Morphological aspects of Henneguya aequidens n. sp (Myxozoa: Myxobolidae) in Aequidens plagiozonatus Kullander, 1984 (Teleostei: Cichlidae) in the Amazon region, Brazil

A new species of Myxosporea, Henneguya aequidens sp. n. (Myxozoa: Myxobolidae), was described based on its ultrastructural features. This is a parasite of the freshwater fish Aequidens plagiozonatus, in the Peixe-boi River, Para, Brazil. This parasite was found in the gills, in the form of whitish ellipsoid cysts with mature spores inside them. The average spore body was 15 +/- 0.9 mu m in length (n = 30) and 6 +/- 0.8 mu m in width (n = 30), and the tail measured 27 +/- 0.5 mu m in length (n = 15). The spores showed typical features of the genus Henneguya with two valves of equal size and two symmetrical polar capsules of 3 +/- 0.3 mu m in length and 2 +/- 0.3 mu m in width. Each polar capsule had a polar filament forming a helix from the apical region to the polar caps, with four to six turns. Based on the ultrastructural differences in morphology of these spores, the location of the parasite, and its host specificity, this parasite was described as a new species.

Mapping surface deformation in open pit iron mines of Carajas Province (Amazon Region) using an integrated SAR analysis

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

Mercury fractionation in dourada (Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii) of the Madeira River in Brazil using metalloproteomic strategies

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

Comparative analysis of the river buffalo somatostatin gene

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

Distribution, composition and seasonality of aquatic birds in the Nhecolandia sub-region of South Pantanal, Brazil

Despite remarkable significance of Pantanal for the conservation of aquatic birds, the status of their populations, the spatiotemporal patterns of distribution and habitat use and structure of communities are little known. Thus, we studied three aquatic environments (Negro river, bays and salines) from 2007 to 2009 in the Nhecolandia Pantanal to verify the distribution and composition of aquatic birds and also if there is significant seasonal influence on these aspects. We adopted the transect method (288 hours of sampling) and recorded 135 species (7.834 individuals). The Negro river showed the highest diversity, while the salines the lowest. The similarity of aquatic bird communities was higher between bays and salines, followed by Negro river and bays and lower between salines and Negro river. The equidistribution is more variable in the salines and more stable in the Negro river. The environments strongly differ from each other in aquatic bird composition in space (habitat use and distribution) and time (seasonal water fluctuations). The diversity of bird community in the dry season varies significantly in the salines, followed by the bays and more stable in the Negro river. The Negro river, regardless of large annual amplitude of flow, is more seasonally stable since its riparian vegetation is continuous (not isolated) and constant. These aspects provide better conditions to stay all year, contributing to decrease the seasonal nomadic tendencies of aquatic birds. Finally, all these data provide strong arguments to the preservation of all phytophysiognomies in the Nhecolandia sub-region of Pantanal, but with special attention to the salines widely used by many flocks of aquatic birds (mainly in the dry season) and migrant and/or rare species restricted to this habitat.

Determination of the mercury fraction linked to protein of muscle and liver tissue of Tucunaré (Cichla spp.) from the Amazon Region of Brazil

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

An ethnobotanical study of anti-malarial plants among indigenous people on the upper Negro River in the Brazilian Amazon

