Flebotomíneos (Diptera: Psychodidae) em um sistema agroflorestal da Região Metropolitana de Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil

Sandflies stand out as important vectors of leishmaniasis. The females need to ingest blood meals, enabling them to transmit protozoa of the genus Leishmania, which may give rise to visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL), in addition to transmitting other parasites. Leishmaniasis are important infirmities, distributed worldwide, whose infection results from the interaction of reservoir animals, the vector insect, parasitic protozoa and the healthy host. In the state of Rio Grande do Norte (RN), Brazil, these insects are important transmitters of VL, which usually presents in the most serious form. It occurs mainly in metropolitan areas, with the dog as its main reservoir and Lutzomyia longipalpis as the vector. ATL is most present in the highland areas of the state. In addition to hematophagia, engaged in by the females, both sexes need to ingest carbohydrates, which are essential to the sand flies energy requirements and may interfere in the development of Leishmania. The aim of this study was to determine the occurrence and abundance of sand flies in different environments on the farm belonging to the Empresa de Pesquisas Agropecuárias do RN (Institute of Agricultural Research of RN), in the municipality of Parnamirim, in order to relate this occurrence with climatological and biological references and eating habits. Three consecutive monthly collections were carried out with CDC traps in a fragment of the Atlantic Forest, in a residence, on a goat breeding farm and on cashew, dwarf and giant coconut, mango, banana, eucalyptus, acacia and bean plantations. A total of 1241 sandflies from eight species (Lutzomyia evandroi, Lutzomyia longipalpis, Lutzomyia shannoni, Lutzomyia sordellii Lutzomyia walkeri, Lutzomyia wellcomei, Lutzomyia whitmani, and Lutzomyia intermedia) were collected, most in the forest environment. L. longipalpis, the main VL transmitter, was confirmed as a species adapted to anthropic environments, whereas others such as L. wellcomei, the vector of ATL, occurred predominantly in forests. Carbohydrate characterization of the sand flies and plants of the region demonstrated that a number of exotic plants such as hay and eucalyptus may play some role in the adaptation of these species to modified environments. Breeding in laboratory showed a mean biological cycle of 53.5 days from egg to adulthood for L. shannoni and the possibility of diapause behavior in L. wellcomei. This study serves as a source of information that may contribute to the epidemiological vigilance of tegumentary and visceral leishmaniasis in the state, given that it analyzes the bioecology of transmitting species, as well as their potential to adapt to new environments

Identificação e avaliação de propriedades de polissacarídeos sulfatados de diferentes fontes naturais que possibilitem sua aplicabilidade biotecnológica

Sulfated polysaccharides (SP) are widely distributed in animals and seaweeds tissues. These polymers have been studied in light of their important pharmacological activities, such as anticoagulant, antioxidant, antitumoral, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties. On other hand, SP potential to synthesize biomaterials like as nanoparticules has not yet been explored. In addition, to date, SP have only been found in six plants and all inhabit saline environments. However, the SP pharmacological plant activities have not been carrying out. Furthermore, there are no reports of SP in freshwater plants. Thus, do SP from marine plants show pharmacological activity? Do freshwater plants actually synthesize SP? Is it possible to synthesize nanoparticles using SP from seaweed? In order to understand this question, this Thesis was divided into tree chapters. In the first chapter a sulfated polysaccharide (SPSG) was successfully isolated from marine plant Halodule wrightii. The data presented here showed that the SPSG is a 11 kDa sulfated heterogalactan contains glucose and xylose. Several assays suggested that the SPSG possessed remarkable antioxidant properties in different in vitro assays and an outstanding anticoagulant activity 2.5-fold higher than that of heparin Clexane® in the aPTT test; in the next chapter using different tools such as chemical and histological analyses, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA), gel electrophoresis and infra-red spectroscopy we confirm the presence of sulfated polysaccharides in freshwater plants for the first time. Moreover, we also demonstrate that SP extracted from E. crassipes root has potential as an anticoagulant compound; and in last chapter a fucan, a sulfated polysaccharide, extracted from the brown seaweed was chemically modified by grafting hexadecylamine to the polymer hydrophilic backbone. The resulting modified material (SNFuc) formed nanosized particles. The degree of substitution for hydrophobic chains of 1H NMR was approximately 93%. SNFfuc-TBa125 in aqueous media had a mean diameter of 123 nm and zeta potential of -38.3 ± 0.74 mV, measured bydynamic light scattering. Tumor-cell (HepG2, 786, H-S5) proliferation was inhibited by 2.0 43.7% at SNFuc concentrations of 0.05 0.5 mg/ mL and RAEC non-tumor cell line proliferation displayed inhibition of 8.0 22.0%. On the other hand, nanogel improved CHO and RAW non-tumor cell line proliferation in the same concentration range. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that this fucan nanogel inhibited 786 cell proliferation through caspase and caspaseindependent mechanisms. In addition, SNFuc blocks 786 cell passages in the S and G2-M phases of the cell cycle

