Coptotermes gestroi (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in Brazil: possible origins inferred by mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase II gene sequences

The Asian subterranean termite, Coptotermes gestroi, originally from northeast India through Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Indonesian archipelago, is a major termite pest introduced in several countries around the world, including Brazil. We sequenced the mitochondrial COII gene from individuals representing 23 populations. Phylogenetic analysis of COII gene sequences from this and other studies resulted in two main groups: (1) populations of Cleveland (USA) and four populations of Malaysia and (2) populations of Brazil, four populations of Malaysia, and one population from each of Thailand, Puerto Rico, and Key West (USA). Three new localities are reported here, considerably enlarging the distribution of C. gestroi in Brazil: Campo Grande (state of Mato Grosso do Sul), Itajai (state of Santa Catarina), and Porto Alegre (state of Rio Grande do Sul).

Nesting architecture and population structure of the fungus-growing ant Cyphomyrmex transversus (Formicidae: Myrmicinae: Attini) in the Brazilian coastal zone of Ilheus, Bahia

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Plant or fungal sequences? An alternative optimized PCR protocol to avoid ITS (nrDNA) misamplification

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

Aquaculture Research and Development as an Entry-Point and Contributor to Natural Resources and Coastal Management

Recent, fervent international dialogue concerning the existence and magnitude of impacts associated with aquaculture has had both positive and negative outcomes. Aquaculture stakeholders have become sensitized to requirements for improved environmental management of aquaculture. on the other hand, in some cases aquaculture development has been negatively affected by some of the unwarranted and unproved allegations to the detriment of the stakeholders most in need of aquaculture development (i.e., resource users, particularly the poor, who are dependent on natural resources). These resource users are targeted by, and directly influence biodiversity and conservation agendas; hence the need to understand how to gain their active participation. This discussion focuses on examples of how aquaculture research and development can be a useful tool or strategy for resource management initiatives and provide tangible positive including increased stakeholder participation and cooperation, offering alternatives to resource extraction and use in otherwise difficult or intransigent resource management conflicts.

Anurans of the sandy coastal plains of the Lagamar Paulista, state of São Paulo, Brazil

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

Crop sequences in no-tillage system: effects on soil fertility and soybean, maize and rice yield

Os resíduos vegetais das culturas, ao se decomporem, alteram os atributos químicos do solo e, como consequência, influenciam a produtividade das culturas em sucessão. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os atributos químicos do solo e a produtividade das culturas de soja, milho e arroz, cultivadas no verão, em sucessão a culturas de inverno em semeadura direta. O experimento foi realizado em Jaboticabal-SP (48 ° 18 ' 58 '' W e 21 ° 15 ' 22 '' S), em um Latossolo Vermelho eutrófico. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos ao acaso, no esquema em faixas, com três repetições. Os tratamentos foram constituídos pela combinação de quatro sequências de culturas de verão (monoculturas de milho e soja e rotações soja/milho e arroz/feijão/algodão) com sete culturas de inverno (milho, girassol, nabo forrageiro, milheto, guandu, sorgo e crotalária). Os cultivos iniciaram-se em 2002. Após o manejo das culturas de inverno e antes da semeadura das culturas de verão do ano agrícola 2006/2007, foram coletadas amostras de solo nas camadas de 0-2,5; 2,5-5,0; 5-10; 10-20; e 20-30 cm. Nas amostras de solo, foram determinados: teores de matéria orgânica, pH, teores de P (resina), K, Ca e Mg trocáveis e acidez potencial (H + Al). As sequências de verão rotação soja/milho e milho em monocultura proporcionaram no solo menores teores de matéria orgânica na camada de 0-10 cm e de P do solo na camada de 0-20 cm. Na sequência de verão arroz/feijão/algodão, maiores teores de K foram proporcionados pelas culturas de inverno crotalária e nabo forrageiro, na camada de 0-10 cm, e milheto, na de 0-2,5 cm. Crotalária, milheto, nabo forrageiro e sorgo, cultivados no inverno, proporcionaram maiores teores de matéria orgânica no solo na camada de 0-30 cm. Maiores teores de P no solo foram proporcionados pela crotalária, na camada de 0-2,5 cm, e pelo nabo forrageiro, na de 0-5 cm. Maiores produtividades de soja, como monocultura de verão, foram obtidas após nabo forrageiro e crotalária e, quando em rotação com milho no verão, após nabo forrageiro, crotalária e milheto. Maiores produtividades de milho foram obtidas após nabo forrageiro, milheto e guandu, e menor produtividade de arroz foi obtida após sorgo.