In this article we present the plants used for the treatment of malaria and associated symptoms in Santa Isabel do Rio Negro in the Brazilian Amazon. The region has important biological and cultural diversities including more than twenty indigenous ethnic groups and a strong history in traditional medicine. The aims of this study are to survey information in the Baniwa, Baré, Desana, Piratapuia, Tariana, Tukano, Tuyuca, Yanomami ethnic communities and among caboclos (mixed-ethnicity) on: a) plant species used for the treatment of malaria and associated symptoms; b) dosage forms and c) distribution of these anti-malarial plants in the Amazon. Information was obtained through classical ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological methods from interviews with 146 informants in Santa Isabel municipality on the upper Negro River, Brazil. Fifty-five mainly native neotropical plant species from 34 families were in use. The detailed uses of these plants were documented. The result was 187 records (64.4%) of plants for the specific treatment of malaria, 51 records (17.5%) of plants used in the treatment of liver problems and 28 records (9.6%) of plants used in the control of fevers associated with malaria. Other uses described were blood fortification ('dar sangue'), headache and prophylaxis. Most of the therapeutic preparations were decoctions and infusions based on stem bark, root bark and leaves. These were administered by mouth. In some cases, remedies were prepared with up to three different plant species. Also, plants were used together with other ingredients such as insects, mammals, gunpowder and milk. This is the first study on the anti-malarial plants from this region of the Amazon. Aspidosperma spp. and Ampelozizyphus amazonicus Ducke were the most cited species in the communities surveyed. These species have experimental proof supporting their anti-malarial efficacy. The dosage of the therapeutic preparations depends on the kind of plant, quantity of plant material available, the patient's age (children and adults) and the local expert. The treatment time varies from a single dose to up to several weeks. Most anti-malarial plants are domesticated or grow spontaneously. They are grown in home gardens, open areas near the communities, clearings and secondary forests, and wild species grow in areas of seasonally flooded wetlands and terra firme (solid ground) forest, in some cases in locations that are hard to access. Traditional knowledge of plants was found to be falling into disuse presumably as a consequence of the local official health services that treat malaria in the communities using commercial drugs. Despite this, some species are used in the prevention of this disease and also in the recovery after using conventional anti-malarial drugs.

Zoneamento do escoamento superficial da bacia hidrográfica do Rio Paciência, Ilha do Maranhão-MA

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

Mineralogia da fração argila dos solos do Planalto Ocidental Paulista

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Influences of the harvest season on analytical characteristics of syrah grapes and wines produced in the northeast region of Brazil

The present study evaluated the main physical and chemical characteristics of Syrah grapes, coming from the tropical region of São Francisco river valley, harvested at different times and their relationship with analytical characteristics of resulting wines. Grapes came from the first half of 2009 harvest, collected at Casa Nova - Bahia, a semi-arid and hot region, comprising an interval from 84 days after pruning (84 dap) to the beginning of grape over-ripening, 133 days after pruning (133 dap). Harvests at 84, 91, 98, 105, 112, 119, 126 and 133 dap, were analyzed for pH, soluble solids and acidity in grapes, which were then processed for wine production. Maximum sugar/acidity ratio (s/a = 56) were observed in grapes harvested between 126 and 133 dap, coincided with the highest concentration of anthocyanins (851 mg L-1 ) and total tannins (2.6 g L-1 ) in the resulting wines, indicating that grapes collected between 126 and 133 dap showed the best potential for winemaking in the tropical climate of São Francisco river valley. This result was confirmed by the analytical characterization of wines, that, between 126 and 133 dap, showed 12.8% alcohol, 31 g L-1 dry extract, 5.6 g L-1 ashes and a TPI of 58, using only one pumping per day, for 5 days maceration. Syrah grapes considered in the present work presented a good evolution of maturation, and grapes harvested between 126 and 133 days after pruning, showed the best oenological potential for the development of red wine. The use of pH and soluble solids appeared useful parameters in the estimation of maturation degree and quality potential of grapes for winemaking.

A metalloproteomics study on the association of mercury with breast milk in samples from lactating women in the Amazon region of Brazil

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

Mapeamento geológico-geotécnico por meio de análise integrada no Parque Estadual do Juquery - Franco da Rocha-SP

Pós-graduação em Geociências e Meio Ambiente - IGCE

Fire History at the Eastern Great Plains Margin, Missouri River Loess Hills

The purpose of this paper is to provide quantitative fire history information for a geographically unique region, the Loess Hills of northwest Missouri. We sampled 33 bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa Michx.), chinkapin oak (Q. muehlenbergii Engelm.), and black oak (Q. velutina Lam.) trees from the Brickyard Hill Conservation Area in northwest Missouri. The period of tree-ring record ranged in calendar years from 1671 to 2004 and fire-scar dates (n = 97) ranged from 1672 to 1980. Fire intervals for individual trees ranged from 1 to 87 years. The mean fire interval was 6.6 years for the pre-Euro-American settlement period (1672-1820), and 5.2 years for the entire record (1672-1980). A period of more frequent fire (mean fire interval = 1.6 for 1825 to 1850) coincided with Euro-American settlement of the area. The average percentage of trees scarred at the site was 16.8%, or about 1 in 7 trees sampled per fire. No significant relationship between fire years and drought conditions was found; however, events prior to 1820 may have been associated with wet to dry mode transitions.

