Abstract: : Black Mulberry (Morus nigra L.) belongs to Moraceae family. The present study evaluated the possible genotoxic and/or protective activities of black mulberry fruit juice (BMFJ), in vitro, using mitomycin C (MMC) as a positive control, by chromosomal aberrations and micronucleus assays. Human lymphocytes were treated with BMFJ concentrations alone (1/1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 dilutions), pretreatment (49h) (0.20 μg/ml MMC+ 1/1 BMFJ, 0.20 μg/ml MMC+1/2 diluted BMFJ, 0.20 μg/ml MMC+1/4 diluted BMFJ, 0.20 μg/ml MMC+1/8 diluted BMFJ) and simultaneous-treatment (48h) (0.20 μg/ml MMC+ 1/1 BMFJ, 0.20 μg/ml MMC+1/2 diluted BMFJ, 0.20 μg/ml MMC+1/4 diluted BMFJ, 0.20 μg/ml MMC+1/8 diluted BMFJ). The in vitro results demonstrated that BMFJ showed no genotoxicity, but it significantly decreased chromosomal aberration and micronucleus frequency induced by MMC. Our results showed that all concentrations of BMFJ revealed no genotoxicity but protective activity against genomic changes induced by anti-tumor agent MMC in human lymphocytes. Protective effects of BMFJ on MMC induced chromosomal damages most probably due to its free radical scavenging activity.
Abstract: : The beautifully colored damselflies included in Neoneura Selys are divided in 28 species known from North, Central and South America. Larval stage is little known, only seven species were described at this stage. We describe and illustrate the final instar larva of Neoneura confundens for the first time. Adults associated to this larva correspond to the blue form of the species and are also discussed and illustrated. The larva of N. confundens is similar to other Neoneura larvae, showing 1 premental seta and a well-marked nodus in caudal lamellae, but it can be differentiated by having fringed posterior margin in all tibiae and in middle and hind tarsi, among other characters. A key to known larvae of Neoneura and new records extending the species range in the southern cone are provided.
Abstract: : The genus Stenodema Laporte, 1832 is a group of grass-feeding plant bugs worldwide distributed, with five species recorded for the Subantarctic sub-region (sunsuMorrone 2015). Males of Stenodema longicuneata (Carvalho and Rosas, 1966) are redescribed and photographed. Stenodema laolaoensis (Carvalho, 1985) is proposed as a junior synonym of S. longicuneata. New geographic records are provided and distributional and biogeographic issues are discussed.
Abstract: : The re-examination of nematodes collected decades ago from a spiny rat, Proechimys roberti (Echimyidae) from Pará State, revealed the presence of Acanthostrongylus acanthostrongylusTravassos, 1937, and two coparasitic species of Pudica (Heligmonellidae: Pudicinae), one of them new to science. Pudica minima n. sp. mostly resembles Pudica tenuaDurette-Desset, 1970, described from Proechimys semispinosus in Colombia. Nevertheless, it differs from P. tenua by having a synlophe with 12 ridges with poorly developed careen, bursal pattern of type 2-2-1 on the right lobe, bursal rays 2 and 3 similar in length, and spicules longer with spoon-shaped tips. Pudica evandroi (Travassos, 1937) was already described from Pr. roberti but its synlophe remained undescribed and the original description lacked some details. A detailed study of the synlophe is provided and the range of morphometric data for males and females is enlarged. The study of the synlophe allowed ratifying the placement of this species within Pudica, as early suggested by previous authors. The species list and identification key to species of Pudica are updated with the inclusion of three species. The status of Heligmosomum alphaTravassos, 1918, which was transferred to Pudica in 1990, is emended and the species is considered a Nippostrongylinae incertae sedis.
Abstract: : A new species of Stethelmis, S. shepardi sp. nov., is described for Patagonia, Argentina from adults of both sexes. A full description and illustrations of both the adult and the larva of the new species are provided with comments on its habitat and distribution. Adults of the new species are compared with those of S. kaszabi (Hinton 1970) and S. chilensis (Hinton 1945). The larva of S. shepardi is compared with that of S. kaszabi, the other Stethelmis larva described. We also describe and illustrate for the first time the male genitalia of S. kaszabi. A key to the known species of Stethelmis is also included.