Biomass and Stand Characteristics of a Highly Productive Mixed Douglas-Fir and Western Hemlock Plantation in Coastal Washington

Aboveground biomass predictive equations were developed for a highly productive 47-year-old mixed Douglas-fir and western hemlock stand in southwest Washington State to characterize the preharvest stand attributes for the Fall River Long-Term Site Productivity Study. The equations were developed using detailed biomass data taken from 31 Douglas-fir and 11 western hemlock trees within the original stand. The stand had an average of 615 live trees per hectare, with an average dbh of 35.6 cm (39.1 cm for Douglas-fir and 33.3 cm for western hemlock) and an average total tree height of 31.6 m (32.8 m for Douglas-fir and 30.2 m for western hemlock). Equations developed were of the form In Y = b(1) + b(2) In dbh, where Y = biomass in kg, dbh = diameter in cm at 1.3 m height, b(1) = intercept, and b(2) = slope of equation. Each tree part was estimated separately and also combined into total aboveground biomass. The total aboveground biomass estimation equations were In Y = -0.9950 + 2.0765 In dbh for Douglas-fir, and In Y = -1.6612 + 2.2321 In dbh for western hemlock. The estimate of the aboveground live-free biomass was of 395 Mg ha(-1) (235 Mg ha(-1) for Douglas-fir and 160 Mg ha(-1) for western hemlock), with 9.5, 29.3, 12.9, 308, and 32.7 Mg ha(-1) in the foliage, live branches, dead branches, stem wood, and stem hark, respectively. When compared with biomass estimates from six other studies, ranging in age from 22 to 110 years and from 96.3 to 636 Mg ha(-1), the biomass of the Fall River site was relatively high for its age, indicating very high productivity.

Análise da estrutura genética populacional da piraúna (cephalopholis fulva: serranidae) ao longo da costa e ilhas oceânicas brasileiras

Brazil has about 8,500 km of coastline and on this scale, fishing is a historically important source of animal protein for human consumption. The national fishing background shows a growth of marine fishery production until 1985 and within this period it was recorded a steady decline. From the year 2003 fishing statistics aim to some "recovery" of the total fisheries production, which probably is related to a change in industry practice. The target of commercial fishing became smaller species with low commercial value, but very abundants. The coney, Cephalopholis fulva (Serranidae), is one of these species that have been suffering a greater fishing pressure in recent years. In order to provide data about the current situation of the genetic diversity of these populations, several molecular markers have been being used for this purpose. The prior knowledge of genetic variability is crucial for management and biodiversity conservation. To this end, the control region sequences (dloop) of mtDNA from Cephalopholis fulva (Serranidae) from five geographical points of the coast of Brazil (Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Bahia and Espírito Santo) and the Archipelago of Fernando de Noronha (FN) were sequenced and their genetic diversity analyzed. The FST values were very low (0.0246 to 0.000), indicating high gene flow between the sampled spots. The indices h and indicate a secondary contact between previously allopatric lineages differentiated or large and stable populations with long evolutionary history. Tests of Tajima and Fu showed expansion for all populations. In contrast, the mismatch distribution and SSD indicated expansion just for coastal populations. Unlike other species of the Atlantic which have been deeply affected by events on later Pleistocene, the population-genetic patterns of C. fulva may be related to recent events occurred approximately 130,000 years ago. Moreover, the data presented by geographical samples of the specie C. fulva showed high genetic diversity, also indicating the absence of deleterious effects of over-exploitation on this specie, as well as evidence of complete panmixia between all sampled populations

A report of 49 cases of cnidarian envenoming from southeastern Brazilian coastal waters

Forty-nine accidents caused by jellyfish (Cnidaria) were observed during a period of 5 years on the southeastern coast of Brazil. Most of them involved male patients (65.3%), the injured areas being mainly the legs (71.3%) and the trunk (65.3%). Twenty accidents with Chiropsalmus quadrumanus, four with Physalia physalis and 20 with unidentified jellyfish presented intense pain, linear plaques and systemic symptoms. The five cases with Olindias sambaquiensis caused mild pain, round plaques and no systemic symptoms. There are a few reports on accidents caused by jellyfish, in this country, and scarce clinical or epidemiological data are available up to the present moment. (C) 2002 Elsevier B.V. Ltd. All rights reserved.