An Analysis of Anchitherine Equids Across the Eocene–Oligocene Boundary in the White River Group of the Western Great Plains

Anchitherine horses are a subfamily of equids that are abundantly represented in the late Eocene and early Oligocene of North America. This group has been heavily studied in the past, but important questions still remain. Some studies have focused on the Eocene-Oligocene boundary and have used these equids along with other taxa to study mammalian diet and climate change through this interval. I reexamine two anchitherine genera, Mesohippus and Miohippus, from stratigraphic sequences of the White River Group in western Nebraska and southwestern South Dakota. These sequences span the Chadronian (late Eocene), Orellan (early Oligocene), and Whitneyan (early Oligocene) North American land-mammal ages. The most recent revision of these genera was done by Prothero and Shubin (1989). I review the characters used for taxonomic identification. This includes characters such as the hypostyle, the articular facet on the third metatarsal, and dental dimensions. To avoid possible biases caused by combining specimens from different stratigraphic levels, specimens were separated by location and stratigraphic level. The length and width of cheek teeth, and tooth rows were measured on 488 specimens. First molar area serves as a proxy for body mass in horses and other mammals, and can be useful for distinguishing among species. Results indicate that the characters used by Prothero and Shubin were highly variable in anchitherine horses and are not useful for distinguishing between these genera. The development of the articular facet on the third metatarsal may be a function of body size and therefore may be of no more utility than first molar area. Variability in first molar area suggests the presence of three species in the medial and late Chadronian, two species in the Orellan, and at least two species in the Whitneyan. Due to a lack of objective criteria separating Mesohippus from Miohippus, I recommend synonymy of these genera, making Mesohippus a junior subjective synonym.

The effects of river discharge and seasonal winds on the shelf off southeastern South America

The Rio de la Plata waters form a low salinity tongue that affects the circulation, stratification and the distributions of nutrients and biological species over a wide extent of the adjacent continental shelf. The plume of coastal waters presents a seasonal meridional displacement reaching lower latitudes (28,S) during austral winter and 32 degrees S during summer. Historical data suggests that the wind causes the alongshore shift, with southwesterly (SW) winds forcing the plume to lower latitudes in winter while summer dominant northeasterly (NE) winds force its southward retreat. To establish the connection between wind and outflow variations on the distribution of the coastal waters, we conducted two quasi-synoptic surveys in the region of Plata influence on the continental shelf and slope of southeastern South America, between Mar del Plata, Argentina and the northern coast of Santa Catarina, Brazil. We observed that: (A) SW winds dominating in winter force the northward spreading of the plume to low latitudes even during low river discharge periods; (B) NE winds displace the plume southward and spread the low salinity waters offshore over the entire width of the continental shelf east of the Plata estuary. The southward retreat of the plume in summer leads to a volume decrease of low salinity waters over the shelf. This volume is compensated by an increase of Tropical waters, which dominate the northern shelf. The subsurface transition between Subantarctic and Subtropical Shelf Waters, the Subtropical Shelf Front, and the subsurface water mass distribution, however, present minor seasonal variations. Along shore winds also influence the dynamics and water mass variations along the continental shelf area. In areas under the influence of river discharge, Subtropical Shelf Waters are kept away from the coastal region. When low salinity waters retreat southward, NE winds induce a coastal upwelling system near Santa Marta Cape. In summer, solar radiation promotes the establishment of a strong thermocline that increases buoyancy and further enhances the offshore displacement of low salinity waters under the action of NE winds. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.