Morphological patterns of extrafloral nectaries in woody plant species of the Brazilian cerrado

Extrafloral nectaries are nectar-secreting structures that are especially common among the woody flora of the Brazilian cerrado, a savanna-like vegetation. In this study, we provide morphological and anatomical descriptions of extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) occurring on vegetative and reproductive organs of several plant species from the cerrado, and discuss their function and ecological relevance. We describe the morphology and anatomy of EFNs of 40 species belonging to 15 woody families using scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy. We categorise EFNs following a structural-topographical classification, and characterise the vascularised and complex nectaries, amorphous nectaries and secretory trichomes. Fabaceae, Bignoniaceae, Malpighiaceae and Vochysiaceae were the plant families with the majority of species having EFNs. Ten species possess more than one morphotype of gland structure. Observations and experimental field studies in the cerrado support the anti-herbivore role of EFN-gathering ants in this habitat. Additional morphological studies of EFNs-bearing plants, including other growth forms (e.g. herbs and lianas), are being undertaken and will hopefully cast further light on the ecological relevance of these glands in the cerrado, especially with respect to their attractiveness to multiple visitors.

Species composition and plant use in old urban homegardens in Rio Claro, Southeast of Brazil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Lagartos (Squamata: Lacertilia) em áreas de floresta e de pastagem em Espigão do Oeste, Rondônia, sudoeste da Amazônia, Brasil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Resources Taken to the Nest by Protopolybia exigua (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) in Different Phases of the Colony Cycle, in a Region of the Medio Sao Francisco River, Bahia, Brazil

The present study aimed to identify what resources were taken to the nest by workers of Protopolybia exigua (de Saussure), to verify if there is a relationship between physical factors of weather and phases of colony development and the collection of different resources and also to observe if the wasps carry macerated prey in the crop. The species collected nectar (62.8%), wood pulp for nest building (6.1%), water(2.9%), prey (0.8%) and resin (0.2%). Moreover, workers of P exigua do carry macerated prey in the crop. There was a positive correlation (r = 0.85, p = 0.0004) between the presence of larvae in the nest and the carrying of solid contents in the crop, which provides strong evidence that this species macerates its prey while still in the field, before taking it to the nest. There was positive influence of the temperature on the collection of nectar (r = 0.89, p = 0.0001) and water (r = 0.46, p = 0.0066) and negative influence of relative air humidity on the collection of the same resources (r = - 0.88, p = 0.0001 and r = - 0.37, p = 0.0160, respectively). Luminosity influenced the gathering of water (r = 0.43, p = 0.0089) and Pulp for nest building (r = 0.31, p = 0.0274) and the wind speed did nor influence the collection of any resources. Nectar is the main item taken to the nest during all phases of the colony.

Exploração de fatores de risco para lesões desportivas em atletas de tênis de mesa

A prática do tênis de mesa requer inúmeras ações dinâmicas que podem conduzir a lesões desportivas, por isso é de importância conhecer fatores inerentes ao traumatismo nos atletas para posterior formulação dos modelos preventivos. Objetivou-se explorar os fatores de risco para lesões desportivas em mesa-tenistas. Para isso, foram entrevistados 111 atletas participantes do Campeonato Paulista de Tênis de Mesa, com média de idade de 22,39±8,88 anos de ambos os gêneros, recrutados ao acaso, classificados em dois níveis competitivos: regional/estadual e nacional/internacional. Utilizou-se o Inquérito de Morbidade Referida adaptado com as características do tênis de mesa com a finalidade de reunir dados pessoais, de treinamento e da lesão desportiva. Foram observadas 0,51 lesões por atleta, e os atletas de nível nacional/internacional apresentaram maiores índices de lesão (52,94%) do que os de nível estadual/regional (48,84%). No gesto específico, notou-se que os membros superiores (93,62%) e o tronco (87,5%) são os locais mais acometidos. Para ambos os níveis, o treinamento foi o momento mais relatado de ocorrência dos agravos. Conclui-se que atletas de nível nacional/internacional possuem maiores índices de lesão e que o gesto específico é a principal causa das lesões, acometendo principalmente os membros superiores e o tronco e ocorrendo com maior frequência durante o treinamento.

Análise de caracteres morfológicos e comportamentais em abelhas africanizadas, caucasianas e em descendentes dos seus cruzamentos

Twetve external morphological traits and seven traits of food-gathering behavior were studied in africanized and caucasian (A. m. caucasica), bees. Discriminant analysis showed that neither the length of the fourth segment of the abdomen, nor bee weight can be considered as the traits with the highest discriminatory power between africanized and caucasian bees, with any in-bred bees. In the case of in-bred bees the discriminam traits had a lower interorbital width and time to reach the feeder. Multivariate comparisons between the data of in-bred colonies and twenty hibrid colonies, suggest dominance of the genes group of the africanized subspecies.

Compostagem dos dejetos da bovinocultura de corte: influência do período, do genótipo e da dieta

O objetivo neste estudo foi identificar possíveis alterações na composição e no processo de compostagem dos dejetos produzidos por bovinos Canchim e Nelore em diferentes períodos do confinamento alimentados com diferentes proporções de volumoso e concentrado. O experimento foi conduzido em delineamento inteiramente casualizado em esquema fatorial com parcelas subdivididas no tempo. As parcelas foram compostas por quatro tratamentos: dejetos provenientes de duas dietas (40% de volumoso e 60% de concentrado e 60% de volumoso e 40% de concentrado) e dois genótipos (Canchim e Nelore) e as subparcelas pelos três períodos de coleta dos resíduos (início, meio e final). A eficiência do processo de compostagem foi avaliada pelas reduções de volume, sólidos totais, sólidos voláteis, frações fibrosas, carbono orgânico e temperatura, além do número mais provável de coliformes totais e termotolerantes e teores de nitrogênio e macro e microminerais. Não houve efeito do genótipo nem do período de coleta dos resíduos sobre a composição dos dejetos, no entanto o aumento da proporção de volumoso na dieta levou a menor eficiência do processo de compostagem dos dejetos. Também foram observadas reduções de 100% no número mais provável de coliformes totais e termotolerantes e aumento no teor dos nutrientes no composto final.

Coastal Marine Mapping as an Ecosystem Based Management - the case study of the Baixada Santista Region - São Paulo, Brazil

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

Modelo numérico do terreno obtido por diferentes métodos em cartas planialtimétricas

The digital elevation model is important to determine the slope and land use capability, therefore, a proposal of methodology for acquisition of elevation data contemplating an efficient algorithm to generate a slope map was developed. Thus, it was aimed to obtain and evaluate a digital elevation model without the vetorization of the contours on planialtimetric charts. The area for acquisition of elevation data was Sao Manuel, SP. The data were collected by two methods: level contour vetorization and the gathering of elevation points on the level contour with maximum elevation points. The elevation data were analyzed by geostatistical techniques. Inspite of wide difference in the number of collected points between two methods, the variograms were adjusted to the exponential model and showed a range of approximately 1500 m, which does not justify the wide difficulty in vetorization of the planialtimetric charts, once the data points collected in the area were appropriately distributed, they represented rightly the terrain surface.

Reliability and validity of self-reported burnout in college students: A cross randomized comparison of paper-and-pencil vs. online administration

Internet data collection is becoming increasingly popular in all research fields dealing with human perceptions, behaviors and opinions. Advantages of internet data collection, when compared to the traditional paper-and-pencil format, include reduced costs, automatic database creation, and the absence of researcher-related bias effects, such as availability and complete anonymity. However, the validity and reliability of internet gathered data must be established, in comparison to the usual paper-and-pencil accepted formats, before an inferential analysis can be done. In this study, we compared questionnaire data gathered from the internet with that from the traditional paper-and-pencil in a sample of college students. The questionnaires used were the Maslach Burnout Inventory - Student Survey (MBI-SS), the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OBI-SS) and the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI-SS). Data was gathered through a within-subject cross randomized and counterbalanced design, on both internet and paper-and-pencil formats. The results showed no interference in the application order, and a good reliability for both formats. However, concordance between answers was generally higher in the paper-and-pencil format than on the internet. The factorial structure was invariant in the three burnout inventories. Data gathered in this study supports the Internet as a convenient, user-friendly, comfortable and secure data gathering method which does not affect the accepted factorial structures existent in the paper format of the three burnout inventories used. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identificacao e mapeamento de areas de desertificacao sob clima umido no Brasil

Environmental management mistakes are now strongly affecting some areas such as the agricultural areas of the southwest of the State of Rio Grande do Sul. The sandy soils in this region are adequate for the beefcattle activity, but ignoring technical reports great incentive was given to the soybean culture. The result was a very fast degradation of the arable layer and several places are considered real small deserts. The objective of this work is the mapping of these areas as well instable areas and gathering all the technical measures which were suggest for the land reclamation. -from English summary

Microbiological quality of ice used to refrigerate foods

Ice used for human consumption or to refrigerate foods can be contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms and may become a vehicle for human infection. To evaluate the microbiological content of commercial ice and ice used to refrigerate fish and seafood, 60 ice samples collected at six different retail points in the city of Araraquara, SP, Brazil, were studied. The following parameters were determined: total plate counts (37° C and 4° C), most probable number (MPN) for total coliforms, fecal coliforms and Escherichia coli, presence of Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Yersinia spp., E. coli, Vibrio cholerae and Aeromonas spp.. Results suggested poor hygienic conditions of ice production due to the presence of indicator micro-organisms. Fifty strains of E. coli of different serotypes, as well as one Y. enterocolitica biotype 1, serogroup 0:5, 27 and phage type Xz (Ye 1/05,27/Xz) and one Salmonella Enteritidis phage type 1 (PT1) were isolated. Aeromonas spp., Shigella spp. and V. cholerae were not detected. The presence of high numbers of coliforms, heterotrophic indicator micro-organisms and pathogenic strains suggested that commercial ice and ice used to refrigerate fish and seafood may rep resent a potential hazard to the consumer in our community. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Anti-poverty policies in Brazil: Reviewing the past ten years

This article reviews the main anti-poverty policies implemented in Brazil from the early 1990s to the early 2000s. These include focused and universal policies - such as education and health care - as well as the rural development, a 'middle ground' policy. Though the inter-municipal consortium, a new institutional arrangement gathering municipalities together, has emerged as a promising policy implementation tool, anti-poverty policies have faced implementation difficulties. Lack of coordination between different programs, even within the same policy area, has impaired their effectiveness. As a consequence, compensatory programs, based on monetary transfers to poor families, which face fewer implementation problems, have become the dominant type of anti-poverty policies in Brazil. Despite these shortcomings, a small Brazilian state, Santa Catarina, was able to reduce by 46 percent the number of individuals living in poverty in just ten years. This is a sign that fighting poverty can, after all, be a feasible endeavor. © 2004 IIAS, SAGE Publications (London, Thousand Oaks, CA and New Delhi).

Diphyllobothriasis, Brazil

Cases of human diphyllobothriasis have been reported worldwide. Only 1 case in Brazil was diagnosed by our institution from January 1998 to December 2003. By comparison, 18 cases were diagnosed from March 2004 to January 2005. All patients who became infected ate raw fish in sushi or sashimi.

Population dynamics of Ectatomma brunneum (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) under laboratory conditions

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)