Spatial patterns of species richness and phylogenetic diversity of woody plants in the neotropical savannas of Brazil

Savanna woody plant communities are widespread in Brazil, where this vegetation type can be divided into core-central and marginal areas within its range of distribution. The study of diversity patterns of plant communities can provide insights into the distribution, biogeography, and diversity of plant species in widespread biomes. The objectives of this study were to measure standard and phylogenetic indices of diversity in woody plant communities of the savanna vegetation of Brazil (Cerrado) throughout its extensive range. Based on a metaanalysis, the diversity indexes were compared using traditional statistical methods, a phylogenetic approach, and by mapping. Similar patterns were found for phylogenetic and traditional indexes of diversity in core and marginal areas, suggesting that both lower and higher diversity sites can occur within the Cerrado geographical area. The only difference was found in low diversity, disjunct savanna sites within the Amazon basin, which are isolated by the Amazon River from the more continuous central-southern Cerrado area.

Modulatory effects of propolis samples from Latin America (Brazil, Cuba and Mexico) on cytokine production by human monocytes

Propolis has been used in folk medicine in different regions of the world including Latin America. Propolis is a resinous mixture of substances collected by honey bees from several botanical sources, and its composition contains a rich chemical variety, depending on the geographical area and plant sources. Our aim was to compare the modulatory effect of propolis samples from three different countries of Latin America (Brazil, Cuba and Mexico) on pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine production (tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-10, respectively) by human monocytes. Cells were incubated with propolis for 18 h at 37°C. Cell viability was assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide method, and cytokine production was determined by ELISA. All samples did not affect monocyte viability. Brazilian propolis stimulated both TNF-α and IL-10 production by monocytes. Cuban propolis stimulated TNF-α and inhibited IL-10 production, while Mexican sample exerted the opposite effect, inhibiting TNF-α and stimulating IL-10 production. The major compounds found in Brazilian, Cuban and Mexican propolis samples were artepillin C, isoflavonoids and pinocembrin, respectively. Brazilian, Cuban and Mexican propolis contained different components that may exert pro- and anti-inflammatory activity depending on concentration, what may provide a novel approach to the development of immunomodulatory drugs containing propolis.

Renewable nanocomposite layer-by-layer assembled catalytic interfaces for biosensing applications

A novel, easily renewable nanocomposite interface based on layer-by-layer (LbL) assembled cationic/anionic layers of carbon nanotubes customized with biopolymers is reported. A simple approach is proposed to fabricate a nanoscale structure composed of alternating layers of oxidized multiwalled carbon nanotubes upon which is immobilized either the cationic enzyme organophosphorus hydrolase (OPH; MWNT−OPH) or the anionic DNA (MWNT−DNA). The presence of carbon nanotubes with large surface area, high aspect ratio and excellent conductivity provides reliable immobilization of enzyme at the interface and promotes better electron transfer rates. The oxidized MWNTs were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis and Raman spectroscopy. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed the surface functionalization of the MWNTs and successful immobilization of OPH on the MWNTs. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed that MWNTs were shortened during sonication and that LbL of the MWNT/biopolymer conjugates resulted in a continuous surface with a layered structure. The catalytic activity of the biopolymer layers was characterized using absorption spectroscopy and electrochemical analysis. Experimental results show that this approach yields an easily fabricated catalytic multilayer with well-defined structures and properties for biosensing applications whose interface can be reactivated via a simple procedure. In addition, this approach results in a biosensor with excellent sensitivity, a reliable calibration profile, and stable electrochemical response.

Estimação espaço-temporal das perdas não técnicas no sistema de distribuição de energia elétrica

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Obtenção e caracterização de mantas fibrosas de poli(fluoreto de vinilideno) (PVDF) com poli(o-metoxianilina) (POMA) pela técnica de "Solution Blow Spinning"

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Da fonte à bacia: interação continente-oceano no sistema sedimentar Rio São Francisco, Brasil

Pós-graduação em Geociências e Meio Ambiente - IGCE

Area of Rests of Malassez in Young and Adult Rat Molars: Evidences in the Formation of Large Rests

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

Estimating cyclopoid copepod species richness and geographical distribution (Crustacea) across a large hydrographical basin: comparing between samples from water column (plankton) and macrophyte stands

Species richness and geographical distribution of Cyclopoida freshwater copepods were analyzed along the La Plata River basin. Ninety-six samples were taken from 24 sampling sites, twelve sites for zooplankton in open waters and twelve sites for zooplankton within macrophyte stands, including reservoirs and lotic stretches. There were, on average, three species per sample in the plankton compared to five per sample in macrophytes. Six species were exclusive to the plankton, 10 to macrophyte stands, and 17 were common to both. Only one species was found in similar proportions in plankton and macrophytes, while five species were widely found in plankton, and thirteen in macrophytes. The distinction between species from open water zooplankton and macrophytes was supported by nonmetric multidimensional analysis. There was no distinct pattern of endemicity within the basin, and double sampling contributes to this result. This lack of sub-regional faunal differentiation is in accordance with other studies that have shown that cyclopoids generally have wide geographical distribution in the Neotropics and that some species there are cosmopolitan. This contrasts with other freshwater copepods such as Calanoida and some Harpacticoida. We conclude that sampling plankton and macrophytes together provided a more accurate estimate of the richness and geographical distribution of these organisms than sampling in either one of those zones alone.

