Mechanical tillage of degraded mining areas at Jamari national forest (Amazonian forest, Rondônia - BR)

According to the environmental legislation enforced in Brazil and the process of marketing globalization, the commitment of the nations to the preservation of the environment is intensified. By reason of nature's negative responses to its intensive use, awareness then appears from enterprises and agencies about how the anthropic action over the environment needs to be minimized, becoming a challenge: development and sustainability. In this context, the present work made use of the Mechanical tillage of the soil, as a technique to apply, in a large scale, the strategies and methods to recover mined areas that were researched and developed experimentally by researchers on a theme project about the recovering of degraded areas. This work was conducted in the Amazon ecosystem, inside the Jamari National Forest - Rondônia (FLONA do Jamari), in deactivated cassiterite mines. The objectives of this work were to: Develop a computational program capable of managing a database and assist in the selection of machines and preparation methods to execute the operations of topographical reconstitution and tillage of surfaces in areas degraded by the mineral exploitation of cassiterite. Use the program that was developed in the planning of costs and operational development, for the operations required in the strategies for recovering the areas. Analyze the vegetable productivity in the mobilized areas and the quality of the superficial mobilization, making use of indicators and tillage methods. Evaluate, through biological indicators, the efficiency of the recovery strategies and techniques that were mechanized and applied on the location. The results showed that the developed computational program (SGMAD) served the methodological purposes (the analysis of costs and operational capacity) established for the planning and the selection of the tillage machines and methods in the areas of mineral exploitation of cassiterite. The applied methods and quality of the superficial mobilization were significant to the development of leguminous plants in the areas. The use of biological indicators (microbial biomass and enzymatic activity) in the evaluation of the adopted techniques and strategies revealed that the planting of leguminous plants and their posterior incorporation have been promoting gradually positive alterations in some of the analyzed soil/substract parameters. © 2010 WIT Press.

The Brazilian architecture in wood and the confrontations with the questions of the environment

Two discussions are imposed to the designers of wood constructions. The first one deals with the technical knowledge to project and execute buildings; the second one is concerned with the preservation of the environment, use of the wood in a sustainable way. The work presents the tendencies of the wood used in the Brazilian habitation architecture characterizing the used woods; how the construction technical solutions have developed and discusses about the necessity of using the wood in a conscious way, knowing its origin and control, sustainable use of the forests resources. It focalizes, mainly, the search of the designers to harmonize the use of the wood and the preservation of the forest biodiversity, when it deals with the native forest.

In vitro study of shear bond strength in direct bonding of orthodontic molar tubes

Objective: Although direct bonding takes up less clinical time and ensures increased preservation of gingival health, the banding of molar teeth is still widespread nowadays. It would therefore be convenient to devise methods capable of increasing the efficiency of this procedure, notably for teeth subjected to substantial masticatory impact, such as molars. This study was conducted with the purpose of evaluating whether direct bonding would benefit from the application of an additional layer of resin to the occlusal surfaces of the tube/tooth interface. Methods: A sample of 40 mandibular third molars was selected and randomly divided into two groups: Group 1 - Conventional direct bonding, followed by the application of a layer of resin to the occlusal surfaces of the tube/tooth interface, and Group 2 - Conventional direct bonding. Shear bond strength was tested 24 hours after bonding with the aid of a universal testing machine operating at a speed of 0.5mm/min. The results were analyzed using the independent t-test. Results: The shear bond strength tests yielded the following mean values: 17.08 MPa for Group 1 and 12.60 MPa for Group 2. Group 1 showed higher statistically significant shear bond strength than Group 2. Conclusions: The application of an additional layer of resin to the occlusal surfaces of the tube/tooth interface was found to enhance bond strength quality of orthodontic buccal tubes bonded directly to molar teeth.