Saberes da pesca: uma arqueologia da ciência da tradição

This essay presents and discusses knowledge obtained through tradition taken as knowledge built along generations, transmitted from mouth to mouth and everyday experiences result of a non-scientific knowledge based on observation and hints given by more experient generations. The referred icon used to develop such a discussion in this essay is fishing. We point out the knoledge which enables the fishermen, among other dominions, to: find out the fish and other animals feeding habits; find their way through by astral influence during night navigation and learn the tide flowing based on the moon cycle. On what comes to fishing knowledge, the research was organized based on a bibliographic study about several ways of fishing in the Northern, Northeastern, Southern and Southestern regions of Brazil. In the Northern and Northeastern regions, the field research was also focused. Having interviews, photographs and films as reference, this part of the research was divided into two parts: the first one situated in the Amazonian Region in na area called Baixo-Tocantins, in the State of Pará where we worked with fishermen in the small towns of Abaetetuba and Igarapé-Miri; and the second one was held in the Northeastern region of Brazil, in the State of Rio Grande do Norte, where we worked with fishermen on the Piató Lake, in the small city of Assú. We tarted discussing based on a descriptive study of the fishing techniques used, aiming to identify them as an ordered activity, differed and classified by knoledge obtained through the years, based on the relationship between man and Nature. Creativity, stimulated by human curiosity, is also discussed and shown as a result of various fishing journeys. The myths, as a component of the fishing world, especially those which describe the relationship between men and waters, also have an outstanding place. At last, two fishing techniques belonging to the research field reference, are also described and analysed under the focus of construction and systematization of the knowledge related to fishing. The theory approach is based on reflection upon the tradition knowledge discussed by Almeida (2001), Balandier (1997), Câmara Cascudo (1957, 2000, 2002) and Claude Lévi-Strauss (1976, 1987 and 1991). The essay is an exercise of knowledge production which defends the "relink" of knowledge, as Edgar Morin suggests when dealing with the sciences of complexity

