Milho transgênico Bt não afeta a comunidade de formigas do solo

The objective of this work was to survey soil ants in Bt and non-Bt maize (Zea mays) crops, and to compare their effect on the soil ant community. Nine pitfall traps, 10 m apart, were installed in a central area (900 m2) of each of the following treatments (2,500 m2): conventional maize; maize modified with the Cry1F, Cry1Ab, and Vip3A proteins; and a native vegetation area. Fortnightly collections were conducted during four periods (complete producing cycles) of the crop, from 2011 to 2013. The number of ant species varied from 25 in Bt maize (Vip 3A) to 58 in Bt maize (Cry 1F). The treatment with conventional maize showed the highest Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H’ = 2.60). Jaccard’s index showed that there is dissimilarity between the cultivated maize areas and the native vegetation area in most treatments, and that Bt and non-Bt maize show similarity in their soil ant assemblages. The cultivation of Bt maize does not affect the soil ant community. The subfamily Myrmicinae shows the highest number of species in all the collection periods, with 57, 41, 47, and 50 species in the first, second, third, and fourth periods, respectively. The genus Pheidole, belonging to this subfamily, shows the greatest number of species.O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar um levantamento sobre formigas do solo, em cultivos de milho (Zea mays) Bt e não Bt, e comparar o efeito desses cultivos sobre essa comunidade. Nove armadilhas do tipo “pitfall” foram instaladas a intervalos de 10 m e distribuídas na área central (900 m2) de cada um dos seguintes tratamentos (2.500 m2): milho convencional; milho modificado com as proteínas Cry1F, Cry1Ab e Vip3A; e área de vegetação nativa. Foram feitas coletas quinzenais, durante quatro períodos (ciclos de produção completos) de cultivo, de 2011 a 2013. O número de espécies de formiga variou de 25 no milho Bt (Vip 3A) a 58 no milho Bt (Cry 1F). O tratamento com milho convencional apresentou o maior índice de diversidade de Shannon-Wiener (H’ = 2,60). O índice de Jaccard mostrou que há dissimilaridade entre as áreas cultivadas com milho e a área com vegetação nativa, na maioria dos tratamentos, e que os milhos Bt e não Bt apresentam similaridade quanto à composição de espécies de formigas do solo. O cultivo do milho Bt não afeta a comunidade de formigas de solo. A subfamília Myrmicinae apresenta o maior número de espécies em todos os períodos de coleta, com 57, 41, 47 e 50 espécies no primeiro, no segundo, no terceiro e no quarto períodos, respectivamente. O gênero Pheidole, pertencente a esta subfamília, apresenta o maior número de espécies

ENDOCRINOLOGIA PEDIÁTRICA: ATUALIZAÇÕES EM DISTÚRBIOS HORMONAIS NA INFÂNCIA

  Pediatric endocrinology is a vital area of medicine that requires constant updating and research. By studying hormonal disorders in childhood and pediatric endocrinology, we can hope to improve the quality of life and care of children affected by these disorders. The aim of this study was to look at the latest updates on hormonal disorders in childhood, with a focus on pediatric endocrinology. To this end, a systematic literature review was carried out, selecting scientific studies published between 2019 and 2024, available in the Scielo, Medline and Lilacs databases. After analyzing the results, the main conclusion is that recent advances in genetic research have provided a deeper understanding of the molecular basis of pediatric hormonal disorders, such as Kallmann syndrome and Prader-Willi syndrome, paving the way for more targeted and effective therapies in the future.  A endocrinologia pediátrica é uma área vital da medicina que requer constante atualização e pesquisa. Por meio do estudo dos distúrbios hormonais na infância e da endocrinologia pediátrica, é possível esperar a melhoria da qualidade de vida e o cuidado das crianças afetadas por esses distúrbios. Trata-se de um estudo cujo objetivo foi estudar atualizações mais recentes em distúrbios hormonais na infância, com foco na endocrinologia pediátrica. Nesse sentido, realizou-se uma revisão sistemática de literatura, com a seleção de estudos científicos publicados entre os anos de 2019 e 2024, disponíveis nas bases de dados Scielo, Medline e Lilacs. Após análise dos resultados, a principal conclusão é que avanços recentes na pesquisa genética têm proporcionado uma compreensão mais profunda das bases moleculares de distúrbios hormonais pediátricos, como a síndrome de Kallmann e a Síndrome de Prader-Willi, abrindo caminho para terapias mais direcionadas e eficazes no futuro

Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil: setting the baseline knowledge on the animal diversity in Brazil

