Statistical analysis of texture in trunk images for biometric identification of tree species

The identification of tree species is a key step for sustainable management plans of forest resources, as well as for several other applications that are based on such surveys. However, the present available techniques are dependent on the presence of tree structures, such as flowers, fruits, and leaves, limiting the identification process to certain periods of the year Therefore, this article introduces a study on the application of statistical parameters for texture classification of tree trunk images. For that, 540 samples from five Brazilian native deciduous species were acquired and measures of entropy, uniformity, smoothness, asymmetry (third moment), mean, and standard deviation were obtained from the presented textures. Using a decision tree, a biometric species identification system was constructed and resulted to a 0.84 average precision rate for species classification with 0.83accuracy and 0.79 agreement. Thus, it can be considered that the use of texture presented in trunk images can represent an important advance in tree identification, since the limitations of the current techniques can be overcome.

Reporting social behaviours of mixed-species troops formed by Callithrix jacchus and Callithrix penicillata (Primate, Callitrichidae)

In New World primates, mixed-species troops have been reported. Here, we analysed the performance of affiliative and agonistic behaviours of Callithrix jacchus and Callithrix penicillata living in mixed groups. For this purpose, we recorded the interaction of the individuals from two groups located in Bauru city, in the state of Sao Paulo (Brazil). Our data show that in both groups, affiliative behaviours appeared more frequently than agonistic ones. We concluded that there is cohesion inside the mixed-species troops observed. We suggest that a deeper knowledge about the social behaviour of mixed-species troop species certainly may be useful in projects linked with the management of the impact caused by them.

Molecular identification of mullet species of the Atlantic South Caribbean and South America and the phylogeographic analysis of mugil liza

Fundacao de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Importance of anatomical leaf features for characterization of three species of Mapania (Mapanioideae, Cyperaceae) from the Amazon Forest, Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Meiotic behavior of 18 species from eight families of terrestrial heteroptera

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Use of anatomical, chemical, and molecular genetic characteristics in the quality control of medicinal species: a case study of sarsaparilla (Smilax spp.)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Molecular and cytogenetic analyses of cryptic species within the Synbranchus marmoratus Bloch, 1795 (Synbranchiformes: Synbranchidae) grouping: species delimitations, karyotypic evolution and intraspecific diversification

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Mutagenicity and chemopreventive activities of Astronium species assessed by Ames test

In the neotropical savannah, Astronium species are used in popular medicine to treat allergies, inflammation, diarrhea and ulcers. Given that natural products are promising starting points for the discovery of novel potentially therapeutic agents, the aim of the present study was to investigate the mutagenic and antimutagenic activities of hydroalcoholic extracts of Astronium spp. The mutagenicity was determined by the Ames test on Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98, TA97a, TA100 and TA102. The antimutagenicity was tested against the direct-acting and indirect-acting mutagens. The results showed that none of the extracts induce any increase in the number of revertants, demonstrating the absence of mutagenic activity. On the other hand, the results on the antimutagenic potential showed a moderate inhibitory effect against NPD and a strong protective effect against B[a]P and AFB1. This study highlights the importance of screening species of Astronium for new medicinal compounds. The promising results obtained open up new avenues for further study and provide a better understanding the mechanisms by which these species act in protecting DNA from damage. However, further pharmacological and toxicological investigations of crude extracts of Astronium spp., as well as of its secondary metabolites, are necessary to determine the mechanism(s) of action to guarantee their safer and more effective application to human health.

Susceptibility of helminth species from horses against different chemical compounds in Brazil

By means of parasitological necropsies, the present study aimed to evaluate, in six experiments, the degree of susceptibility or resistance of different helminth species which naturally infect horses to ivermectin 0.2mg/kg, abamectin 0.2mg/kg, moxidectin 0.4mg/kg, trichlorfon 35mg/kg, ivermectin 0.2mg/kg+praziquantel 2.5mg/kg, abamectin 0.2mg/kg+praziquantel 2.5mg/kg and ivermectin 0.2mg/kg+6.6 mg/kg pyrantel. At experimental day zero, the horses were allocated to treatment groups based on average counts of strongylid eggs per gram of feces (EPG) obtained on days -3, -2 and -1. Oxyuris sp. infections were confirmed as positive or negative. All the animals in the six experiments were naturally infected by this helminth species. Each group (control or treated) consisted of six animals. All the assessed Habronema muscae populations analyzed were susceptible to ivermectin, abamectin and moxidectin. Of the six Trichostrongylus axei populations, four were susceptible to ivermectin, abamectin, moxidectin, trichlorfon and ivermectin+praziquantel, and two were resistant to abamectin+praziquantel and ivermectin+pyrantel. Both Strongyloides westeri populations analyzed were susceptible to ivermectin, abamectin, moxidectin and abamectin+praziquantel. For O. equi, resistance was found in four different populations treated with ivermectin, abamectin, moxidectin, trichlorfon and ivermectin+praziquantel. Only combinations of abamectin+praziquantel and ivermectin+pyrantel were effective against this parasite species. All the large strongyles diagnosed in the present study (Strongyus edentatus, Strongyus vulgaris and Triodontophorus serratus) were susceptible to all the chemicals tested, with the exception of trichlorfon. Of the Cyathostominae populations, one was diagnosed as resistant to ivermectin and another to trichlorfon. The remaining populations from this nematode group were considered to be sensitive to ivermectin, abamectin, moxidectin, ivermectin+praziquantel, abamectin+praziquantel and ivermectin+pyrantel. New studies should be performed in different regions to evaluate the efficacy of trichlorfon in others field populations of helminthes.