Paisagens sonoras, tempos e autoformação

Les sociétés actuelles vivent des temps de vitesse, de l'individualisme, de l'absence d'enracinement historique: en harmonie avec le processus de formation de la civilisation du monde occidental contemporain profondément marqué par le paradigme de la globalisation. La pollution visuelle et sonore des grandes villes est, en même temps, l'expression de la pollution des sens et des affections humaines. En reflétant sur ce processus, la thèse discuter em faveur d'une formation réglée dans la logique du sensible qu'il a dans l'écouter près de la nature (Lévi-Strauss) un de leurs piliers épistémologiques ondamentales. Cette forme de penser et vivre reconnaît dans l'autoformation (Edgar Morin), et dans l'exercice de construction, par le sujet, de leurs propres paysages sonores (Murray Schafer), deux opérateurs cognitifs capables de nourrir les principes de la diversité, complexité, interdépendance et respect à la nature (Fritjof Capra). Dans le parcours argumentatif de la thèse gagnent emphase les savoirs de la tradition, les pratiques et les connaissances produites par les sociétés le plus proche de la nature qui, par des stratégies cognitives ouvertes et des polyphoniques, donnent importance aux facultés sensibles et à la complémentarité des deux itinéraires de la pensée: symbolique/mythologique/magique et empirique/technique/rationnel (Edgar Morin). Proche d'une perspective autobiographique, la thèse se présente dans la forme narrative d'un registre avec des évocations poétiques, philosophiques et musicales germées de l'écouter d'un paysage particulier, la Lagon du Piató, localisé dans la région de l'Assu (Rio Grande do Norte) et, en particulier, des récits et des évocations de mémoire d'un de leurs habitants auxlesquels nous pourrions appeler d'un philosophe de la nature , Francisco Lucas da Silva (Chico Lucas). Ensuite, ils sont décrits non-place (Marc-Augé) des scénarios métropolitains, en discutant ainsi les excès de pollution sonore, visuelle et de l'afection. En ayant comme estimé une éducation complexe ancrée dans non séparation il entre réforme de l'éducation et reforme de la pensée, de la formation et autoformation (Edgar Morin), à la fin, la thèse propose des ateliers d'expérimentation de l'écouter sensible entre des jeunes et des enfants sur le contexte scolaire, en pariant dans les futures générations (Ilya Prigogine) pour la reconstruction d'un monde plus juste et solidaire

Pedagogia da fraternidade ecológica e formação transdisciplinar para um ensino educativo

La séparation entre les deux cultures (Snow, 1995) a battu la compréhension du monde, a influencé l'éducation à tous les niveaux et a fragmenté les êtres humains dans leur façon de penser et de produire des connaissances. L'accumulation des connaissances héritées dès la naissance de la science moderne au XVIIe siècle, n'a pas été suffisantes pour relever les nouveaux défis du monde contemporain (Morin, 2000, 2001, 2002a). Maintenant c est le temps de chercher une nouvelle compréhension du monde et des nouveaux façon de comprendre et résoudre les événements et problèmes de l'âge moderne. La Pédagogie de la fraternité écologique "est défendue et construite à partir d'un point de référence cosmologique nouvelle, basée sur le grand récit de l'univers, et inspirés par la vie fraternelle, l'amour, la poésie et la sagesse de saint François d'Assise (Italie , sec. XII-XIII) et l'expérience des connaissances traditionnelles et la «logique du sensible» (Lévi-Strauss) de Francisco da Silva Lucas, un résident de la communauté de Areia Branca, sur les rives du lac Piató dans la ville de Assu, Rio Grande do Norte. Une épistémologie fondée sur le grand récit de l'Univers rachetera des relations fraternelles entre l'homme et la nature. À partir de ces références j ai elaboré une nouvelle formation pour les éducateurs, «formation interdisciplinaire pour enseigner de l'éducation», dans lequel je développe ce que j'appelle «Architecture transdisciplinaire de savoir pour la formation des enseignants, fondé sur les principes de la complexité et de la transdisciplinarité. Nous comprenons que notre rôle est plus large intégrant l'homme dans l'histoire de l'univers, car le bien de la terre et le bienêtre de la communauté humaine sur terre peut être le point que rejoindra l'enseignement de l'avenir

