESULTS: Negative skin prick tests in the presence of specific IgE antibodies were frequent. Factors independently associated with a reduced frequency of positive skin prick tests were large number of siblings, the presence of IgG to herpes simplex virus, Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura infections, living in neighborhoods with infrequent garbage collection, presence of rodents and cats in the household and sIgE reactivity to glycosylated B. tropicalis allergens. Also, SNP on IGHE (rs61737468) was negatively associated with SPT reactivity. CONCLUSIONS: A variety of factors were found to be associated with decreased frequency of SPT such as unhygienic living conditions, infections, total IgE, IgE response to glycosylated allergens and genetic polymorphisms, indicating that multiple mechanisms may be involved. Our data, showing that exposures to an unhygienic environment and childhood infections modulate immediate allergen skin test reactivity, provide support for the "hygiene hypothesis"