'Offensive' snakes: cultural beliefs and practices related to snakebites in a Brazilian rural settlement

This paper records the meaning of the term 'offense' and the folk knowledge related to local beliefs and practices of folk medicine that prevent and treat snake bites, as well as the implications for the conservation of snakes in the county of Pedra Branca, Bahia State, Brazil. The data was recorded from September to November 2006 by means of open-ended interviews performed with 74 individuals of both genders, whose ages ranged from 4 to 89 years old. The results show that the local terms biting, stinging and pricking are synonymous and used as equivalent to offending. All these terms mean to attack. A total of 23 types of 'snakes' were recorded, based on their local names. Four of them are Viperidae, which were considered the most dangerous to humans, besides causing more aversion and fear in the population. In general, local people have strong negative behavior towards snakes, killing them whenever possible. Until the antivenom was present and available, the locals used only charms, prayers and homemade remedies to treat or protect themselves and others from snake bites. Nowadays, people do not pay attention to these things because, basically, the antivenom is now easily obtained at regional hospitals. It is understood that the ethnozoological knowledge, customs and popular practices of the Pedra Branca inhabitants result in a valuable cultural resource which should be considered in every discussion regarding public health, sanitation and practices of traditional medicine, as well as in faunistic studies and conservation strategies for local biological diversity

The meaning of mainland Portugal beaches and dunes' psammophilic plant communities: a contribution to tourism management and nature conservation

Due to their position of interface between the sea and land, the flora and vegetation of coastal beaches and dunes, occupy ecologically extreme, sensitive, unique and valuable habitats. The occurrence of a large number of endemic taxa and specific plant associations endowed with key ecological services and adapted to a stressful and harsh environmental gradient, gives them a high interest for nature conservation and an important role in sustainable territorial planning. However, such ecosystems are vulnerable to the disruption caused by several anthropogenic sources. Among other global threat factors, the inevitable sea rise caused by climate change and, at a local scale, the non-negligible implications of trampling caused by disorderly coastal touristic exploitation, growing construction pressure in the littoral, and a seasonal population boom in late spring and in summer, plus all derivate forms of pollution, are threat factors to their integrity. Therefore, a correct planning of the touristic economic activities requires the understanding of the vegetation composition and spatial distribution patterns, intrinsically determined by their biogeographic context in the Euro-Siberian or Mediterranean Regions. This comprehensive work, based on a broad phytogeographic study, brings together disperse information on plant communities of the Portuguese sandy coasts (beaches and dunes), by analysing floristic compositions, chorology and ecological characteristics, and matching them with the “Nature 2000” network habitats. Resilience and vulnerability are also studied. In a nature conservation perspective, a positive balance (and a sustainable co-existence) between the preservation of natural values and human development in the Portuguese coast, will benefit with the integration of this knowledge in coastal planning and management activitie

Mesiodistal root angulation of permanent teeth in children with mixed dentition and normal occlusion

OBJECTIVE: There is little information regarding the mesiodistal angulation of permanent teeth in mixed dentition. The aim of this study was to evaluate mesiodistal root angulation of permanent incisors, canines and first molars of 100 Brazilian children, using a new horizontal reference plane based on the midpoint of the intercuspation of primary canines and permanent first molars in panoramic radiographs during the mixed-dentition phase. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Children were equally divided between the genders with a mean age of 8.9 years (SD=0.76), normal occlusion and no eruptive disturbances. RESULTS: The angulation of the permanent maxillary first molars was close to the vertical, whereas the mandibular molars presented approximately 25 degrees of distal root angulation. The maxillary canines were the most distally angulated teeth, whereas the permanent mandibular canines were vertically positioned. The evaluation of the anterior maxillary area showed vertical position of permanent lateral, and central incisors with a slight distal angulation, whereas the permanent mandibular incisors tended to a mesial radicular convergence. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed reference line could be useful in mixed dentition root angulation evaluation; there was a slight asymmetry in the mesiodistal angulation among homologous teeth, and also a small variation between the male and the female groups, but no difference between 8-and 10-year-old children

Saturated salt accelerated aging and computerized analysis of seedling images to evaluate soybean seed performance.