DERSU UZALA Hibridação Homem-Natureza

Esta disertación explora de qué forma las hibridaciones entre ser humano y ambientes naturales no urbanos contribuyen a configurar las estrategias de atención, de construcción de conocimiento y de interacción con el mundo del sujeto y cómo, recursivamente, las actitudes perceptivo-cognitivas y las maneras de acercarse a lo real, de imputar sentido a los fenómenos y de interactuar con el ambiente practicadas por el sujeto condicionan y contribuyen a definir las hibridaciones entre humanos y no humanos. Lo que guía esa exploración es el concepto de híbrido que, inspirándome en Bruno Latour (2008), concibo como una asociación entre elementos sin características inherentes, compenetrados, que se redefinen, recrean e reconfiguran recíprocamente. Utilizo como operadores cognitivos una narrativa literaria y una cinematográfica: el libro autobiográfico Dersu Uzala del escritor y explorador ruso Vladimir Klavdievich Arseniev (1872-1930), publicado por primera vez en 1923, y la película homónima del director japonés Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998), lanzada en 1975. Estas obras reconstruyen tres expediciones realizadas por Arseniev a principios del siglo XX en la región siberiana del Ussuri que tuvieron como guía al cazador nómada de etnia gold Dersu Uzala, con quien el escritor construyó una profunda amistad. La elección de hacer dialogar en el mismo plan a dos modos complementares de conocimiento, arte y ciencia, se fundamenta en la concepción de Edgar Morin (2003b) de la literatura y el cine como escuelas de vida y de complejidad humana y en la visión de Claude Lévi- Strauss (2007) del arte como modelo reducido que favorece una mirada más abarcadora sobre los fenómenos. Inicialmente, pongo en relación mi investigación con los trabajos de Silmara Lídia Marton (2008) y Samir Cristino de Souza (2009), que analizaron las estrategias de construcción de conocimiento y de interacción con el mundo de un habitante de la Laguna de Piató (Municipio de Assú, Estado de Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil), Francisco Lucas da Silva, y muestro algunas analogías entre estas y las de Dersu Uzala, ambas productos de determinadas hibridaciones con el ambiente. A continuación, exploro las implicaciones cognitivas de la amistad de Arseniev con el cazador gold, metáfora/encarnación del diálogo posible entre saberes de matrices diferentes. En un tercer momento, dialogando con pensadores que se interrogaron sobre el trinomio hombre-naturaleza-representaciones y con las narrativas de Arseniev (1997) y Kurosawa (1975), reflexiono sobre las ideas de híbrido, de humano y no humano, de vivo y no vivo, de proximidad y distancia del sujeto con respecto a otros sistemas de lectura del mundo, de relación directa y mediada con lo real, de ambientes naturales urbanos y no urbanos. A seguir, incursiono en el libro de Arseniev y en el largometraje de Kurosawa intentando identificar qué factores más contribuyeron para configurar las estrategias de conocimiento y de interacción con el ambiente manifestadas por el explorador y por el cazador gold y, recursivamente, de qué forma esas estrategias contribuyeron a definir sus hibridaciones con el ambiente siberiano. Por último, a partir de las reflexiones tejidas a lo largo del trabajo, me interrogo sobre lo que ellas pueden decirnos sobre nuestra forma de interactuar con la naturaleza no humana y sobre el diálogo entre distintas formas de percibir, conocer y relacionarse con el mundo

Uma ecologia de base complexa

This thesis objective systemize and discuss the ecological knowledge constructed by means of tradition knowledge with basis in a complex ecology (MORIN, 2002b). The conception of tradition knowledge (ALMEIDA, 2001c) corresponds to a diversity of knowledgement, of men and women, constructed from heteroclite elements of the geographic way, making use of analogies and homologies which serves as the base for this scientific inquiry. These knowledge are extremely related the context where these people are inserted. To construct an ecology of complex base is to understand that the reality is not given previously, and that its construction assumes indissociability among the elements that composes it, that is, between nature and society, material and immaterial elements. To incorporate the disorder, the uncertainty, the unpredictable and the auto-echo-organization as guide principles of a new ecology, constitutes in a new vision of the biological science and the scientific ecology in direction to a science of complexity. The work focuses the ecological knowledge of the Piató lagoon, municipality of Açu, in the State of Rio Grande do Norte, having as interlocutor of this boarding Mr. Francisco Lucas da Silva (known in the local as Chico Lucas), fisherman and agriculturist, who was born, and lives until today, in the community of Areia Branca, around the lagoon. Having for base the method as strategy (MORIN, 2001a), the research construction was performed through the realization of more than 10 trips carried out between the years of 2005 and 2007. In these trips the ecological aspects of the environments such as, the flora and the fauna, as well as the environmental impacts on the lagoon, were obtained in recorded dialogues and interviews with Chico Lucas, which were later transcripts. The information from there showed a natural and social complex reality, little known by Cartesian science, since it brings a wealth of details of daily life full, over all, for tradition knowing of the people that had lived there and the ones who remain living there. The thesis looks to understand the strategies of thought and the knowledge production referring to traditional knowing and its ability of interchange between different cognitive operators. The ecological knowledge that emerges of these knows reveals a systemic perception of the environment, presenting the beings and phenomena in its peculiarities and its degrees of complexity, but immutable in its indissociability

