Innovation for sustainable urban tourism: some thoughts on best practice

This paper examines a series of strategic initiatives that have been undertaken by Tourism Queensland (TQ), a State Tourism Organization in Australia, to develop tourism and in particular to develop networks in tourism destinations. This paper firstly examines the nature of sustainable urban tourism (SUT) and discusses approaches to defining it. It suggests that developing SUT requires a generic approach to improving sustainable tourism operations amongst all suppliers in an urban area. Further, this approach suggests that best practice in marketing and policy development can be adopted to attract tourists to a SUT destination and examples of this approach are provided.

Sustainable Tourism and Eradication of Poverty (Step): impact assessment of a tourism development program in Brazil

This paper aims to evaluate the social impacts of the Tourism Development Program (Prodetur) in the northeastern town of Porto Seguro, Bahia, Brazil. The method used is based on the difference in difference technique applied to the 1991 and 2000 Census microdata. The results suggest social advances following from poverty relief based on income - where the benefits are distributed, generally, in a relatively equal manner between the native and migrant population. There is a relative deterioration in the sanitary situation, which consists of a very serious problem in the mid- and long-term, whose costs are mostly borne by the native population. Therefore, maintaining the natural capital is the main aspect that distances Porto Seguro’s tourism supply from the concept of sustainability. The article also relies on difference in difference estimators to assess the impacts of local public policies related to the sector.

Structural changes in the jejunal mucosa of mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni, fed low or high protein diets

The effects of high and low-protein diets on the structure of the jejunal mucosa were studied in Schistosoma mansoni infected mice (morphology and histomorphometry). Weaning male albino mice were infected with 80 cercariae, fed with high (20%) or low-protein (5%) diets and compared to uninfected controls under the same conditions. Mice were sacrificed 12 weeks after infection. Animals submitted to a low-protein diet showed lower weight curves, mainly when infected. In the jejunal mucosa, finger-like villi were the predominant pattern among uninfected high-protein fed animals, while the infected ones showed leaf-shaped and flattened villi in most cases. Undernourished infected mice had 65.7% leaf-shaped villi. A significant increase in the number of goblet cells was seen in infected mice. A decrease in the number of absorptive cells was detected in undernourished mice, particularly in infected ones.

Optimum dietary protein requirement for Amazonian Tambaqui, Colossoma macropomum Cuvier, 1818, fed fish meal free diets

Fish meal free diets were formulated to contain graded protein levels as 25% (diet 1), 30% (diet 2), 35% (diet 3) and 40% (diet 4). The diets were fed to tambaqui juveniles (Colossoma macropomum) (46.4 ± 6.3g) in randomly designed recirculating systems for 60 days, to determine the optimum protein requirement for the fish. The final weight of the fish, weight gain (28.1, 28.5, 32.2, 28.0g) and specific growth rate increased (P>0.05) consistently with increasing dietary protein up to treatment with 35% protein diet and then showed a declining trend. Feed intake followed the same trend resulting in best feed efficiency (62.5%) in fish fed diet with 35% protein. Similarly, the protein intake increased significantly with increasing dietary protein levels and reduced after the fish fed with 35% protein; while protein efficiency ratio (2.28, 1.99, 1.87, 1.74) decreased with increasing dietary protein levels. Carcass ash and protein had linear relationship with dietary protein levels while the lipid showed a decreasing trend. Ammonia content (0.68, 0.73, 0.81, 1.21 mg L-1) of the experimental waters also increased (P<0.05) with increasing protein levels while pH, dissolved oxygen and temperature remained fairly constant without any clear pattern of inclination. Broken-line estimation of the weight gain indicated 30% protein as the optimum requirement for the fish.