Large-Area Plasmonic Substrate of Silver-Coated Iron Oxide Nanorod Arrays for Plasmon-Enhanced Spectroscopy

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

Prevalence and geographical distribution of Toxoplasma gondii in dogs in the urban area of Botucatu, SP, Brazil

Toxoplasmosis is a worldwide zoonosis caused by Toxoplasma gondii, and can infect a wide variety of animals including humans. Domestic animals can be an important sentinel population for infection in the community. Occurrence of T. gondii infection was assessed in dogs in the urban area of Botucatu city, SP, Brazil. In the sample, 10% rate for error estimate, 95% confidence interval, and 5% significance level were established. Serum samples were collected from dogs during a rabies vaccination campaign, and were processed using modified agglutination test (MAT). Blood samples were collected from 670 dogs, with homogeneous distribution in five regions in the urban area, representing 3.74% of 17,910 animals vaccinated. In this sample, 17.3% (116/670) dogs (68 – 58.6% female and 48 – 41.4% male) were positive for T. gondii infection (p<0.03). Regarding age of the infected dogs 4.6% (4/88) were younger and 95.4% (84/88) were older than one year (p<0.01); the age of 28 positive animals were undetermined. The serum titers of anti-T. gondii antibodies were: 16 (69.8%; 81/116), 64 (13.8%; 16/116), 256 (15.5%; 18/116), and 1024 (0.9%; 1/116). Prevalence was distributed among the North 14.2% (19/134), South 18.0% (31/172), East 15.7% (19/121), West 21.6% (27/125), and Central 16.9% (20/118) regions of the municipality (p=0.5). In all these regions, females and dogs aged more than one year showed a higher occurrence of T. gondii infection (p<0.05).

Stochastic simulation of time-series models combined with geostatistics to predict water-table scenarios in a Guarani Aquifer System outcrop area, Brazil

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

Performance and economic indicators of a large scale fish farming in Mato Grosso, Brazil

Performance and economic indicators of a large scale fish farm that produces round fish, located in Mato Grosso State, Brazil, were evaluated. The 130.8 ha-water surface area was distributed in 30 ponds. Average total production costs and the following economic indicators were calculated: gross income (GI), gross margin (GM), gross margin index (GMI), profitability index (PI) and profit (P) for the farm as a whole and for ten ponds individually. Production performance indicators were also obtained, such as: production cycle (PC), apparent feed conversion (FC), average biomass storage (ABS), survival index (SI) and final average weight (FAW). The average costs to produce an average 2.971 kg.ha-1 per year were: R$ 2.43, R$ 0.72 and R$ 3.15 as average variable, fixed and total costs, respectively. Gross margin and profit per year per hectare of water surface were R$ 2,316.91 and R$ 180.98, respectively. The individual evaluation of the ponds showed that the best pond performance was obtained for PI 38%, FC 1.7, ABS 0.980 kg.m-2, TS 56%, FAW 1.873 kg with PC of 12.3 months. The worst PI was obtained for the pond that displayed losses of 138%, FC 2.6, ABS 0.110 kg.m-2, SI 16% and FAW 1.811 kg. However, large scale production of round-fish in farms is economically feasible. The studied farm displays favorable conditions to improve performance and economic indicators, but it is necessary to reproduce the breeding techniques and performance indicators achieved in few ponds to the entire farm.

Spatial variability of soil CO2 emission in a sugarcane area characterized by secondary information

Soil CO2 emission (FCO2) is governed by the inherent properties of the soil, such as bulk density (BD). Mapping of FCO2 allows the evaluation and identification of areas with different accumulation potential of carbon. However, FCO2 mapping over larger areas is not feasible due to the period required for evaluation. This study aimed to assess the quality of FCO2 spatial estimates using values of BD as secondary information. FCO2 and BD were evaluated on a regular sampling grid of 60 m × 60 m comprising 141 points, which was established on a sugarcane area. Four scenarios were defined according to the proportion of the number of sampling points of FCO2 to those of BD. For these scenarios, 67 (F67), 87 (F87), 107 (F107) and 127 (F127) FCO2 sampling points were used in addition to 127 BD sampling points used as supplementary information. The use of additional information from the BD provided an increase in the accuracy of the estimates only in the F107, F67 and F87 scenarios, respectively. The F87 scenario, with the approximate ratio between the FCO2 and BD of 1.00:1.50, presented the best relative improvement in the quality of estimates, thereby indicating that the BD should be sampled at a density 1.5 time greater than that applied for the FCO2. This procedure avoided problems related to the high temporal variability associated with FCO2, which enabled the mapping of this variable to be elaborated in large areas.

Influência da época de semeadura e do manejo da parte aérea de milheto sobre a soja em sucessão em plantio direto

Uma das grandes limitações do plantio direto é a produção e manutenção da cobertura vegetal. Por esse motivo, o milheto tem-se constituído em boa opção de cultivo no inverno, gerando palhada com decomposição mais lenta viabilizando esse sistema de produção. O objetivo do experimento foi estudar a cultura do milheto em três épocas de semeadura (5/3, 25/3 e 19/4/99), sob condições de sequeiro, e a ceifa da parte aérea (ceifa a cada florescimento e retirada do resíduo vegetal; ceifa a cada florescimento e permanência do resíduo vegetal; ceifa no florescimento e retirada do resíduo vegetal; ceifa no florescimento e permanência do resíduo vegetal e livre crescimento, sem ceifar), bem como seu efeito na produção da soja cultivada na seqüência. Pode-se concluir que o milheto semeado em março e submetido à ceifa na época de cada emissão da panícula proporcionou as maiores produções de matéria seca dessa espécie. Tal cultura demonstrou grande capacidade na produção de matéria seca e, quando semeada em 5 de março e 19 de abril, propiciou as maiores produtividades da soja cultivada em sucessão.

Sandfly fauna in an area endemic for visceral leishmaniasis in Aracaju, State of Sergipe, Northeast Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)