Marcadores fenotípicos para caracterização de caprinos com diferentes níveis de resistência às endoparasitoses gastrintestinais

The aim of this study was to evaluate and characterize phenotypically goats with different levels of resistance to gastrointestinal nematodes. For a period of 93 days, 60 F2 goats originated from ½ Saanen and ½ Anglo- nubian animals were kept in the same area of pasture. Every seven days, feces and blood were collected for eggs per gram counts of feces (EPG) and cultures of feces and to determinate the number of eosinophils, packed cell volume and total plasma protein, respectively. On the same day, the animals were weighed and submitted to body score condition and FAMACHA method to worm control. Based on the average of EPG, the twelve animals with the highest average (susceptible group) and the twelve animals with the lowest average of EPG (resistant group) were selected, slaughtered and necropsied to recovery, counting andparasites identification. The resistant animals present lower EPG mean (P <0.0001) and 4.7 folder less parasites than susceptible animals. The resistant group presented higher mean packed cell volume (26.48%) and total plasma protein (6.24 g / dl) than susceptible one (24,04% e 5,82g/dl, respectively). The average number of eosinophils was similar in both groups The Haemonchus sp. was the most prevalent in the culture of feces, followed by Trischostrongylus sp. and Oesophagostomum sp.. The counting of nematodes in the abomasum of susceptible group was higher than in resistant one. The species identified were H. contortus in abomasums and T. colubriformis in small intestine. It can be concluded that EPG, packed cell volume and total plasma protein were useful phenotypic markers to identify animals as resistant and susceptible to gastrointestinal nematodes infections

Características da carcaça e qualidade da carne de ovinos terminados em pastagens cultivadas

The objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of housing and the physical and chemical characteristics of meat from sheep raised on pasture Brachiaria brizantha and Panicum maximum. The experiment was conducted in the physical area of the Study Group on Forage (GEFOR), located in the Academic Unit Specialized in Agricultural Sciences - Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte - UFRN in Macaíba, RN, Brazil. We used 32 lambs SPRD, obtained from herds in the state, with liveweight (LW) of 24.5 kg were assigned randomly to four treatments consisting of tropical grasses, two cultivars of Brachiaria brizantha, Marandu and Piatã, and two of Panicum maximum, Aruana and Massai. The experimental area was 2.88 ha, divided into 4 paddocks of 0.72 ha, where each picket consisted of a farm and was divided into six plots of 0.12 ha, where the animals remained under rotational grazing. The period of adaptation to the pickets was seven days. At the beginning of the experiment the animals were weighed, identified with plastic earrings and necklaces colored according to the treatment, and treated against. The lambs were loose in the paddock at 8 am and collected at 16 hours, which returned to collective pens. During the time of grazing animals had free access to mineral supplement with monensin Ovinofós ® and water. Before entering the paddocks of pasture were sampled to characterize the chemical composition. Every seven days occurred at weighing, with fasting, to monitor the weight development. Cultivars Marandu, Aruana, Piatã and Massai were grazed for 133, 129, 143 and 142 days, respectively, until the lambs reach slaughter weight. Arriving at 32 kg lambs were evaluated subjectively for body condition score by, passed through fasting period, diet and water for 16 hours were slaughtered. Measurements were made in the inner and outer casings in addition to subjective evaluations regarding muscling, finish and quantity of pelvic-renal fat, then each was divided longitudinally into two half-carcases and cuts were made in the commercial left half, and after heavy calculated their income. Between the 12th and 13th thoracic vertebrae, was performed a cut to expose the cross section of the Longissimus dorsi, which was drawn on the rib eye area (REA) in transparent film. Fat thickness and extent of AOL GR were determined using a caliper. A tissue composition was determined by dissection of the legs. Analyzes were performed physical (color, cooking loss and shear force) and chemical composition of meat (moisture, ash, protein and lipids) in Longissimus dorsi muscle. Grazing tropical grass Brachiaria brizantha cvs. Marandu and Piatã and Panicum maximum cvs. Aruana and Massai can be used for lambs SRPD in the rainy season, because not alter the physico-chemical and chemical composition of meat