Abstract: : This study investigated the ability of formulation containing Zingiber officinale (ginger) to reverse health changes promoted by unhealthy diet in Wistar rats. Five compounds from the gingerol family and three from the shogaol family were identified in the chromatographic analyzes of the extract. The animals were fed a combination of unhealthy foods, the cafeteria diet, which promoted increases in body weight, hepatocyte nucleus area, total hepatocyte area and liver fat accumulation, as well as reduced hepatic glutathione S-transferase concentration, compared to the control group, which received commercial chow. The treatment with ginger improved all these results, highlighting the reduction of 10% of body weight and 66% of the total area of lipid droplets deposited, compared to the group that received the cafeteria diet. Ginger treatments also attenuated lipid peroxidation, with a mean reduction of 41% in malondialdehyde levels and a mean increase of 222% in glutathione S-transferase activity in the liver. The cafeteria diet and ginger extract did not promote significant changes in glycemic and lipid profile, liver weight and liver enzymes compared to the control group. We suggest that ginger can have beneficial effects on health complications associated with unhealthy diet, such as excessive adiposity, oxidative stress and hepatic injury.
Abstract: : This work aimed to study the inheritance of resistance to Phytophthora infestans in tomato plants, using the maximum likelihood estimation function. The susceptible cultivar Santa Clara (Solanum lycopersicum) was used as the female genitor and the P. infestans resistant S. habrochaites f. glabratum accession (BGH 6902) as the male genitor. F1 plants from the crossing were self-pollinated to produce F2 progenies, and also backcrossed with PR and PS to produce BC1:R and BC1:S generations, respectively. The tomato plants were inoculated 50 days after transplanting. Disease severity was evaluated via a diagrammatic scale. Comparison of the genetic models created using the maximum likelihood function revealed that the inheritance of resistance to P. infestans in S. habrochaites is conferred by a major gene with additive and dominance effects, polygenes with additive effects, plus the environmental effect. Vertical resistance can be explored using genes with major effects. Programs of recurrent and maker-assisted selection are considered efficient strategies with which to select genotypes that hold P. infestans resistance conferred by polygenes.
Abstract: : Management of remnants in Atlantic Forest is an alternative for their conservation, however, information on the growth and ecology of those species is lacking. This study aimed to describe diametric growth of Balfourodendron riedelianum, Cordia trichotoma and Ocotea diospyrifolia based on its growth rings and to verify the relationship between this growth with the environmental characteristics in different altitude levels and forest types. Diametric growth was higher for the largest tree diameters of the three species. Based on the fitted growth model, the age in which mean annual increment in diameter becomes greater than the current annual increment was 55 years for B. riedelianum (DBH = 18.27 cm), 45 years for C. trichotoma (DBH = 26.56 cm) and 44 years for O. diospyrifolia (DBH = 26.05 cm). Environmental conditions and forest types affected diametric growth of these species. B. riedelianum and O. diospyrifolia showed higher diametric growth in plain regions with higher fertility soil and few frosts. C. trichotoma was negatively affected by low water availability in winter at lower altitudes and showed higher diametric growth at higher altitudes, where soil fertility is low but there is well-drainage, high rainfall and high relative humidity during the dry season.
Abstract: : This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the commercial probiotic (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), antibiotic (florfenicol), and its combination for Nile tilapia culture. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design with five replications, and five treatments diets: Control: water and diet without additives; YD: yeast in the diet (1 g Kg-1); AW: antibiotic in the water (0.002 g L-1); AWYD: antibiotic in the water, and yeast in the diet (0.002 g L-1 and 1 g Kg-1); and AD: antibiotic in the diet (0.01 g kg-1). The growth parameters as total and standard length, weight, weight gain, biomass, Fulton’s condition factor, specific growth rate and plasma cortisol of tilapia did not show the difference between the treatments. The survival rates and food conversion rate of fish were greater in treatment with florfenicol included in the diet. The commercial probiotic did not improve growth or survival. The administration of the antibiotic florfenicol in the water needs more studies. The inclusion of the antibiotic in the diet promotes growth and survival in Nile tilapia juvenile.