ABSTRACT: Seed deterioration causes losses to seed companies during the storage. For researches, the challenge has been to develop techniques which improve the seed longevity as well as laboratory analysis methods required for evaluating the evolution of deterioration in storage. This study had the objective of determining the effectiveness of the accelerated aging test with a saturated NaCl solution and Seed Vigor Imaging System (SVIS) analysis in checking soybean seed physiological in comparison with the recommended vigor tests. Soybean seeds from the cultivars BRS 184 and M-Soy 7908 RR were used, each of them were represented by six lots and stored for six months under two environment conditions. Seed physiological quality was checked every two months in storage through germination evaluations, accelerated aging (different methods), tetrazolium test (vigor and viability) seedling emergence, and SVIS analysis. The tetrazolium test is the most advisable method for evaluating soybean seed quality during storage. The results of the saturated salt accelerated aging test with NaCl at 41 ºC for 72 or 96 hours and the SVIS evaluation are also both efficient for estimating the physiological potential of seeds. RESUMO: Deterioração em sementes provoca prejuízos para empresas sementeiras durante o armazenamento. Para os pesquisadores, o desafio tem sido buscar técnicas que visam aumentar a longevidade das sementes bem como métodos de análise laboratoriais exigidos para avaliar a evolução da deterioração no armazenamento. Este estudo teve o objetivo de avaliar a eficácia do teste de envelhecimento acelerado com solução saturada de NaCl e do uso do software Seed Vigor Imaging System (SVIS) para comparação do potencial fisiológico das sementes durante o armazenamento, em comparação com os testes de vigor existentes. Foram utilizadas sementes de soja das cultivares BRS 184 e M-Soy 7908 RR, representadas por seis lotes e armazenadas por seis meses, sob duas condições ambientais. Verificou-se o potencial fisiológico por meio de avaliações de germinação, envelhecimento acelerado (diferentes métodos), tetrazólio (vigor e viabilidade), emergência de plântulas e análise SVIS. O teste de tetrazólio é o mais sensível para avaliar o potencial fisiológico de sementes de soja durante o armazenamento. Além disso, os testes de envelhecimento acelerado em solução saturada de NaCl a 41 ºC durante 72 horas ou 96 horas e análise a partir do software SVIS foram eficazes para estimar o potencial fisiológico de sementes de soja

Sistemas de criação de ovinos e ocorrência de anticorpos contra o vírus da Maedi-Visna na microrregião de Juazeiro, BA.

Com o objetivo de se obterem informações sobre os sistemas de produção de ovinos e avaliar a frequência de anticorpos contra o vírus da Maedi-Visna (MV) em propriedades localizadas na microrregião de Juazeiro - BA, investigou-se, a partir da aplicação de questionários, algumas características de manejo sanitário, alimentar e reprodutivo em 58 propriedades nos oito municípios que compõem essa região: Juazeiro, Sento Sé, Sobradinho, Pilão Arcado, Campo Alegre de Lourdes, Remanso, Casa Nova e Curaçá. Das propriedades visitadas, 89,6% (81,74% - 97,46%) adotavam sistema extensivo de criação e 58,6% (45,92% - 71,28%) não tinham assistência técnica. O manejo sanitário mostrou-se precário. Os produtores entrevistados apontaram a linfadenite caseosa como uma das doenças mais observadas nos rebanhos. Analisaram-se 919 amostras de soro pelo teste de Imunodifusão em Gel de Agarose (IDGA) no Laboratório de Patologia Clínica da Embrapa Caprinos e Ovinos, em Sobral - CE. Detectaram-se quatro animais positivos. As Lentiviroses de Pequenos Ruminantes têm demonstrado, em diversos estudos, relação direta com os manejos adotados nas propriedades e introdução de tecnologias sem adequado controle sanitário. Acredita-se que o baixo número de ovinos positivos evidenciado neste levantamento deva-se ao baixo índice tecnológico adotado na região. Outra possibilidade é de que, nessa região, o rebanho de ovinos caracteriza-se pela predominância de raças nativas e sem raça definida (SRD), com poucos animais importados de outros estados e/ou países. Production systems of sheep and the occurrence of Maedi-Visna Virus in properties located in the Juazeiro, BA, microregion. Abstract: In order to obtain data from the used sheep production systems and to analyze them to the occurrence of Maedi-Visna in properties located in the microregion of Juazeiro - BA, some features of health, food and reproductive management were inquired from the application of questionnaires, on 58 properties located in the eight municipalities that make up this region: Juazeiro; Sento Sé; Sobradinho; Pilão Arcado; Campo Alegre de Lourdes; Remanso; Casa Nova and Curaçá. This survey evaluated some basic elements in the production chain. It was asserted that 89.6% (81.74% - 97.46%) of the producers raise their animals extensively and 58.6% (45.92% - 71.28%) have no technical assistance. The health management seemed to be precarious. Caseous lymphadenitis is one of most commonly diseases observed by farmers. 919 samples of sheep serum were collected and analyzed by AGID in the Laboratory of Clinical Pathology of Embrapa Goats, in Sobral - CE. Four animals were positive. The Lentivirus of Small Ruminants has been shown in several studies to be directly related to the management practices adopted on the properties. It is believed the low number of positive sheep found in this survey is related to the low technological level used in this region. Another possibility is that the regional sheep herd is predominantly made up of native or mixed breed

Características reprodutivas de ovelhas Santa Inês cruzadas com reprodutores Dorper e Somalis brasileira.

