Environmental education and the health risk question: how do we educate the educators working with this theme?

Our society is presently seeing a trend of continuous increase of risk with severe consequences, especially those linked to environmental aspects. It has obligated us to reflect on this production and its effects, either positive or negative, and, after a long reflection, to think about the adopted model of civilization and the possibilities of changing such a model. The educational institution is among the social departments responsible for this revision process, since it represents one possibility to promote a more critical vision from society, providing it with tools needed for a more responsible action. However, schools are dominated by a traditional work, which does not allow for enough and proper attention to these relevant and current questions, and which involve a critical analysis of the conceptions and values established by our civilization, resulting in the present patterns of science-technology-society relations and their influence on the environment and health. Several research works have indicated a diversity of barriers that obstruct this necessary change. Since formal education plays an important role in the education of society for this theme, in this paper the possibilities and difficulty dealing with this problem are discussed, focusing on the question of teacher education, based on investigations related to teacher education programs for environmental education. The data collected show the urgency for introducing this theme in teacher training programs, taking into account the fact that educators have their own conceptions, values and attitudes that should be considered in these programs.

Diagnosis and environmental planning for Paranagud - PR - Brazil

The main goal of this study was to identify and analyse environmental problems related to human occupation at the south part of the city of Paranagua PR, Brazil, aiming the diagnosis and conceptual evaluation of landscape use. For landscape use assessments and degradation diagnosis purposes, the environment was classified considering mainly geological and geomorphologic characteristics, such as declivity and sediment origin. The identification of potential environmental impacts was made by aerial photographs, Landsat-TM images, photographic records, surface sediment samples, water-column samples, and mainly observation visits to each classified unit. Surface sediment samples were taken with a Petit-Ponar sampler, in 13 station located in Paranagua Bay. In order to characterize the contamination level on sediments, the concentration of the following elements were analysed: arsenic (As), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), lead (Ph) e zinc (Zn). For the extraction of these elements, samples were treated with HCl 0.1N for 12 hours. This method has the advantage of determining contaminants which are weakly bind to the sediment, thus more available to the system. Analysis were performed by atomic absorption spectroscopy. According to the adopted criteria, sectors were classified as hills, mangroves, continental sediments and beach ridges urban and port industrial. Water quality and concentrations of metallic elements were determined at three sectors one control and two with the influence of urban and port/industrial activities, respectively the major upland impacts found were: deforestation due to disordered occupation, and solid waste emission through domestic and industrial sewage. The diagnosis of the actual situation was used as a basis for a management plan, once it allows the identification of impacts, and consequent environmental irregularities. Based on this considerations, suggestions for land use and management were presented, which offers a better approach for recuperation and protection of the studied ecosystem.

Natural Conditions and Environmental Impacts in a Coastal Hydrographic Basin in the Brazilian Amazon

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Social and environmental indexes to determine the impacts of closed neighbourhoods in Brazil

São Paulo State, in Brazil, is getting increasingly crowded, like in other third world countries around the world, so should give great importance to city development. This work considered the phenomenon of closed neighbourhoods (CN) as an important factor to city planning, papers report many impacts of this model of neighbourhoods in other countries, but in Brazil its impacts are not yet well listed in the literature. The aim of this work was to determine indicators to achieve the social and environmental performances and verify their applicability on three different closed neighbourhoods in São Paulo state, Brazil. The indicators were condensed on indexes: water management, waste management, energy and emissions, legal compliance, environment and buildings, risk management, health and education and governance. The preliminary results indicated several social and environmental problems in all indexes. © 2013 WIT Press.

Genetic parameters and environmental effects on temperament score and reproductive traits of Nellore cattle

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella serotypes isolated from slaughter-age pigs and environmental samples