Abstract: : Different physiognomies across the Cerrado could influence the microbial C:N:P ratio in the soil since these physiognomies present different abundance and diversity of plant species. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the microbial C:N:P ratio in soil across three different physiognomies of Cerrado in the Northeast, Brazil, namely campo graminóide (dominance of grasses), cerrado stricto sensu (dominance of grasses, shrubs, low trees, and woody stratum), and cerradão (dominance of woody stratum). Campo graminóide was characterized by lower values of total organic C, N, microbial C:P, N:P, and soil C:N. Cerrado stricto sensu presented average values for most of the measured parameters, while cerradão presented higher values of microbial C, N, P, organic C, N and soil C:P and C:N ratios. The principal component analysis showed that the samples grouped according to the sites, with a clear gradient from campo graminóide to cerradão. Therefore, the differences of vegetation across physiognomies of Cerrado influenced the soil microbial C:N:P ratio, where cerradão showed highest microbial C:N:P ratio than soil under campo graminóide.
Abstract: : Conventional cotton production in western Bahia, Brazil, involves intensive use of agricultural inputs and mechanization, which may affect arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). This work aimed at studying the impact of conventional and organic cotton production in the AMF of western Bahia. Soil samples were obtained from conventional white cotton and colored cotton organic production systems as well as from native Cerrado areas, close to the white cotton fields, and from the subcaducifolia vegetation, close to the organic colored cotton farms. The most frequent species in the conventional farming areas belonged to the genera Acaulospora (10 spp.); Glomus (8 spp.); Dentiscutata (3 spp.); Ambispora, Pacispora and Scutellospora (2 spp. each), as well as Claroideoglomus etunicatum, Diversispora sp., Entrophospora infrequens, Gigaspora sp., Orbispora pernambucana, Paradentiscutata maritima, and Paraglomus occultum. Eighteen species were found in the organic farming areas, with the predominance of Glomus (5 spp.) and Acaulospora (5 spp.), and with Claroideoglomus, Dentiscutata, Gigaspora, Corymbiglomus, Orbispora, Paraglomus, Scutellospora, and Simiglomus (1 spp. each). Paraglomus bolivianum was first reported in Cerrado. In the native vegetation, nine species were found, with the predominance of Glomus and Acaulospora. The highest number of AMF species was found in the organic farming areas, which deserves further investigation.
Abstract: : Sustainable production requires increasing use of raw materials from renewable sources, processed under mild conditions with minimal effluent production. These requirements are satisfied by using materials derived from biomass, in synergy with food and energy production. The possibilities of biomass are continuously enlarged by new findings, as in the intrinsic nanocomposite properties of natural rubber and the amphiphile behavior of cellulose that translated into new functional materials, including high-performance, flexible and conductive non-metallic materials. Other findings are allowing a better understanding of electrostatic phenomena that play a positive role in electrostatic adhesion and cohesion of nanocomposites made from biomass products. Moreover, this should allow the development of safe electrostatic separation techniques, suitable for the fractionation of crude mixtures of biomass residues. A current study on rubber electrostatics is showing its capabilities as a transducer of mechanical energy while providing clues to understand the performance of the dielectric elastomers used in robotic self-sensing actuators.
Abstract: : A total number of 300 (225 ducks and 75 drakes) Sudani ducks, 28-wk-old were divided into five groups to investigate the effects of dietary L-carnitine (LC) supplementation on productive, hatching and physiological performance as well as nutrients digestibility coefficients. The results indicated that the productive performance and Semen quality parameters (ejaculate volume, sperms concentration and advanced motility) were significantly improved by LC supplementation (150-450 mg /kg diet) as compared to the control. Hatchability of fertile eggs (%) was significantly improved, while total embryonic mortality was significantly decreased by supplementing 300 and 450 mg LC/kg diet. Supplementing different dietary LC levels resulted in significantly high values of hemoglobin, red and white blood cells count and lymphocyte (L) cells percentage, while it decreased heterophils (H) cells and H/L ratio. Serum albumin, total cholesterol and AST enzyme values were significantly low in ducks fed diets supplemented with LC. Serum triglycerides were significantly the lowest by feeding 300 and 450 mg LC/kg diet. Nutrients digestibility coefficients were significantly improved in drakes fed diet supplemented with 450 mg LC/kg diet. Conclusively, dietary LC supplementation at 300 or 450 mg/kg for duck breeders in summer could improve productive, hatching and physiological performance and nutrients digestibility coefficients.
