Observações sobre o parasitismo de Neodusmetia sangwani sobre a cochonilha (Antonina graminis)

An experiment was carried out to determine the parasitism index of Neodusmetia sangwani (Rao, 1957) on the rhodesgrass scale (Antonina graminis Maskell, 1897). Adults of A. gramini infesting Rhynchelyhum repens (Wild) Hubb. field in Campinas, state of São Paulo, Brazil, were collected and taken to the laboratory. The insects were maintained inside glass containers, in a total of 75. This study was conducted at a temperature of 28oC and relative humidity of 65%. The results showed 35% of rhodesgrass attacked by N. sangwani. The number of female parasites was higher than of male. The average of parasitism was five hymenopteras for rhodesgrass. Only two parasites were not of the N. sangwani specie. Procurando-se determinar o índice de parasitismo causado pelo micro-himenóptero Neodusmetia sangwani (Rao, 1957) sobre a cochonilha (Antonina graminis Maskell, 1897), amostras de capim-favorito (Rhynchelyhum repens (Wild) Hubb.), infestadas pelo coccídeo, foram coletadas na Estação Experimental do Instituto Biológico em Campinas, São Paulo, no final de outubro de 1986. Essas amostras foram levadas ao laboratório da Seção de Controle Biológico das Pragas (SCPB) e as cochonilhas individualizadas em tubo de vidro de 3,5 cm de comprimento e 0,5 cm de diâmetro, cuja boca foi lacrada com película de plástico transparente. As 75 cochonilhas obtidas, foram mantidas a uma temperatura média de 28oC e umidade relativa média de 65%. Após 35 dias, observou-se a emergência de parasitóides, constatando-se aproximadamente 35% de cochonilhas parasitadas pela N. sangwani. Verificou-se também o total de 132 parasitóides emergidos, distribuídos em 17 machos e 115 fêmeas, sendo ainda determinado que a média de N.sangwani por cochonilha foi de 5,08. Da totalidade dos micro-himenópteros encontrados, apenas dois não pertenciam a espécie N. sangwani.

The negative influences of the new brazilian forest code on the conservation of riparian forests

More than one million hectares of riparian forests were degraded or altered in Mato Grosso State (Brazil) up to 2009. The aim of the research is to set a comparative scenario to show differences in the quantification of environmental liabilities in riparian forest areas resulting from the change in native vegetation protection rules due to the transition between Laws 4771/65 and 12651/2012. Data collection took place in a marginal stretch of Vermelho River in Rondonópolis County, Mato Grosso State. The following data set was taken into consideration: aerial images derived from unmanned aerial vehicle, Rapid Eye satellite images and orbital images hosted at Google Earth. The spatial resolution of those images was compared. The aerial photos composed a mosaic that was photo-interpreted to generate land use and occupation classes. The riparian forest areas of a rural property were used as parameter, and their environmental situation was compared in 05 meter and 100 meter strips. Thus, by taking into consideration the current rules, 23,501 m2 of area ceased to be an environmental liability within the riparian forest and became a consolidated rural area. According to the previous Forest Code, in a different scenario, that is, in a set of rural properties, the public authority would receive USD 68,600.00 in fines. The new Brazilian Forestry Code of 2012, which replaces the previous one made in 1965, exempts those responsible for rural property from regenerating previously deforested native vegetation — an obligation established by older Forest Code. We have shown that the new Forest Code has diminished the legal responsibility of the rural owners in relation to the maintenance of forest fragments in their properties

Epistemological Character of Sustainability

Epistemology has as its function, among others, to define what provides conditions for examining relations between facts and theories. The question is what does conceptual aspect contribute to awareness and improvement to the relation of capital, labor, and society? Apply the Theory U as argumentation in this relation. The general and main objective of this experiment is to deal with the epistemological aspect of sustainability against the capital, labor, and society based on the Theory U; the specific objectives are collecting the sustainability theoretical-conceptual character to explain its epistemological core (1); identify the relation of capital, labor, and society (2); and identify the conceptual innovation required from the contextualized indoctrinated constitution. Apply the Content Analysis Method and procedures such as cleavage, categorization, and criticism. As result, the conceptual aspect contributes to awareness and improvement of the relation of capital, labor, and society considering the discourses treated; in fragile environments in the western Amazon, there is a latent concern related to solid waste, deserving a conceptual highlight in which the origin of sustainability becomes the emergency; the mechanisms created by capital with domination over human labor, make the worker passive in the society marked by capitalist hegemony; lead structural changes is an epistemological question witch happen pragmatically, increasing the fragile aspect of perception and awareness resulting in innovations to sustained development, motivating learning where leaders promote changes in complex systems. This article interests researchers and others people involved in theoretical issues to delineate researches in the axis of applied social sciences