A dental caries preventive program applied to children aged 5 to 8 years attending since the first year of age at the Baby Clinic of the Araçatuba Dental School, Brazil

Objective: Tooth decay is one of the more common diseases of childhood. Several studies recommend that early preventive measures must be implemented since the first years of life and continue throughout childhood and adolescence. The aim of the this study was to present results of a preventive dental program considering oral health maintenance, dental caries experience and the prevalence of dental caries relation with follow-up compliance visits. Material end method: Intraoral and interproximal radiographic exams were performed on 171 patients participants of a preventive dental program. Data regarding age, gender, previous caries experience and the frequency at which the patients attended return visits were obtained from the records. The data were analyzed statistically by the McNemar test, with the level of significance set at 1%. Result: Clinical and radiographic examination revealed that most children participating in the program had sound teeth (77.2 and 84.8%, respectively). The past dental history of the dental caries from patients included in this study showed statistical relevance when associated with the present dental caries experience and a statistical relationship was found from the absence of compliance to clinical visits and the dental caries presence. Conclusion: The preventive strategy had a positive influence on oral health maintenance in the children examined. Previous caries experience and the lack of compliance with return visits influenced the clinical oral condition of the children during participation in the preventive program.

A mini review of Candida species in hospital infection: epidemiology, virulence factor and drugs resistance and prophylaxis

The introduction of more efficient diagnostic methods, new techniques in surgery and transplantation, antibiotics and chemotherapeutics more potent and novel materials for prostheses, catheters and probes significantly increased the life expectancy and quality of life of critically ill patients, on the other hand, hospital-acquired infections emerged as important iatrogenic complications. Invasive infections are a growing problem in public health hospitals in Brazil and worldwide. Among the various etiological agents found in the hospital environment, the genus Candida has been the third most frequently isolated pathogen. In general, invasive fungal infections are associated with high morbidity and mortality, difficulties in diagnosis, antimicrobial resistance, length of hospital stay and increased hospital costs. This mini review of the literature describes about epidemiology of hospital infection of Candida species, as well as its virulence factors and drugs resistance

Influence of wood moisture content on modulus of elasticity on tension paralllel to the grain of brasilian species

Periodically, when necessary, standard documents are revised in order to analyze inconsistencies and to include considerations according new realities verified. In this sense, aiming to quantify the wood moisture content influence on modulus of elasticity, it was applied tension tests parallel to the grain for six specimens of different strength classes of wood, considering nominal moisture of 12, 20, 25, and 30% in Brazil. The present paper examine the adequacy of the current Brazilian standard ABNT NBR7190:1997, in review, about the adoption of a first degree equation to describe the influence of wood moisture content for timber structures design. It was obtained a new first degree equation which leads to statically equivalent estimations when compared with results by ABNT NBR7190:1997 equation. However, as recommendations it could be maintain the current expression for the next text of the referred document review, without prejudice to statistical significance of the estimates.

Regulation of the abundance and turnover of copepod species by temperature, turbidity and habitat type in a large river basin

Freshwater copepods were sampled in the La Plata River basin to identify the processes that affect beta diversity and to determine the main factors influencing their geographical distribution and patterns of endemism. Beta diversity patterns exhibited strong dissimilarity between locations; the turnover process was predominant and indicated a replacement of species along the basin. Redundancy analysis indicated the presence of two large sets of species separated geographically by a boundary zone, with several associated variables. Northern species were associated with water transparency and temperature, mean air temperature, mean air temperature during winter and minimum air temperature of coldest month, indicating that these species are not tolerant to low temperatures and are abundant in reservoirs that are common in the upper stretch of the Paraná River basin. Southern species were related with amplitude of air temperature, turbidity, total phosphorus and total suspended matter, indicating that these species are polythermic and have adapted to live in river stretches. From 20 environmental variables analyzed in our study, partial least squares analysis indicated four variables with increased retention of effects on copepod abundance: air temperature, minimum temperature of coldest month, turbidity and transparency. Because almost all of the species found in this study occurred across a wide range of habitat types, the cause of the separation between river and reservoir species could be considered to be more anthropogenic than natural, and it primarily affected species abundance. For certain members of the northern group of copepod species, distribution was dependent on high temperatures, whereas the distribution of the southern group indicated that the species were polythermic.