Hematological responses of tambaqui Colossoma macropomum (Serrassalmidae) fed with diets supplemented with essential oil from Mentha piperita (Lamiaceae) and challenged with Aeromonas hydrophila

ABSTRACTIn fish farmings, diseases can be reduced by using immunostimulants. The aim of this study was to evaluate the immunostimulant potential of Mentha piperita in tambaqui fed with 0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5% of oil per kg of commercial fish feed. The fish were inoculated with Aeromonas hydrophila to challenge them. Hematological and biochemical parameters were determined after 30 days of feeding and seven days after the challenge. There was no mortality and M. piperita oil did not influence fish production parameters. However, blood hemoglobin concentration (Hb) increased in the fish fed with 0.5 and 1.5% of oil per kg of diet; albumin increased in those fed with 1.0%; cholesterol increased in all groups with oil; and triglycerides increased in those fed with 0.5%. After the bacterial challenge, the fish showed decreases in Hb when fed with diet enriched with 1.5% oil per kg of diet, in mean corpuscular volume with 1.0% and in mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration with 0 and 1.5%. Protein levels increased in groups with 0 and 1.5% of oil and albumin when fed with 0 and 1.0%; cholesterol levels increased in the control group; and high levels of triglycerides were observed in the groups with 0, 0.5 and 1.5%. Thus, M. piperita essential oil promoted hematological alterations in tambaqui and can be recommended in diets containing up to 1.0% per kg, because of the minimal physiological modifications caused. However, additional studies are necessary to obtain more information regarding to the physiological effects of this immunostimulant.

Lipid metabolism in rats fed diets containing different types of lipids

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of different types of lipid diets on the lipid metabolism of aging rats. METHODS: Fifty male Wistar rats were studied from the time of weaning to 12 and 18 months of age. Their diets were supplemented as follows: with soybean oil (S), canola oil (CA), lard and egg yolk (LE), and canola oil + lard and egg yolk (CA + LE). Blood pressure (BP) was measured every month, and the heart/body ratio (H/BR) was determined. The rats were euthanized at the age of 12 and 18 months, and blood samples were collected for lipid analysis as follows: total cholesterol (TC), LDL-C, VLDL-C, HDL-C, triglycerides (TG), and glucose. RESULTS: The type of oil ingested by the animals significantly altered BP, H/BR, and serum lipid levels in rats at 12 and 18 months. No difference was observed in the survival curve of the animals in the different groups. The LE group had the highest BP, and the CA group was the only one in which BP did not change with aging. A reduction in the H/BR was observed in the LE and CA+LE animals. At the age of 12 months, differences in TC, HDL-C, LDL-C, VLDL-C, TG, and glucose were observed. At the age of 18 months, a significant difference in TC, HDL-C, and glucose was observed. The highest TC value was found in the CA group and the lowest in the S group. CONCLUSION: No increase in BP occurred, and an improvement was evident in the lipid profile of rats fed a diet supplemented with CA, in which an elevation in HDL-C levels was observed, as compared with levels with the other types of diet.

Seasonal variation of the effect of high-carbohydrate and high-protein diets on the intermediate metabolism of Parastacus brasiliensis (Crustacea, Decapoda, Parastacidae) maintained in the laboratory

The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of a high-carbohydrate diet (HC) and a high-protein diet (HP) on the metabolism of the crayfish Parastacus brasiliensis (Von Martens, 1869), collected in different seasons and maintained in the laboratory for 15 days. Crayfish were collected monthly from January 2002 to January 2004 at São Francisco de Paula, Southern Brazil, in Guarapirá stream. In the laboratory, the animals were kept submerged in aquariums under controlled conditions. They were fed ad libitum, for 15 days with either a HC or HP diet. At the end of this period, haemolymph samples were collected, as were hepatopancreas, gills, and abdominal muscle that were removed for determination of glycogen, free glucose, lipids, and triglycerides. The haemolymph samples were used for determination of glucose, proteins, lipids, and triglycerides. Statistical analysis (ANOVA) revealed significant seasonal differences in biochemical composition in crayfish maintained on HC or HP diets. Independent of the diets offered to the animals and the controlled conditions for 15 days, the indications of seasonality were unchanged. The observed changes seemed to be related to the reproductive period. Moreover, the HC diet increased all energy reserves in adult parastacids, which may aid in reproduction.

Performance of Anastrepha obliqua (Diptera, Tephritidae) larvae fed on artificial diets

Moscas das frutas do gênero Anastrepha Schiner, 1868 são conhecidas por sua importância econômica devido aos danos que elas causam nos frutos comerciais. As exigências nutricionais dos estágios imaturo e adulto são diferentes e as larvas não se desenvolvem bem utilizando a mesma dieta do adulto. Embora as necessidades nutricionais básicas dos insetos sejam bem conhecidas, existe ainda o problema de elaborar dietas de criação adequadas para espécies com necessidades específicas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar o efeito de diferentes tipos e quantidades de carboidratos na dieta sobre a performance larval de Anastrepha obliqua (Macquart, 1835). Larvas foram criadas individualmente em tubos de ensaio contendo uma das dietas artificiais a serem testadas onde elas foram mantidas até a pupação. A composição básica das dietas testadas incluia 2,5 g de agar, 3,25 g de levedo de cerveja e quantidades variadas de sacarose e farinha de trigo. A adequação do meio artificial para A. obliqua foi testada pela avaliação da sobrevivência larval e pupal (%) e o tempo de desenvolvimento larval, pupal e de larva-adulto. A dieta contendo farinha de trigo (2 g) e sacarose (2 g) e a dieta somente com sacarose (5,5 g) foram as que apresentaram melhor performance larval. Todas as dietas testadas apresentaram resultados similares ou superiores às dietas utilizadas em outros trabalhos. A importância da presença da farinha de trigo e seu valor nutricional para as larvas são discutidos.

Are sustainable companies less risky and more profitable?

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there were significant differences in accounting indicators when comparing sustainable enterprises to other similar companies that are not considered as sustainable. The Corporate Sustainability Index of BM (São Paulo Stock, Commodities and Futures Exchange) was the criterion selected to break down the samples into sustainable and non-sustainable enterprises. The accounting indicators were separated into two kinds: risk (dividend payout, percentage growth of assets, financial leverage, current liquidity, asset size, variability of earnings, and accounting beta) and return (ROA, ROE, asset turnover, and net margin). We individually analyzed the companies in the energy sector, followed by those in the banking sector, as well as the entire ISE portfolio as of 2008/2009, including all the sectors. Mann-Whitney tests were performed in order to verify the difference of the means between the groups (ISE and non-ISE). The results, considering the method chosen and the time span covered by the study, indicate that there are no differences between sustainable companies and the others, when they are assessed by the accounting indicators used here.

Nymph developmental time and survivorship, adult longevity, reproduction and body weight of Dichelops melacanthus (Dallas) feeding on natural and artificial diets

The biology of nymphs and adults of the neotropical pentatomid, Dichelops melacanthus (Dallas), feeding on the natural foods, soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merrill immature pods, and corn, Zea mays L. immature seeds, and on an artificial dry diet, was studied in the laboratory. Nymph developmental time was shorter on the natural foods (ca. 21-22 days) than on the artificial diet (28 days), and most nymphs reached adulthood on the food plants (55% on soybean and 73% on corn) than on the artificial diet (40%). Fresh body weight at adult emergence was similar and higher for females raised as nymphs on the natural foods, compared to females from nymphs raised on the artificial diet; for males, weights were similar on all foods. Mean (female and male) survivorship up to day 20, decreased from 55% on soybean to 40% on corn, down to 0% on the artificial diet. Total longevity for females was higher on soybean, while for males was similar on all foods. About three times more females oviposited on soybean than on corn, but fecundity/female was similar on both foods. On the artificial diet, only one out of 30 females oviposited. Fresh body weight of adults increased significantly during the first week of adult life, and at the end of the 3rd week, weight gain was similar on all foods.

Review of semiochemicals that mediate the oviposition of mosquitoes: a possible sustainable tool for the control and monitoring of Culicidae

The choice for suitable places for female mosquitoes to lay eggs is a key-factor for the survival of immature stages (eggs and larvae). This knowledge stands out in importance concerning the control of disease vectors. The selection of a place for oviposition requires a set of chemical, visual, olfactory and tactile cues that interact with the female before laying eggs, helping the localization of adequate sites for oviposition. The present paper presents a bibliographic revision on the main aspects of semiochemicals in regard to mosquitoes' oviposition, aiding the comprehension of their mechanisms and estimation of their potential as a tool for the monitoring and control of the Culicidae.