Effect of Storage Time and Temperature of Equine Epididymis on the Viability, Motion Parameters, and Freezability of Epididymal Sperm

The recovery of sperm from the epididymal cauda may be the last chance to obtain genetic material when sudden death or serious injuries occur in valuable stallions. However, the lack of technical knowledge regarding the storage and transportation of the epididymis often prevents the preservation of the sperm. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare sperm parameters of sperm obtained immediately after orchiectomy with sperm recovered from epididymal cauda at different times after storage at 5°C and at room temperature (RT). For that, 48 stallions of different breeds were used. In group 1 (control group), eight stallions were used, and the harvest of the epididymal sperm was performed immediately after orchiectomy. In group 2, 40 stallions were used, which were divided into five groups according to the storage time of the epididymis after orchiectomy (6, 12, 18, 24, or 30 hours), making a total of eight stallions per group. One epididymis of each stallion was stored at 5°C, and the contralateral epididymis was stored at RT, both for the same period. The sperm parameters of total motility, progressive motility, progressive linear velocity, curvilinear velocity, percentage of rapid sperm, and plasma membrane integrity were evaluated in all the groups after sperm recovery, resuspension in a sperm freezing diluent, and thawing. In conclusion, the storage of the testis-epididymis complex at 5°C provided better preservation of epididymal sperm than the storage at RT, and regardless of the temperature, the progressive motility is the sperm parameter that is most sensitive to storage time. © 2013 Elsevier Inc.

Motor Recovery and Synaptic Preservation after Ventral Root Avulsion and Repair with a Fibrin Sealant Derived from Snake Venom

Background:Ventral root avulsion is an experimental model of proximal axonal injury at the central/peripheral nervous system interface that results in paralysis and poor clinical outcome after restorative surgery. Root reimplantation may decrease neuronal degeneration in such cases. We describe the use of a snake venom-derived fibrin sealant during surgical reconnection of avulsed roots at the spinal cord surface. The present work investigates the effects of this fibrin sealant on functional recovery, neuronal survival, synaptic plasticity, and glial reaction in the spinal motoneuron microenvironment after ventral root reimplantation.Methodology/Principal Findings:Female Lewis rats (7 weeks old) were subjected to VRA and root replantation. The animals were divided into two groups: 1) avulsion only and 2) replanted roots with fibrin sealant derived from snake venom. Post-surgical motor performance was evaluated using the CatWalk system twice a week for 12 weeks. The rats were sacrificed 12 weeks after surgery, and their lumbar intumescences were processed for motoneuron counting and immunohistochemistry (GFAP, Iba-1 and synaptophysin antisera). Array based qRT-PCR was used to evaluate gene regulation of several neurotrophic factors and receptors as well as inflammatory related molecules. The results indicated that the root reimplantation with fibrin sealant enhanced motor recovery, preserved the synaptic covering of the motoneurons and improved neuronal survival. The replanted group did not show significant changes in microglial response compared to VRA-only. However, the astroglial reaction was significantly reduced in this group.Conclusions/Significance:In conclusion, the present data suggest that the repair of avulsed roots with snake venom fibrin glue at the exact point of detachment results in neuroprotection and preservation of the synaptic network at the microenvironment of the lesioned motoneurons. Also such procedure reduced the astroglial reaction and increased mRNA levels to neurotrophins and anti-inflammatory cytokines that may in turn, contribute to improving recovery of motor function. © 2013 Barbizan et al.

Mite (Acari; Arachnida) diversity of two native plants in fragments of a semideciduous seasonal forest in Brazil

Studies to determine mite species richness in natural environments are still scarce, and have been conducted mainly in tropical ecosystems. The aim of this study was to determine the species richness of mites on two common native plants in fragments of the semideciduous seasonal forest in the Northwest of São Paulo State, Brazil. In each of eight fragments, 10 specimens of Actinostemon communis (Euphorbiaceae) and 10 of Trichilia casaretti (Meliaceae) were selected and marked. In total, 124 species of mites belonging to 21 families were found on the two plants. Tarsonemidae had the highest diversity (34 species), followed by Phytoseiidae (31), Tetranychidae (9) and Tenuipalpidae (8). Species accumulation curves for the two sampled plants did not reach an asymptote, even with the large sampling effort. Hence, it is estimated that a greater sampling effort may lead to an increase in species richness compared with what was found in this study. The richness of this mite fauna suggests that preservation of these plant species is important to maintain the mite diversity in these forest fragments. © 2013 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

