Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Caracterização histopatológica, imunohistoquímica e determinação molecular de Mycobacterium bovis de lesões sugestivas de tuberculose em bubalinos abatidos para consumo no estado do Amapá

The creation of buffalo is an important source of income in Amapá, an important sector in the local economy. Tuberculosis is an infectious disease of worldwide distribution, which occurs in cattle and buffaloes caused mainly by Mycobacterium bovis. The disease has debilitating chronic nature with economic impact on the production of meat and milk in different regions of the world, besides being an important zoonosis. Aiming to characterize M. bovis in suggestive of tuberculosis lesions detected in buffalo inspection in the State of Amapá, through histopathological and immunohistochemical methods (IHC) and molecular analysis, there was the collection of 109 samples suggestive of tuberculosis lesions. For histopathological analysis, we used standard techniques for paraffin by hematoxylin and eosin and Fite-Faraco. For IHC was used the method of peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) with a polyclonal rabbit antiserum against M. bovis (Dako B0124). For molecular analysis, mycobacterial DNA extraction was directly performed lymph node and treated by the phenolchloroform method through two amplification protocols (conventional PCR and Nested- PCR). Histologically, 94.5% (103/109) had typical granulomatous tissue reaction tuberculoide injury (LT), while in 5.5% (06/109) without features of tuberculoid granulomas (p <0.0001). The results obtained by IHC among the positive cases by histopathology, all had some kind of injury classified in several stages by histopathology, and observed that most of them 82.2% (74/90; p <0.0001) was only stage IV. Among the negative cases, necrotic lesions presenting only the last stage of development (IV) were also frequently 52.5% (10/19) and 31.5% (06/19) were also negative in the histopathologic ( p = 0.0030). Of the 103 positive samples for histopathology, 73.8% (76/103) were PCR positive reaction to the genus Mycobacterium and 64.1% (66/103) had amplification for the RD4 region, confirming the deletion, exclusive of the species M. bovis. The results showed that tuberculosis is present in buffalo herds of Amapá and regions of Marajó in Pará, representing a serious risk to public health.A criação de búfalos é uma importante fonte de renda no Amapá, representando um importante setor na economia local. A tuberculose é uma enfermidade infecto-contagiosa de distribuição mundial, que ocorre em bovinos e bubalinos, causada predominantemente por Mycobacterium bovis. A doença tem caráter crônico debilitante com impacto econômico na produção de carne e leite em diversas regiões do mundo, além de ser uma importante zoonose. Objetivando caracterizar M. bovis em lesões sugestivas de tuberculose detectadas na inspeção de bubalinos no Estado do Amapá, através dos métodos histopatológicos e imunohistoquímicos (IHQ) e análise molecular, realizou-se a coleta de 109 amostras de lesões sugestivas de tuberculose. Para a análise histopatológica, empregou-se técnicas habituais para inclusão em parafina, pela coloração de hematoxilina e eosina, e Fite-Faraco. Para a IHQ utilizou-se o método da peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) com um anti-soro policlonal de coelho contra o M. bovis (Dako B0124). Para a análise molecular, a extração do DNA micobacteriano, foi realizada diretamente do linfonodo e tratado pelo método do fenolclorofórmio, passando por dois protocolos de amplificação (PCR convencional e Nested- PCR). Histologicamente, 94,5% (103/109) apresentaram reação tecidual granulomatosa típica de lesão tuberculoide (LT), enquanto em 5,5% (06/109) sem características de granulomas tuberculoides (p < 0.0001). Os resultados obtidos através da IHQ, dentre os casos positivos pela histopatologia, todos apresentaram algum tipo de lesão classificada em diversos estágios pelo exame histopatológico, sendo observado que a maioria delas 82,2% (74/90; p < 0.0001) estava apenas no estágio IV. Entre os casos negativos, lesões necróticas apresentando-se apenas no último estágio de desenvolvimento (IV) também foram as mais frequentes 52,5% (10/19), e 31,5% (06/19) também foram negativos no histopatológico (p = 0.0030). Das 103 amostras positivas ao exame histopatológico, 73,8% (76/103) apresentaram reação de PCR positiva para o gênero Mycobacterium e 64,1% (66/103) apresentaram amplificação para a região RD4, confirmando a deleção, exclusiva da espécie M. bovis. Os resultados demonstraram que a tuberculose está presente nos rebanhos bubalinos do Amapá e regiões do Marajó no Pará, representando um sério risco de saúde pública

Bovine tuberculosis due to Mycobacterium bovis and other mycobacteria among water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) from the Brazilian Amazon