Os cruzamentos na ovinocultura tornaram-se um importante instrumento para aumentar a velocidade de crescimento dos animais e incrementar os parâmetros reprodutivo, sendo justificadas as pesquisas que gere tecnologias. Objetivou-se, com o presente trabalho, comparar a prolificidade e a fertilidade, de ovelhas Santa Inês (SI) cruzados com as raças Dorper (DP) e Somalis Brasileira (SB). A pesquisa foi conduzida no Campo Experimental Pedro Arle, da Embrapa Tabuleiros Costeiros/SE. Foram utilizadas 95 ovelhas da raça SI com idade variando de dois a sete anos e peso médio de 45,3 kg, criadas em regime semi-intensivo. As fêmeas foram inseminadas por laparoscopia (IL) com sêmen congelado de dois reprodutores das raças DP, SB e SI, formando assim três grupos genéticos: GG1 : SI x SI, GG2 : DP x SI e GG3 : SB x SI. Observou-se que não houve associação entre taxa de fertilidade ao parto e o tipo de acasalamento, obtendo-se taxa média de 43,16 %. A prolificidade média foi de 1,19, não apresentando diferença significativa (P>0,05) entre grupos genéticos. Com base nos resultados, conclui-se que as ovelhas SI apresentaram razoável taxa de fertilidade ao parto, quando submetidas à Inseminação Artificial Laparoscópica em nível de campo, com indução do estro apenas pelo efeito macho; o efeito da heterose sobre a prolificidade pode ser desprezível. Reproductive characteristics of sheep Santa Inês crossed with reproducers Dorper and Somalis Brasileira. Abstract - Interbreedings from the sheep raising become an important means to increase the rapidity of animals growth and even increase reproductive parameters, the searches have been justified for the technological. Advanced development the actual performance considered to confer the prolification and the fertility sheep Santa Snês breed (SI) interbred with the Dorper (DP) and Somalis Brazilian breeds (SB). The search was conduced at experimental rural rustic camp denominated Pedro Arle, to belong to Embrapa Tabuleiros Costeiros/SE. It were utilized ninety five sheeps of the SI breed with age between from two to seven ages and 45,3 medium weight, they were breeding in a half-active regime. The females were inseminated by laparoscopia ( IL) with frozen semen that belongs reproducers of the DP, SB and SI breeds, producing in this manner three genetical groups: GG1: SI x SI, GG2: DP x SI and GG3: SB x SI. So it was understood that there wasn´t any association between the fertility parturition rate in comparison to mating type, obtaining consequently a medium rate of 43,16 %. The prolification average was 1,19, it didn´t present any significative diference ( p>0,05) among to geneticals groups. Basing at these results, it has been concluded that the SI sheeps showed reasonable fertlility rate for the artificial insemination laparoscopic in search level, with induction oestrum only by effect male animal; contrasting the heterose effect and prolification can be worthless

Mapping the potential yield of upland rice in Rondonia State.

The rice farming has a high socioeconomical importance for Brazilian population, and represents since the 1970?s, it is the main crop for agricultural borders opening. Aiming characterize the potential yield and to define the regions most favorable for growth upland rice, it was simulated the potential grain yield (PGY), potential evapotranspiration (ETP) and maximum transpiration (TRC) by anoriented process crop model. The simulations were based on cultivar BRSPrimavera, considering eight planting dates (Nov 1st, 10th, 20th, Dec 1st, 10th, 20th, 30th and Jan 9th), for 33 years of data weather (1980-2013), in seven locations at Rondônia state: Ariquemes, Cacoal, Guajara-Mirim, Ji-Paraná, Machadinho do Oeste, Porto Velho and Vilhena. The upland rice crop cycle ranged from 95 days from emergence (DAE) in Ariquemes to 99 DAE in Machadinho do Oeste. The PGY, ETP and TRC data set were spatialized for the region. Rondônia showed an average and standard deviation potential yield of 4393 and 477 kg ha-1. The average ETP was 584,8 mm/cycle, with variance of 1259.9 mm/cycle. Maximum and minimum values of ETP was found for Guajara-Mirim and Vilhena, planting dates of Nov 1st and Jan 9th, respectively. The spatialization of results demonstrated a trend of PGY reduction as the sowing date is delayed. The highest potential yield were found at Vilhena (4952.7 kg/ha) and Ariquemes (4461.4 kg/ha)