Brazilian solar saltworks - ancient uses and future possibilities

Coastal solar saltworks of Brazil are exploited for sea salt, which becomes progressively concentrated by evaporation. This study aimed to review the current and new potential uses of these systems, in order to provide more dynamic for this activity. The first evaporation ponds are also used for artisanal fisheries, ensuring the livelihood of many families. All the brine rich in secondary salts (bittern) can be widely used by the chemical industry, while the Brazil shows an incipient production of "flower of salt", a salt with distinct characteristics with higher market value than sodium chloride. On the other hand, the saltponds have a high potential for management and obtaining of large populations of Artemia spp., purifying the brine through the action as biological filter. This microcrustacean occurs naturally in intermediate salinity ponds, being commonly used in aquaculture. Species of microalgae and halobacteria found in the saltworks are employed for extraction of beta-carotene and glycerol, used in an extensive list of products with high commercial value. These ecosystems represent refuge zones for many species of migratory birds, becoming imperative to promote the conservation of these hypersaline wetlands

Chemical composition, antibacterial and antioxidant activities of the essential oil from Vismia guianensis fruits

In recent decades, the essential oils of plants have drawn great interest as sources of natural products. Essential oil from the fruits of Vismia guianensis was tested for its chemical constituents and antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of the essential oil revealed the presence of 38 sesquiterpenoids. The major components were β-caryophyllene (25.8%), α-copaene (13.1%), and δ-cadinene (11.6%). Antimicrobial activities were measured against six species of Gram negative and seven species of Gram positive bacteria and showed antibacterial activity against the human pathogenic Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus lentus with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 78 μg/ml. The antioxidant activity of the essential oil was evaluated using the beta carotene/linoleic acid assay and showed antioxidant activity.Key words: Vismia guianensis, chemical composition, antibacterial, antioxidant, fruits, essential oil

Morphological Alterations in Newly Born Dentate Gyrus Granule Cells That Emerge after Status Epilepticus Contribute to Make Them Less Excitable

Computer simulations of external current stimulations of dentate gyrus granule cells of rats with Status Epilepticus induced by pilocarpine and control rats were used to evaluate whether morphological differences alone between these cells have an impact on their electrophysiological behavior. The cell models were constructed using morphological information from tridimensional reconstructions with Neurolucida software. To evaluate the effect of morphology differences alone, ion channel conductances, densities and distributions over the dendritic trees of dentate gyrus granule cells were the same for all models. External simulated currents were injected in randomly chosen dendrites belonging to one of three different areas of dentate gyrus granule cell molecular layer: inner molecular layer, medial molecular layer and outer molecular layer. Somatic membrane potentials were recorded to determine firing frequencies and inter-spike intervals. The results show that morphologically altered granule cells from pilocarpine-induced epileptic rats are less excitable than control cells, especially when they are stimulated in the inner molecular layer, which is the target area for mossy fibers that sprout after pilocarpine-induced cell degeneration. This suggests that morphological alterations may act as a protective mechanism to allow dentate gyrus granule cells to cope with the increase of stimulation caused by mossy fiber sprouting.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico National Counsel of Technological and Scientific Development (CNPq) BrazilConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico - "National Counsel of Technological and Scientific Development" (CNPq) -Brazil [156597/2101-1]CNPq FellowshipCNPq FellowshipCNPqCNPqFundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo Foundation for Research Support of the State of Sao Paulo (FAPESP)Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo - "Foundation for Research Support of the State of Sao Paulo" (FAPESP)Cooperacao Interinstitucional de Apoio a Pesquisas sobre o Cerebro da FAPESP Interinstitutional Cooperation in Support of Brain Research Program of FAPESP (FAPESPCinapce)Cooperacao Interinstitucional de Apoio a Pesquisas sobre o Cerebro da FAPESP "Inter-institutional Cooperation in Support of Brain Research Program of FAPESP" (FAPESP-Cinapce)Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior Federal Agency of Support and Evaluation of Postgraduate Education (CAPES)Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior - "Federal Agency of Support and Evaluation of Postgraduate Education" (CAPES)CAPES program of Academic Excellence (CAPES-PROEX), BrazilCAPES program of Academic Excellence (CAPESPROEX), Brazi

Ecological research in the Large Scale Biosphere Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia: A discussion of early results