Monitoramento geoambiental do estuário do Rio Paraíba do Norte - PB por meio da cartografia temática digital e de produtos de sensoriamento remoto

The North Paraíba River Estuary, located in the eastern portion of the Paraíba State, Northeast Brazil, on coordinates 34º50 00 -34º57 30 S and 6º55 00 -7º7 30 W, constitutes a fluvio-marine plain formed by the North Paraíba River and its tributaries Sanhauá, Paroeira, Mandacaru, Tiriri, Tambiá, Ribeira and Guia. This estuary comprises an area of about 260 km2. Increasing human demands on the estuary area and inadequate environment managing have generated conflicts. The present work main purpose is to evaluate the geodynamic evolution of the North Paraíba River Estuary in the period from 1969 to 2001, using digital image processing techniques, thematic digital cartography and multitemporal data integration, combined to geological-geophysical field surveys. The SUDENE cartographic database, converted to digital format were, used to obtain occupation and topographic maps from 1969 and to generate a Digital Elevation Model (DEM). Digital Landsat 7 ETM+ and Spot HRVIR-PAN satellite images interpretation allowed the environmental characterization of the estuary. The most important digital processing results were achieved color composites RGB 5-4-3, 5-3-1, 5-2-NDWI and band ratio 7/4-5/3-4/2, 5/7-3/1-5/4). In addition the fusion image technique RGBI was used by the inclusion of the Spot HRVRI and Landsat 7 ETM+ panchromatic band on I layer with RGB triplets 5-4-3, 5-3-1 and 5/7-3/1-5/4. The DEM and digital images integration allowed the identification of seven geomorphological units: coastal tableland, flowing tray, tide plain, fluvial terrace, submerged dune, beach plain and beach). Both Side Scan Sonar and Echosound were used to analyse underwater surface and bedforms of the estuarine channel, sand predominance (fine to very fine) and 2D dune features 5 m wide and 0.5 m height. This investigation characterized the estuary as an environment dominated by regimen of average flow. The channel depth varies between 1 m and 11 m, being this last quota reached in the area of Porto de Cabedelo. The chanel estuary is relatively shallow, with erosion evidences mainly on its superior portion, attested by sand banks exposed during the low tide. Multitemporal digital maps from 1969 and 2001 integration were obtained through geoprocessing techniques, resulting the geodynamic evolution of the estuary based on landuse, DEM geomorphology and bathymetric maps

Estudo geológico e geofísico da falha de carnaubais, Bacia Potiguar-RN, e implicações neotectônicas

The segment of Carnaubais Fault located in the southeasthern portion of Guamaré Graben (Potiguar Basin) was studied. Several structures were detected and some of them strongly suggest that the last movements in Carnaubais Fault are of Neotectonic age. The study comprises an integrated interpretation of geologic, geomorphologic and geophysical data (gravimetry, magnetometry, resistivity, and self potential methods). According to the size of the studied areas, two approaches were used in this research. The first approach is of a regional nature and was conducted in an area, hereafter named Regional Area, having approximately 6,000 km2 and localized in the northern portion of Rio Grande do Norte state, around Macau city. The second approach comprises detailled studies of two small areas inside the Regional Area: the Camurupim and São Bento areas. Gravimetric and topographic data were used in the Regional Area. A separation into regional and residual components were conducted both on gravimetric and topographic data. The interpretation of the residual component of the gravimetric data allows a precise mapping of the borders of the Guamaré Graben. The regional component features of the topographic data are controlled by the pair of conjugate faults composed by the Carnaubais Fault (NE direction) and the Afonso Bezerra Fault (NW direction). On the other hand, the residual component of the topographic data shows that river valleis of NW direction are sharply interrupted where they intersect Carnaubais Fault. This fact is interpreted as an evidency that the last significant moviments occured in the Carnaubais Fault. Geologic, geomorphologic and geophysical data (magnetometry, resistivity, and self potential methods) were used in the Camurupim Area. The geologic mapping allows to identify five lithophacies unities. The first two unities (from base to top) were interpreted as composing a marine (or transitional) depositional sequency while the other were interpreted is composing a continental depositional sequence. The two sequences are clearly separated of an erosional discordance. The unities grouped in the marine sequence are composed by calcarenites (Unity A) and mudstones (Unity B). Unity A was deposited in a shalow plataform while Unity B, in a tidal flat. The unities grouped in the continental sequence are composed of conglomerate (Unity C) and sandstones (Unities D and E). Unities C and D are fluvial deposits while unity E is an eolian deposit. Unities A and B can be stratigraphycally correlated with Guamaré Formation. Unities C and D present three possible correlations. They may be correlated with Tibau Formation; or with Barreiras Formation; or with a clastic sediment deposit, commonly found in some rivers of Rio Grande do Norte state, and statigraphycally positioned above Barreiras Formation. Based on the decrease of the grain sizes from base to top both on unities C and D, it is proposed that these unities are correlated with the clastic sediment above mentioned. In this case, these unities would have, at least, Pleistocenic age. Finally, it is proposed that Unity E represent an eolian deposit that sufferred recent changes (at least in the Quaternary). The integrated interpretation of hydrographic, morphologic and geophysical data from Camurupim Area shows that Carnaubais Fault is locally composed by a system of several paralel subvertical faults. The fault presenting the larger vertical slip controls the valley of Camurupim river and separates the area in two blocks; in the nothern block the top of the Jandaira limestone is deeper than in the southern block. In addition, at least one of the faults in the northern block is cutting the whole sedimentary section. Because unities C , D, and/or E may be of Quaternary age, tectonic moviments possibly occured in Carnaubais Fault during this period. Detailled geologic mapping were conducted in beachrocks found in São Bento Area. This area is located at the intersection of the coast line with the Carnaubais Fault. The detected structures in the beachrocks are very similar to those caused by fragile deformations. The structures mapped in the beachrocks are consistent with a stress field with maximun compressional stress in E-W direction and extensional stress in the N-S direction. Since the Carnaubais Fault has a NE direction, it is optimally positioned to suffer tectonic movements under the action of such stress field. In addition, the shape of the coastal line appear to be controlled by the Carnaubais Fault. Furthemore, the observed structures in Camurupim Área are consistent with this stress field. These facts are interpreted as evidences that Carnaubais Fault and beachrocks suffered coupled tectonic movements. These moviments are of Neotectonic age because the beachrocks present ages less than 16,000 years