The limited temporal completeness and taxonomic accuracy of species lists, made available in a traditional manner in scientific publications, has always represented a problem. These lists are invariably limited to a few taxonomic groups and do not represent up-to-date knowledge of all species and classifications. In this context, the Brazilian megadiverse fauna is no exception, and the Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil (CTFB) (http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/), made public in 2015, represents a database on biodiversity anchored on a list of valid and expertly recognized scientific names of animals in Brazil. The CTFB is updated in near real time by a team of more than 800 specialists. By January 1, 2024, the CTFB compiled 133,691 nominal species, with 125,138 that were considered valid. Most of the valid species were arthropods (82.3%, with more than 102,000 species) and chordates (7.69%, with over 11,000 species). These taxa were followed by a cluster composed of Mollusca (3,567 species), Platyhelminthes (2,292 species), Annelida (1,833 species), and Nematoda (1,447 species). All remaining groups had less than 1,000 species reported in Brazil, with Cnidaria (831 species), Porifera (628 species), Rotifera (606 species), and Bryozoa (520 species) representing those with more than 500 species. Analysis of the CTFB database can facilitate and direct efforts towards the discovery of new species in Brazil, but it is also fundamental in providing the best available list of valid nominal species to users, including those in science, health, conservation efforts, and any initiative involving animals. The importance of the CTFB is evidenced by the elevated number of citations in the scientific literature in diverse areas of biology, law, anthropology, education, forensic science, and veterinary science, among others

CENÁRIOS PARA O SETOR DE TRANSPORTES NO BRASIL

<p>O Grupo Shell começou a utilizar a técnica de cenários em seu processo de planejamento no final dos anos 60. Isto foi feito depois de constatar que a velocidade de mudanças no meio ambiente tinha chegado a tal ponto que não permitiria mais o uso de projeções lineares baseadas em comportamentos históricos. Era necessário desenvolver uma técnica que permitisse vislumbrar as tendências de mudanças de comportamento do meio ambiente antes de ser surpreendido por elas. A crescente complexidade da relação entre todas as variáveis que influenciam o meio ambiente e a rapidez com que as mudanças acontecem fazem com que o futuro seja muito mais imprevisível hoje do que há 100 anos atrás. Possivelmente os estrategistas daquela época achavam o mesmo do período anterior, uma vez que a velocidade de mudança parece estar em constante aceleração. Desta forma, planejamento torna-se um processo de aprendizado e cenários um importante instrumento deste processo.</p&gt

Transgenic Bt maize does not affect the soil ant community

<div><p>Abstract: The objective of this work was to survey soil ants in Bt and non-Bt maize (Zea mays) crops, and to compare their effect on the soil ant community. Nine pitfall traps, 10 m apart, were installed in a central area (900 m2) of each of the following treatments (2,500 m2): conventional maize; maize modified with the Cry1F, Cry1Ab, and Vip3A proteins; and a native vegetation area. Fortnightly collections were conducted during four periods (complete producing cycles) of the crop, from 2011 to 2013. The number of ant species varied from 25 in Bt maize (Vip 3A) to 58 in Bt maize (Cry 1F). The treatment with conventional maize showed the highest Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H’ = 2.60). Jaccard’s index showed that there is dissimilarity between the cultivated maize areas and the native vegetation area in most treatments, and that Bt and non-Bt maize show similarity in their soil ant assemblages. The cultivation of Bt maize does not affect the soil ant community. The subfamily Myrmicinae shows the highest number of species in all the collection periods, with 57, 41, 47, and 50 species in the first, second, third, and fourth periods, respectively. The genus Pheidole, belonging to this subfamily, shows the greatest number of species.</p></div

Climatic Variability of Precipitation Simulated by a Regional Dynamic Model in Tropical South America

The present study aimed to analyze the seasonal and interannual variability of simulated rainfall over two contrasting regions of tropical South America. Unlike several previous studies, our analyses were focused on areas with different rainfall regimes within two major regions: the Amazon Basin (AMZ) and northeast Brazil (NEB). For this purpose, we used the RegCM4.6 climate model and performed two continuous 30-year simulations (1981&ndash;2010) with a 50 km grid spacing. In the EXP_EM simulation, we used the convection parameterization of Emanuel (1991), and in the EXP_GR experiment, we used Grell&rsquo;s parameterization (1993). Differences between simulations and observations were assessed using the Student&rsquo;s t-test, with a p-value &gt; 0.01. The mean bias and Willmott&rsquo;s coefficient of agreement were calculated. Considering these metrics, the EXP_EM simulation presented an overall advantage over the EXP_GR simulation

Brazilian Flora 2020: Leveraging the power of a collaborative scientific network

International audienceThe shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora