Copy number of P elements, KP/full-sized P element ratio and their relationships with environmental factors in Brazilian Drosophila melanogaster populations

The P transposable element copy numbers and the KP/full-sized P element ratios were determined in eight Brazilian strains of Drosophila melanogaster. Strains from tropical regions showed lower overall P element copy numbers than did strains from temperate regions. Variable numbers of full-sized and defective elements were detected, but the full-sized P and KP elements were the predominant classes of elements in all strains. The full-sized P and KP element ratios were calculated and compared with latitude. The northernmost and southernmost Brazilian strains showed fewer full-sized elements than KP elements per genome, and the strains from less extreme latitudes had many more full-sized P than KP elements. However, no clinal variation was observed. Strains from different localities, previously classified as having P cytotype, displayed a higher or a lower proportion of KP elements than of full-sized P elements, as well as an equal number of the two element types, showing that the same phenotype may be produced by different underlying genomic components of the P-M system.

Mapping oil spill environmental sensitivity in cardoso island state park and surroundings areas, São Paulo, Brazil

This study presents an environmental oil spill sensitivity map of Cardoso Island State Park, located in São Paulo state, Brazil, including some of its surrounding areas. This map was designed following the procedures determined by the Brazilian Federal Environment Organ (Ministry of the Environment), which separates coastal habitats in different littoral sensitivity indexes (LSI) to oil spills. We have also analysed some seasonal variations in morphologic and textural parameters at the local marine beaches that could affect their sensitivity, having found that they are more sensitive during summer due to a wider foreshore zone during these periods. Local most sensitive habitats are estuarine mangroves (LSI 10) and estuarine mud banks (LSI 9). Marine beaches were ranked LSI 3, and littoral rocky shores were subdivided in exposed flat rocky shores (LSI 1), boulder rocky shores (LSI 6) and sheltered rocky shores (LSI 8). Due to the elevated sensitivity of an estuarine system in the area, we considered necessary the installation of an Environmental Emergency Centre and the design of an emergency plan for the region in case of an accident resulting in oil spills within its vicinities. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The influence of the physigraphic and geologic condition aspects on the environmental degradation in the city of Guaratingueta

The present paper deals with environmental degradation in the city of Guaratingueta, Brazil; as a result of disordered urban settlement and development. Three site areas in the city resting on different geologic units were selected for the analyses, i.e.: precambrian rocks, tertiary sedimentary basin, and recent quaternary soil deposits. It has been found that geological and geotechnical aspects are fundamental to form the basis for environmental preservation and urban planning.

Hemocitical responses to environmental stress in invertebrates: a review

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Estimation of variance components and prediction of breeding values in rubber tree breeding using the REML/BLUP procedure

The present paper deals with estimation of variance components, prediction of breeding values and selection in a population of rubber tree [Hevea brasiliensis (Willd. ex Adr. de Juss.) Müell.-Arg.] from Rio Branco, State of Acre, Brazil. The REML/BLUP (restricted maximum likelihood/best linear unbiased prediction) procedure was applied. For this purpose, 37 rubber tree families were obtained and assessed in a randomized complete block design, with three unbalanced replications. The field trial was carried out at the Experimental Station of UNESP, located in Selvíria, State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. The quantitative traits evaluated were: girth (G), bark thickness (BT), number of latex vessel rings (NR), and plant height (PH). Given the unbalanced condition of the progeny test, the REML/BLUP procedure was used for estimation. The narrow-sense individual heritability estimates were 0.43 for G, 0.18 for BT, 0.01 for NR, and 0.51 for PH. Two selection strategies were adopted: one short-term (ST - selection intensity of 8.85%) and the other long-term (LT - selection intensity of 26.56%). For G, the estimated genetic gains in relation to the population average were 26.80% and 17.94%, respectively, according to the ST and LT strategies. The effective population sizes were 22.35 and 46.03, respectively. The LT and ST strategies maintained 45.80% and 28.24%, respectively, of the original genetic diversity represented in the progeny test. So, it can be inferred that this population has potential for both breeding and ex situ genetic conservation as a supplier of genetic material for advanced rubber tree breeding programs. Copyright by the Brazilian Society of Genetics.

Managing environmental training in organizations: Theoretical review and proposal of a model

Purpose: The aim of this work is to address the issue of environmental training in organizations, presenting a theoretical review on the subject and proposing a model that highlights the importance of this type of training for organizations. Design/methodology/approach: The paper presents a thorough, updated literature review, discusses typology and the best practices of environmental training, and presents a framework integrating environmental training and organizational results. Findings: A careful consideration allows identifying a significant theoretical gap related to the lack of theoretical references, best practices, and an alignment between environmental training and organizational results. To overcome this gap, a model was proposed that helps to manage the environmental training process in organizations. Research limitations/implications: The paper needs to be complemented with empirical research on the topic. Originality/value: Environmental training is considered to be an essential element for organizations seeking to mitigate their environmental impacts. ISO 14001 states that environmental management is a duty of certified organizations. However, there have been few published articles that suggest models and insights to improve the environmental training in organizations. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Environmental development in Brazilian companies: The role of human resource management

Specialized literature states that proper environmental management at companies requires support from human resource management. This occurs because the more efficient and effective human resource management is, the more it tends to contribute towards the organization's objectives. Considering that environmental management is an emerging organizational objective, human resource practices, when efficient and effective, tend to incorporate environmental goal and to become greener. In order to contribute to this emerging field of research, this paper reports on an empirical study about the relationship between human resources and environmental management at 75 Brazilian companies. The data collected were analyzed statistically using Structural Equation Modeling. The main results indicated that human resource management practices tend to statistically significant relate to environmental management at analyzed companies, through validation of H 1, but his relationship can be considered weak. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

Building sustainable values in organizations with the support of human resource management: Evidence from one firm considered as the 'best place to work' in Brazil

Researchers and other professionals unanimously agree that companies should become more sustainable, but this will not happen without the support of human resource management. Paradoxically, there is a lack of information on the support human resource management offers to organizational sustainability applied to real cases. Therefore, this research presents a case study on this topic that was carried out in a leading Brazilian company, which is considered as a model and has been selected as 'the best place to work in the country'. The results provide practical examples of how this family company has been working to guarantee an increasingly sustainable performance with the support of human resources, highlighting the achievements and challenges the company has faced. One of the main results indicates that companies seeking to achieve sustainability need the assistance of the human resource field in order to design a communication system which bridges the gap between practices and sustainable values. © 2012 Management Centre for Human Values.

Environmental diagnosis in areas with different use and occupation using the perception of diverse biological activity

In Brazil, the degradation of soil and landscape by urban and agricultural frontiers expansion leads to the need for comprehensive studies and consider the diverse biological activities generated from different interventions in the landscape, becoming an instrument for assessing the impacts and the decision for its environmental management. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of different forms of occupation of the landscape, considering ecological elements and their interactions. The work was carried out on the Instituto Agronômico in the county of Jundiai, in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The area under study has been subjected to different use and occupancy for a period of about 40 years. During this period the landscape has been transformed, with the current scenario can be classified as a degraded area mining; grassy area; Araucaria forest and pasture. These areas were evaluated by means of a transect, from which ten sampling sites were selected for the description of diverse biological activities, which included: evaluation and description of ground cover, identifying the presence of fungus and insect species. Furthermore, we evaluated in these points the pH, fertility and porosity of the topsoil (0-0.10 m). The results showed a variation of the elements analyzed and a relationship between the use and occupation of land in the different scenarios of the current landscape. The biological activity was more diverse in the Araucaria forest, reflected by the abundance of litter, higher content of organic matter and soil nutrients, demonstrating the effectiveness of the technique for assessing the level of degradation of the landscape used, which is expeditious and inexpensive.

Environmental training in organisations: From a literature review to a framework for future research

Although the research on the relationship between human factors and environmental sustainability is slowly progressing, environmental training has attracted the most attention from researchers and practitioners. However, there remains a lack of research that integrates and systematises the available knowledge on organisational environmental training. Environmental training is fundamental to any successful activity of environmental management, conservation and recycling of resources. Thus, the aim of this paper was to present the results of a systematic literature review on environmental training in organisations. The main studies in this area were classified and coded, and a research agenda with 9 recommendations that may advance the field was presented. As a result of the gaps in the current literature, a framework was proposed aiming guide and strengthens the state-of-the-art research on environmental training. Additionally, results show that more research is needed on environmental training, combining training and green human resource management and defining/measuring the objectives of the environmental training actions. Future studies should also consider mixed methodologies and comparative perspectives. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Challenges of teaching corporate environmental management in Brazil

This paper sheds light on the main challenges of teaching Corporate Environmental Management (CEM) in Brazil. Thus, we analysed the main challenges for CEM in Brazil from the viewpoint of teachers. The objective of the research is achieved by means of interviews performed with five renowned professors responsible for teaching CEM in undergraduate courses. Results indicate five types of barriers for teaching CEM: weak integration of other teachers in the teaching of CEM; low level of acceptance of CEM as a subject by the peers teachers; a lack of focus on business while teaching CEM; a scarcity of CEM teaching materials appropriate for the realities of Brazil; and a relative lack of interest among some students in CEM. Teaching CEM is fundamental for the education of more responsible students, but little is known about teaching CEM in Brazil.. Copyright © 2013 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

Spatial distribution of dengue incidence and socio-environmental conditions in Campinas, São Paulo State, Brazil, 2007

This study aimed to analyze the spatial distribution of dengue risk and its association with socio-environmental conditions. This was an ecological study of the counts of autochthonous dengue cases in the municipality of Campinas, São Paulo State, Brazil, in the year 2007, aggregated according to 47 coverage areas of municipal health centers. Spatial models for mapping diseases were constructed with Bayesian hierarchical models, based on Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation (INLA). The analyses were stratified according to two age groups, 0 to 14 years and above 14 years. The results indicate that the spatial distribution of dengue risk is not associated with socio-environmental conditions in the 0 to 14 year age group. In the age group older than 14 years, the relative risk of dengue increases significantly as the level of socio-environmental deprivation increases. Mapping of socio-environmental deprivation and dengue cases proved to be a useful tool for data analysis in dengue surveillance systems.

Isolation and Identification of Environmental Mycobacteria in the Waters of a Hemodialysis Center

The use of poorly treated water during hemodialysis may lead to contamination with nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). This study aimed to isolate and identify NTM species in the water of a Brazilian hemodialysis center. We collected 210 samples of water from the hydric system of the unit (post-osmosis system, hemodialysis rooms, reuse system, and hemodialysis equipment) and from the municipal supply network; we isolated the NTM by a classic microbiological technique and identified them by the PCR restriction enzyme pattern of the hsp65 gene (PRA). Fifty-one (24.3 %) of the collected samples tested positive for NTM; both the municipal supply network (2 samples, 3.2 %) and the hydric system of the hemodialysis center (49 samples, 96.1 %) contained NTM. We isolated and identified potentially pathogenic bacteria such as Mycobacterium lentiflavum (59.0 %) and M. kansasii (5.0 %), as well as rarely pathogenic bacteria like M. gordonae (24.0 %), M. gastri (8.0 %), and M. szulgai (4.0 %). The ability of NTM to cause diseases is well documented in the literature. Therefore, the identification of NTM in the water of a Brazilian hemodialysis center calls for more effective water disinfection procedures in this unit.