The aim of this study was to determine the antimicrobial resistance patterns of Salmonella strains isolated from slaughter-age pigs and environmental samples collected at modern swine raising facilities in Brazil. Seventeen isolates of six serotypes of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica were isolated out of 1,026 collected samples: Salmonella Typhimurium (1), Salmonella Agona (5), Salmonella Sandiego (5), Salmonella Rissen (1), Salmonella Senftenberg (4), and Salmonella Javiana (1). Resistance patterns were determined to extended-spectrum penicillin (ampicillin), broad-spectrum cephalosporins (cefotaxime and ceftriaxone), aminoglycosides (streptomycin, neomycin, gentamicin, amikacin, and tobramycin), narrow-spectrum quinolone (nalidixic acid), broad-spectrum quinolone (ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin), tetracycline, trimethoprim, and chloramphenicol. Antimicrobial resistance patterns varied among serotypes, but isolates from a single serotype consistently showed the same resistance profile. All isolates were resistant to tetracycline, streptomycin, and nalidixic acid. One isolate, Salmonella Rissen, was also resistant to cefotaxime and tobramycin. All serotypes were susceptible to ceftriaxone, norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, ampicillin, gentamicin, and chloramphenicol. The high resistance to tetracycline and streptomycin may be linked to their common use as therapeutic drugs on the tested farms. No relation was seen between nalidixic acid and fluoroquinolone resistance.

ACUTE TOXICITY and ENVIRONMENTAL RISK of OXYTETRACYLINE and FLORFENICOL ANTIBIOTICS TO PACU (Piaractus mesopotamicus)

The oxytetracyline (OTC) and florfenicol (FLO) are the most used antibiotics for bacterial disease control in fish. The aims are: estimating the lethal concentration 50% initial (LC(I) 50;48h) of OTC (Terramicina (R)) and FLO (Aquaflor (R)) for pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus); classifying OTC and FLO according to the acute toxicity and the risk of environmental intoxication; and assessing OTC and FLO dilution effect in water quality variables. Fish were acclimatized for 10 days in a bioassay room at 27 +/- 2 degrees C. Then nine animals (three each concentration) were exposed to 7.0; 7.5; 8.0 or 8.5 mg L(-1) of OTC or to 600.0; 700.0; 800.0; 900.0 and 1000.0 mg L(-1) of FLO and a control treatment. The water quality variables recorded daily were: pH, temperature, electric conductivity, and dissolved oxygen. OTC and FLO were classified according to acute toxicity and environmental risk. The estimated OTC LC(I) 50;48h for pacu is 7.6 mg L(-1) and the estimated FLO is > 1000 mg L(-1). OTC reduced the dissolved oxygen concentration, and it was considered moderately toxic, causing risk of environmental intoxication to pacu. FLO is not toxic; it does not cause risk of environmental intoxication to pacu and does not change water quality variables.

Protein levels and environmental temperature effects on carcass characteristics, performance, and nitrogen excretion of broiler chickens from 7 to 21 days of age

This trial was conducted to evaluate the utilization of low-protein diets formulated based on the ideal protein concept for broiler chickens from 7 to 21 days of age reared at different environmental temperatures. Nine hundred male Cobb-500® chickens were used. At day seven chicks were distributed according to a completely randomized design in a 3 x 3 factorial with four replications of 25 birds each. It was used three crude protein levels in the diet (21.5; 20.0 and 18.5%) and three environmental temperatures (low, thermoneutral and high). The performance, carcass characteristics (yield and chemical composition), and nitrogen ingestion and excretion were assessed. There was no significant interaction among the factors for the evaluated variables. Environmental temperatures affected differently chicken performance. High environmental temperature resulted in lower weight gain and higher wing fat percentage, whereas cold temperature resulted in higher feed conversion. on the other hand, low-protein diets decreased weight gain, breast yield, nitrogen excretion and influenced breast and wings chemical composition. Birds reared at high environmental temperature showed lower nitrogen intake and excretion. The results showed that the decrease in protein levels from 7 to 21 days of age contributed to lower nitrogen excretion in broiler chickens, but impaired performance and carcass characteristics independent of rearing temperature.