This work was supported by the Instituto Evandro Chagas, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Ministério da Saúde. Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Pará/Universidade do Estado do Pará (FAPESPA/UEPA) [Cooperation grant Nº 004/2019].Federal University of Pará. Post-graduate Program in Animal Science. Belém, PA, Brazil.Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Laboratório de Cultura Celular e Citogenética. Ananindeua, PA, Brasil / State University of Pará. Post-graduate Program in Parasitic Biology in the Amazon. Belém, PA, Brazil.State University of Pará. Post-graduate Program in Parasitic Biology in the Amazon. Belém, PA, Brazil / University Center of Pará. Post-graduate Program in Health Education - Medical Education. Belém, PA, Brazil.State University of Pará. Post-graduate Program in Parasitic Biology in the Amazon. Belém, PA, Brazil.Federal Rural University of Amazonia. Post-graduate Program in Animal Health and Production in the Amazon. Belém, PA, Brazil.Max Planck University Center. Indaiatuba, SP, Brazil.Federal Rural University of Amazonia. Institute of Animal Health and Production. Belém, PA, Brazil.Introduction: Zoonotic tuberculosis is a disease of public health importance worldwide, especially in developing countries. The present study aimed to investigate the role played by Mycobacterium bovis and other mycobacteria as etiologic agents of bubaline tuberculosis (TB) in the Brazilian Amazon region. Methodology: Granulomatous lesions suggestive of TB obtained from 109 buffaloes (n =109) during sanitary inspection at slaughter were subjected to histopathological evaluation, immunohistochemical (IHC) detection of Mycobacterium antigens, and to molecular tests (PCR) to detect hsp65, IS6110 and RD4 genes, which are specific to Mycobacterium spp., Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex (MTBC) and M. bovis, respectively. Results: PCR results indicated Mycobacterium infection in 87.2% of the cases, of which 69.5% were positive for M. bovis, 27.4% belonged to MTBC, and 3.1% were probably non-TB mycobacteria. There was good agreement between the genus-specific molecular technique and the histopathological analysis. This high frequency of TB cases caused by non-M. bovis suggests a diversified scenario of mycobacteria associated with bubaline TB in the Brazilian Amazon region.Conclusions: The results reinforce the need of discussing the inclusion of more accurate techniques in examinations carried out by Inspection Services in Brazi

Brazilian ground beef authentication by multiplex polymerase chain reaction

<div><p>ABSTRACT: The aim of the present study was to assess the efficacy ofmultiplex PCR in detecting the adulterationof commercially available ground beefvia addition and/orsubstitution ofground buffalo meat. Experimentally adulterated ground beefsamples were prepared in triplicate, and dilutions of DNA from Bos taurus and Bubalusbubalis were prepared to determine the detection limit of the method. Concurrently, 91 ground meatsamples sold as “ground beef” were collected from differentstores in northern Brazil andanalyzed bymultiplex PCR. Buffalo DNA was detected in 17.5% of the collected ground meat samples.Our results showed that multiplex PCR is an efficient method for detectingthe incorporation of groundbuffalo meatatpercentages ranging from 10 to 100% and the incorporation of beef at percentages ranging from0.1 to 100% intoground meat samples.</p></div

Slave Subjectivities in the Iberian Worlds (16th-20th centuries)

Le monde ibérique a joué un rôle clé dans le commerce mondial des personnes réduites en esclavage à partir du XVe siècle. Les spécialistes des formes ibériques d'esclavage sont confrontés à la difficulté d'accéder à la subjectivité des esclaves, étant donné la rareté des sources autobiographiques. Ce livre offre un exemple convaincant de méthodologies innovantes qui s'appuient sur des archives et des documents alternatifs, tels que les dossiers inquisitoriaux et de procès, afin d'examiner les subjectivités individuelles et collectives des esclaves sous la domination politique ibérique. Il explore des thèmes tels que la race, le genre, le travail, la mobilité sociale et l'émancipation, la religion et la politique, mettant en lumière les expériences vécues par les personnes réduites en esclavage dans le monde ibérique, de l'océan Indien à l'Atlantique.The Iberian world played a key role in the global trade of enslaved people from the 15th century onwards. Scholars of Iberian forms of slavery face challenges accessing the subjectivity of the enslaved, given the scarcity of autobiographical sources. This book offers a compelling example of innovative methodologies that draw on alternative archives and documents, such as inquisitorial and trial records, to examine enslaved individuals' and collective subjectivities under Iberian political dominion. It explores themes such as race, gender, labour, social mobility and emancipation, religion, and politics, shedding light on the lived experiences of those enslaved in the Iberian world from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic.El mundo ibérico desempeñó un papel clave en el comercio mundial de personas esclavizadas a partir del siglo XV. Los estudiosos de las formas ibéricas de esclavitud se enfrentan a dificultades para acceder a la subjetividad de los esclavizados, dada la escasez de fuentes autobiográficas. Este libro ofrece un ejemplo convincente de metodologías innovadoras que recurren a archivos y documentos alternativos, como actas inquisitoriales y de juicios, para examinar las subjetividades individuales y colectivas de los esclavizados bajo el dominio político ibérico. Explora temas como la raza, el género, el trabajo, la movilidad social y la emancipación, la religión y la política, arrojando luz sobre las experiencias vividas por los esclavizados en el mundo ibérico desde el Océano Índico hasta el Atlántico.O mundo ibérico desempenhou um papel fundamental no comércio global de pessoas escravizadas a partir do século XV. Os estudiosos das formas ibéricas de escravatura enfrentam desafios no acesso à subjetividade dos escravizados, dada a escassez de fontes autobiográficas. Este livro oferece um exemplo convincente de metodologias inovadoras que recorrem a arquivos e documentos alternativos, tais como registos inquisitoriais e de julgamentos, para examinar as subjectividades individuais e colectivas dos escravizados sob o domínio político ibérico. Explora temas como a raça, o género, o trabalho, a mobilidade social e a emancipação, a religião e a política, lançando luz sobre as experiências vividas pelos escravizados no mundo ibérico, do Oceano Índico ao Atlântico