The Large-scale Biosphere–Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia (LBA) is a multinational, interdisciplinary research program led by Brazil. Ecological studies in LBA focus on how tropical forest conversion, regrowth, and selective logging influence carbon storage, nutrient dynamics, trace gas fluxes, and the prospect for sustainable land use in the Amazon region. Early results from ecological studies within LBA emphasize the variability within the vast Amazon region and the profound effects that land-use and land-cover changes are having on that landscape. The predominant land cover of the Amazon region is evergreen forest; nonetheless, LBA studies have observed strong seasonal patterns in gross primary production, ecosystem respiration, and net ecosystem exchange, as well as phenology and tree growth. The seasonal patterns vary spatially and interannually and evidence suggests that these patterns are driven not only by variations in weather but also by innate biological rhythms of the forest species. Rapid rates of deforestation have marked the forests of the Amazon region over the past three decades. Evidence from ground-based surveys and remote sensing show that substantial areas of forest are being degraded by logging activities and through the collapse of forest edges. Because forest edges and logged forests are susceptible to fire, positive feedback cycles of forest degradation may be initiated by land-use-change events. LBA studies indicate that cleared lands in the Amazon, once released from cultivation or pasture usage, regenerate biomass rapidly. However, the pace of biomass accumulation is dependent upon past land use and the depletion of nutrients by unsustainable land-management practices. The challenge for ongoing research within LBA is to integrate the recognition of diverse patterns and processes into general models for prediction of regional ecosystem function

Effects of cardiopulmonary bypass on propofol pharmacokinetics and bispectral index during coronary surgery

PURPOSE: Cardiopulmonary bypass is known to alter propofol pharmacokinetics in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. However, few studies have evaluated the impact of these alterations on postoperative pharmacodynamics. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that changes in propofol pharmacokinetics increase hypnotic effects after cardiopulmonary bypass. METHODS: Twenty patients scheduled for on-pump coronary artery bypass graft (group, n=10) or off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (group, n=10) coronary artery bypass grafts were anesthetized with sufentanil and a propofol target controlled infusion (2.0 µg/mL). Depth of hypnosis was monitored using the bispectral index. Blood samples were collected from the induction of anesthesia up to 12 hours after the end of propofol infusion, at predetermined intervals. Plasma propofol concentrations were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography, followed by a non-compartmental propofol pharmacokinetic analysis. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, considering p<0.05 as significant. RESULTS: After cardiopulmonary bypass, despite similar plasma propofol concentrations in both groups, bispectral index values were lower in the on-pump coronary artery bypass graft group. Time to extubation after the end of propofol infusion was greater in the on-pump coronary artery bypass graft group (334 ± 117 vs. 216 ± 85 min, p = 0.04). Patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass had shorter biological (1.82 ± 0.5 vs. 3.67 ± 1.15h, p < 0.01) and terminal elimination (6.27 ± 1.29 vs. 10.5h ± 2.18, p < 0.01) half-life values, as well as higher total plasma clearance (28.36 ± 11.40 vs.18.29 ± 7.67 mL/kg/min, p = 0.03), compared to patients in the off-pump coronary artery bypass graft group. CONCLUSION: Aside from the increased sensitivity of the brain to anesthetics after cardiopulmonary bypass, changes in propofol pharmacokinetics may contribute to its central nervous system effects

Evolution of critically ill patients with gastroschisis from three tertiary centers

OBJECTIVES AND INTRODUCTION: Gastroschisis is a congenital abdominal wall defect with increasing occurrence worldwide over the past 20-30 years. Our aim was to analyze the morbidity of newborns after gastroschisis closure, with emphasis on metabolic and hydroelectrolyte disturbances in patients at three tertiary university centers. METHODS: From January 2003 to June 2009, the following patient data were collected retrospectively: (A) Background maternal and neonatal data: maternal age, prenatal diagnosis, type of delivery, Apgar scores, birth weight, gestational age and sex; (B) Surgical modalities: primary or staged closure; and (C) Hospital course: levels of serum sodium and levels of serum albumin in the two first postoperative days, number of ventilation days, other postoperative variables and survival. Statistical analyses were used to examine the associations between some variables. RESULTS: 163 newborns were included in the study. Primary closure of the abdominal defect was performed in 111 cases (68.1%). The mean serum sodium level was 127.4¡6.7 mEq/L, and the mean serum albumin level was 2.35¡0.5 g/dL. Among the correlations between variables, it was verified that hyponatremia and hypoalbuminemia correlated with the number of days on the ventilator but not with the number of days on total parenteral nutrition (TPN); mortality rate correlated with infection. The final survival rate was 85.9%. CONCLUSION: In newborns with gastroschisis, more aggressive attention to hyponatremia and hypoalbuminemia would improve the outcome