Signal transduction-related responses to phytohormones and environmental challenges in sugarcane

Background: Sugarcane is an increasingly economically and environmentally important C4 grass, used for the production of sugar and bioethanol, a low-carbon emission fuel. Sugarcane originated from crosses of Saccharum species and is noted for its unique capacity to accumulate high amounts of sucrose in its stems. Environmental stresses limit enormously sugarcane productivity worldwide. To investigate transcriptome changes in response to environmental inputs that alter yield we used cDNA microarrays to profile expression of 1,545 genes in plants submitted to drought, phosphate starvation, herbivory and N-2-fixing endophytic bacteria. We also investigated the response to phytohormones (abscisic acid and methyl jasmonate). The arrayed elements correspond mostly to genes involved in signal transduction, hormone biosynthesis, transcription factors, novel genes and genes corresponding to unknown proteins.Results: Adopting an outliers searching method 179 genes with strikingly different expression levels were identified as differentially expressed in at least one of the treatments analysed. Self Organizing Maps were used to cluster the expression profiles of 695 genes that showed a highly correlated expression pattern among replicates. The expression data for 22 genes was evaluated for 36 experimental data points by quantitative RT-PCR indicating a validation rate of 80.5% using three biological experimental replicates. The SUCAST Database was created that provides public access to the data described in this work, linked to tissue expression profiling and the SUCAST gene category and sequence analysis. The SUCAST database also includes a categorization of the sugarcane kinome based on a phylogenetic grouping that included 182 undefined kinases.Conclusion: An extensive study on the sugarcane transcriptome was performed. Sugarcane genes responsive to phytohormones and to challenges sugarcane commonly deals with in the field were identified. Additionally, the protein kinases were annotated based on a phylogenetic approach. The experimental design and statistical analysis applied proved robust to unravel genes associated with a diverse array of conditions attributing novel functions to previously unknown or undefined genes. The data consolidated in the SUCAST database resource can guide further studies and be useful for the development of improved sugarcane varieties.

Qualitative feed restriction for heavy swines: effect on digestibility and weight of organs of digestive tract, and environmental impact of feces

Foram utilizados 50 suínos machos castrados para avaliar o efeito da restrição alimentar qualitativa sobre a digestibilidade dos componentes dietéticos, os órgãos do trato digestório, a composição e a produção fecal. Foram utilizadas cinco dietas experimentais, com níveis de restrição qualitativa de 0, 5, 10, 15 e 20%. Houve redução linear (P<0,001) para todos os coeficientes de digestibilidade, com exceção da fibra em detergente ácido, que apresentou resposta quadrática (P<0,05). Os teores de sólidos totais (P<0,01) e voláteis (P<0,05), e minerais totais (P<0,001) nas fezes aumentaram com os níveis de restrição alimentar, enquanto os níveis de K (P<0,05), Cu (P<0,01) e de N, P, Na, Ca, Mg, Fe e Zn (P<0,001), apresentaram resposta quadrática. A excreção diária de fezes, sólidos totais e voláteis, minerais totais, N, P, K, Mn e Cu (P<0,001), Ca, Na, Mg e Fe (P<0,05) apresentaram aumento em função do nível da restrição alimentar qualitativa. A restrição qualitativa pode ser alternativa para destinação de resíduos da agroindústria, conferindo boas propriedades às fezes suínas, no que diz respeito à utilização para adubação de culturas.

Genetic and environmental factors affecting ultrasound measures of longissimus muscle area and backfat thickness in Nelore cattle

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Genetic and environmental heterogeneity of residual variance of weight traits in Nellore beef cattle

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

Genetic and environmental effects on sexual precocity traits in Nellore cattle

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Genetic and environmental effects on age at first farrowing in sows in southeastern Brazil

We evaluated genetic and environmental factors affecting age at first farrowing of sows in the Brazilian southeast. For this purpose, 466 observations regarding the age at first farrowing were made for Dalland-C40 (c) animals belonging to two herds. The effects of the environmental factors on this trait were assessed by means of a model that included, as random effects, the influence of the sow's father and mother and, as fixed effects, the influence the year of birth, the herd and the birth season, along with the covariable litter size at birth. The variance components were estimated using the derivative-free restricted maximum likelihood method. The estimated mean was 354.8 +/- 25.87 days, with a coefficient of variation of 7.29%. Significant effects on the trait were observed for the herd, the year and the season of birth; but a linear effect of litter size at birth on the age at first farrowing was not observed. The boar did not significantly contribute to the variation occurring among the sows, whereas the sow's mother caused significant variation. The heritability estimate for the age at first farrowing was 0.44 +/- 0.15, which is considered high. We concluded that herd effect and year and season of birth should be taken into consideration for an accurate genetic comparison; consequently, the animals should be joined into contemporary groups.