Abstract: : Seed companies are looking for promising, quick and effective alternatives to determine the physiological quality of seeds. The objective of the current work was to study the efficiency of the exudate - phenolphthalein pH test to evaluate the seeds of two lots of Libidibia ferrea (Mart. ex Tul.) L. P. Queiroz var. ferrea. The statistical design for the the exudate - phenolphthalein pH test was completely randomized with four replicates of 50 seeds in a factorial design (2 x 5), two seed lots and five soaking periods (30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 minutes), respectively, using two constant temperatures (25 and 30°C). The percentage of viability and germination of the seeds did not differ in the temperatures of 25 and 30°C and in the soaking periods by the exudate - phenolphthalein pH test. Thus, it is recommended that the test be conducted for at least 30 minutes in distilled and deionized water at the constant temperature of 25 or 30°C to evaluate the vigor of the Libidibia ferrea.
Abstract: : In order to evaluate iron chelate in diets for sows during gestation and lactation and its effects on iron supplementation for piglets, a total of 50 pregnant sows in the third parity order were distributed according to a randomized block design with two treatments: diet without iron chelate supplementation (n=20); diet supplemented with 0.15% of iron chelate (n=30). The litters of sows were distributed into five different treatments: sows without iron chelate supplementation and piglets receiving intramuscular iron-dextran; sows without iron chelate supplementation and piglets receiving oral iron supplementation; sows supplemented with iron chelate and piglets receiving intramuscular iron-dextran; sows supplemented with iron chelate and piglets receiving oral iron supplementation; sows supplemented with iron chelate and piglets without iron supplementation. No influence of dietary supplementation of iron chelate was verified on the productive parameters of the sows. For the piglets, iron-dextran supplementation promoted higher weaning weight in comparison to non-supplemented piglets, although not differing to those received oral iron supplementation. Thus, iron chelate supplementation did not improve the productive parameters of sows, but it increased iron excretion in the feces, thus requiring iron supplementation for the piglets after birth.
Abstract: : Here we model and describe the wood volume of Cerrado Sensu Stricto, a highly heterogeneous vegetation type in the Savanna biome, in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, integrating forest inventory data with spatial-environmental variables, multivariate regression, and regression kriging. Our study contributes to a better understanding of the factors that affect the spatial distribution of the wood volume of this vegetation type as well as allowing better representation of the spatial heterogeneity of this biome. Wood volume estimates were obtained through regression models using different environmental variables as independent variables. Using the best fitted model, spatial analysis of the residuals was carried out by selecting a semivariogram model for generating an ordinary kriging map, which in turn was used with the fitted regression model in the regression kriging technique. Seasonality of both temperature and precipitation, along with the density of deforestation, explained the variations of wood volume throughout Minas Gerais. The spatial distribution of predicted wood volume of Cerrado Sensu Stricto in Minas Gerais revealed the high variability of this variable (15.32 to 98.38 m3 ha-1) and the decreasing gradient in the southeast-northwest direction.
Abstract: : Arbuscular Mycorrhizae (AM) are mutualistic associations between Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) and the roots of many plant species. AMF spores give rise to filaments that develop in the root system of plants and contribute to the absorption of water and some nutrients. This article introduces a semi-automated counting model of AMF spores in slide images based on Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The semi-automated counting of AMF spores facilitates and accelerates the tasks of researchers, who still do the AMF spore counting manually. We built a representative database of spore images, processing images through the Circle Hough Transform (CHT) method and training an ANN to classify patterns automatically. The classification analysis and the performances of the proposed method against the manual method are presented in this paper. The accuracy for the identification of spores by CHT in conjunction to ANN classification in the images was 90%. The results indicate that this method can accurately detect the presence of AMF spores in images as well as count them with a high level of confidence.
Abstract: : This ethnography is about a particular human-animal relationship based on primatological research on groups of wild robust capuchin monkeys living in Parque Estadual Carlos Botelho (Brazil), one of the largest preserved areas of Atlantic Tropical Forest in the world. It emphasizes the complex situations that highlight the difficulty of making this research. This space integrates administrative, scientific and local interests, producing a unique cartography. We reflect on the scientific research considering the relations among primatologist, field assistant and other animals and comparing it with the hunt. “Hunt” is a model inspired in techniques and in some aspects of recreational hunt to expand the comprehension of a complex routine defined to obtain behavior data.
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