The pioneering use of ISSR (Inter Simple Sequence Repeat) in Neotropical anurans: Preliminary assessment of genetic diversity in populations of Physalaemus cuvieri (Amphibia, Leiuperidae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Rediscovery and re-description of Ischnocnema nigriventris (Lutz, 1925) (Anura: Terrarana: Brachycephalidae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

The effect of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) on dentin bonding and nanoleakage of etch-and-rinse adhesives

Objective The objective was to examine the effect of a solvent dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) on resin-dentin bond durability, as well as potential functional mechanisms behind the effect. Methods Microtensile bond strength (μTBS) was evaluated in extracted human teeth in two separate experiments. Dentin specimens were acid-etched and assigned to pre-treatment with 0.5 mM (0.004%) DMSO as additional primer for 30 s and to controls with water pre-treatment. Two-step etch-and-rinse adhesive (Scotchbond 1XT, 3M ESPE) was applied and resin composite build-ups were created. Specimens were immediately tested for μTBS or stored in artificial saliva for 6 and 12 months prior to testing. Additional immediate and 6-month specimens were examined for interfacial nanoleakage analysis under SEM. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibition by DMSO was examined with gelatin zymography. Demineralized dentin disks were incubated in 100% DMSO to observe the optical clearing effect. Results The use of 0.5 mM DMSO had no effect on immediate bond strength or nanoleakage. In controls, μTBS decreased significantly after storage, but increased significantly in DMSO-treated group. The control group had significantly lower μTBS than DMSO-group after 6 and 12 months. DMSO also eliminated the increase in nanoleakage seen in controls. 5% and higher DMSO concentrations significantly inhibited the gelatinases. DMSO induced optical clearing effect demonstrating collagen dissociation. Significance DMSO as a solvent may be useful in improving the preservation of long-term dentin-adhesive bond strength. The effect may relate to dentinal enzyme inhibition or improved wetting of collagen by adhesives. The collagen dissociation required much higher DMSO concentrations than the 0.5 mM DMSO used for bonding. © 2013 Academy of Dental Materials.

Sagittal Mandibular Osteotomy for Removal of Intraosseous Lesion

The ramus sagittal split osteotomy or mandibular body is an established technique for correction of dentofacial deformities but can have an accurate indication in cases requiring surgical access to remove lesions or more teeth included in the region of the mandibular angle. The main advantages of this technique are the possibility of preservation of the inferior alveolar nerve bundle and significant reduction in postoperative morbidity. In this article, the authors show a case in which the sagittal osteotomy of the mandible was used to gain access for removal of a lesion (complex odontoma).

Assessment of the reproductive parameters, laparoscopic oocyte recovery and the first embryos produced in vitro from endangered Caninde goats (Capra hircus)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Two-year Clinical Performance of Self-etching Adhesive Systems in Composite Restorations of Anterior Teeth

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the two-year clinical performance of Class III, IV, and V composite restorations using a two-step etch-and-rinse adhesive system (2-ERA) and three one-step self-etching adhesive systems (1-SEAs).Material and Methods: Two hundred Class III, IV, and V composite restorations were placed into 50 patients. Each patient received four composite restorations (Amaris, Voco), and these restorations were bonded with one of three 1-SEAs (Futurabond M, Voco; Clearfil S3 Bond, Kuraray; and Optibond All-in-One, Kerr) or one 2-ERA (Adper Single Bond 2/3M ESPE). The four adhesive systems were evaluated at baseline and after 24 months using the following criteria: restoration retention, marginal integrity, marginal discoloration, caries occurrence, postoperative sensitivity and preservation of tooth vitality. After two years, 162 restorations were evaluated in 41 patients. Data were analyzed using the chi(2) test (p<0.05).Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the 2-ERA and the 1-SEAs regarding the evaluated parameters (p>0.05).Conclusion: The 1-SEAs showed good clinical performance at the end of 24 months.