Respostas morfogênicas e estruturais de gramíneas tropicais em regime de corte no nordeste brasileiro

The production of forage grasses is directly related to the morphogenesis. The knowledge of the morphogenetic and structural variables of forage plants is important for determining appropriate conditions of grazing livestock to ensure efficient and sustainable. Thus the objective of this study was to evaluate morphogenetic and structural responses of three genera of grasses, Brachiaria, Panicum and Cenchrus in a cutting regime. The experimental design was randomized blocks with three replications and six treatments. After each section were evaluated for forage production, appearance and elongation rates of leaves and stem, phyllochron, final leaf length, number of living leaves, leaf lifespan, leaf senescence rate, tiller density and tiller dynamics. On forage yield the highest values were obtained in cultivars Xaraes, Piata and Massai. The tiller density was higher for cv Massai. It is concluded that the cultivars of Panicum and Brachiaria had a higher tillering dynamics in increasing the turnover rate of tissues that are indicators of forage production, assuming that the cultivars of these genera are predisposed to use forage in the Northeast

Alterações ambientais em Parelhas, Rio Grande do Norte: metais pesados em sedimentos de drenagens e percepção de comunidades rurais em relação a mudanças na paisagem

The conservation of natural resources is essential and constitutes the main subject of many researches, which characterize important aspects concerning the environmental alterations in the ground, water, landscape and socioeconomic information. This study aimed to investigate the anthropogenic input of heavy metals in the environment, in the area of the Parelhas dump site and in part of the Seridó River and to determine the concentration of heavy metals in the sediments. This can result in risk to the environment and human health. In addition, we sought to establish the socioeconomic profile of rural communities adjacent to Seridó River and to comprehend the perception of these dwellers about the changes in the places they live. The area of this study is located in the city of Parelhas/RN, in the centralsouthern part of the State, in the micro-region of the Oriental Seridó. This area comprehends the place where the dump site is located, next to RN 086, the Caldeirão dam, the Quintos river called by local citizens Caldeirão creek and part of Seridó river, perpetuated by the Boqueirão dam, which crosses the city and it includes the rural communities of Almas, Domingas, Sussuarana II and Colonos. Regarding the study with bottom sediments, the samples were collected and taken to the laboratory of geochemistry, where they were dried, sieved, weighted and submitted to weak acid attack. The analysis of heavy metals was held by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer - Flame AAS. We applied 23 closed questionnaires constituted by 38 questions to collect informations in the rural communities, oriented to establish the socioeconomic profile and the environmental perception of the participants. The participants were distributed in the communities of Almas (1), Domingas (2), Sussuarana II (10) and Colonos (10). Most of them presented similar socioeconomic profiles. They are from 45 to 60 years old and live in these localities for 20 to 30 years or more. The families are composed by 3 or 4 people; the agriculture is the main activity, livestock is the secondary and 48% of them earn the minimal wage. Regarding the environmental perception, the participants can realize some changes in vegetation, soil, water and landscape. People living longer in the community, and with more years of experience on the local reality can perceive the depletion of the soil, pastures and changes in the landscape. These changes portray how the place was previously and what it represents today. The perception of these changes, besides the environmental ones, includes others concerning the increasing number of dwellers in the last years, as well as the number of houses. The changes happened through activities developed by the dwellers over the years, including agricultural practices, livestock, grass planting and even the cultivation of cotton. The study provided the acquisition of new data about the environmental reality of this region. It can subsidize the definition of public policies that can be implemented from the perspective of conservation of water resources and of the coexistence and survival of man in the semi-arid