In vitro conservation of Dendrobium germplasm

Dendrobium is a large genus in the family Orchidaceae that exhibits vast diversity in floral characteristics, which is of considerable importance to orchid breeders, biotechnologists and collectors. Native species have high value as a result of their medicinal properties, while their hybrids are important as ornamental commodities, either as cut flowers or potted plants and are thus veritable industrial crops. Thus, preservation of Dendrobium germplasm is valuable for species conservation, breeding programs and the floriculture industry. Cryopreservation represents the only safe, efficient and cost-effective long-term storage option to facilitate the conservation of genetic resources of plant species. This review highlights 16 years of literature related to the preservation of Dendrobium germplasm and comprises the most comprehensive assessment of thorough studies performed to date, which shows reliable and reproducible results. Air-drying, encapsulation-dehydration, encapsulation-vitrification, vitrification and droplet-vitrification are the current cryopreservation methodologies that have been used to cryopreserve Dendrobium germplasm. Mature seeds, pollen, protoplasts, shoot primordia, protocorms and somatic embryos or protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) have been cryopreserved with different levels of success. Encapsulation-vitrification and encapsulation-dehydration are the most used protocol, while PLBs represent the main explant explored.

Low-intensity laser therapy effect on the recovery of traumatic spinal cord injury

Scientific advances have been made to optimize the healing process in spinal cord injury. Studies have been developed to obtain effective treatments in controlling the secondary injury that occurs after spinal cord injury, which substantially changes the prognosis. Low-intensity laser therapy (LILT) has been applied in neuroscience due to its anti-inflammatory effects on biological tissue in the repairing process. Few studies have been made associating LILT to the spinal cord injury. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of the LILT (GaAlAs laser-780 nm) on the locomotor functional recovery, histomorphometric, and histopathological changes of the spinal cord after moderate traumatic injury in rats (spinal cord injury at T9 and T10). Thirty-one adult Wistar rats were used, which were divided into seven groups: control without surgery (n = 3), control surgery (n = 3), laser 6 h after surgery (n = 5), laser 48 h after surgery (n = 5), medullar lesion (n = 5) without phototherapy, medullar lesion + laser 6 h after surgery (n = 5), and medullar lesion + laser 48 h after surgery (n = 5). The assessment of the motor function was performed using Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) scale and adapted Sciatic Functional Index (aSFI). The assessment of urinary dysfunction was clinically performed. After 21 days postoperative, the animals were euthanized for histological and histomorphometric analysis of the spinal cord. The results showed faster motor evolution in rats with spinal contusion treated with LILT, maintenance of the effectiveness of the urinary system, and preservation of nerve tissue in the lesion area, with a notorious inflammation control and increased number of nerve cells and connections. In conclusion, positive effects on spinal cord recovery after moderate traumatic spinal cord injury were shown after LILT.

Geoparks in Brazil-strategy of Geoconservation and Development

Within the framework of the potential of geopark development and the interest of the geological community in creating new areas for geoconservation in Brazil, the aim of this contribution is to show the importance of geoscience education as a strategy for both geoconservation and development, and for the success and maintenance of new geoparks. A historical and evolutionary approach to the theme reveals the current status of geoscience education in Brazil and offers a panorama of the challenges inherent in preparing for the creation of new geoconservation areas. Proposals that aim to promote geoconservation and sustainability in Brazil include projects that capitalize on geological heritage and its relationship with local communities, proposals that form partnerships between the government, universities, businesses, and non-governmental organizations for the development of education, and changes in the law specifically aimed at geoconservation. Improvement in the educational system, including Earth science education, is undoubtedly one of the best strategies to promote the preservation of our natural heritage, and a cultural change in education will certainly promote changes in other areas.