Aspectos Morfo-Dinâmicos daComplexo Lagunar Nísia Floresta-Papeba-Guaraíras, Região Costeira Sul Oriental Do RN

This dissertation presents the results of research developed in the Nísia Floresta-Papeba-Guaraíras Lagoon Complex, located on the south coast of the Rio Grande do Norte State. The main objectives of this dissertation were the stratrigraphic characterization, in detail scale, of the and the coastal dynamics study of the lagoonal deposits sedimentation, as well as the morpho-dynamic analysis of the area. Therefore, an interdisciplinary methodology was adopted, in which all sedimentological, morpho-tectonic and geomorphological data were integrated. Vibracore up to 4m in length were carried out in the lagoons. The referred lagoon complex made of a system of three lagoons that interact through two artificial channels, named Boqueirão and Surubajá. The Guaraíras lagoon, the largest one in the system, corresponds to the estuary zone of the Trairi and Jacu rivers. The sedimentary load brought by these rivers is strongly reworked by tide currents, forming an important net-work of channels and sandy bars inside this lagoon and close to its channel connection with the sea. The stratigraphic units of the area are Cenozoic in age, and are represented by sedimentary rocks of the Barreiras Formation (sandstones, mudstones and conglomerates) and by rocks beach, as well as by siliciclastics sediments related with the fluvial dynamics of tide plain (clay and sandy bars), and coast (sand dunes and beaches). Among the recognized geomorphologic aspects, there are the elements associated with continental enviroments (drainage basins of the Trairi, Baldum and Jacu rivers, coastal tableland supported by the Barreiras Formation), and transitional environments (lagoon complex, dune fields, cliffs, tidal channels and beach rocks lines). The morphotectonic analysis indicates that fauts affect Barreiras Formation sedimentary rocks, with two sets of main lineaments: SW-NE and SE-NW. The anomalies in the drainage net are directly associated with these fault/fracture system, which control and subdivede the low courses of the Trairi and Jacu rivers, at least a tail of their flowing principal courses. The Nísia Floresta, Papeba and Guaraíras lagoons present strong morphological control according to the lineament directions. Taking into account the lagoonal deposits, the sedimentological analyses reflect a sediment distribution related to the interaction of the fluvial and sea processes that act in the study area. The correlated deposits show textural mainly microclastic characteristics of shallow waters, and of currents of low to moderate energy.In general, the Nísia Floresta-Papeba-Guaraíras lagoon Complex, constitutes a very intrinsec group, that undewent important changes in historical times that are reflected in the currents clays. Inaddition to the natural processes that act in this system, we should take into account the antrohopic intervention, which have increased in the past years

Caracterização geológica tridimensional e monitoramento de dunas no litoral oriental do Rio Grande do Norte

This work presents geophysical and geological results obtained in a dunefield located in the east coast of Rio Grande do Norte State, with the aim to recognize the aeolian body depositional geometries to a future geologic modeling of the aeolian petroliferous reservoirs. The research, which was done in blowouts region situated at Nisia Floresta Municipally, included the characterization of external geometries with GPS and internal geometry analysis by GPR. Data was integrated in GoCAD software, where it was possible the three-dimensional characterization and interpretation of the studied deposits. The interpretation of GPR profiling allowed identifying: First-order bounding surfaces that separated the aeolian deposits of the Barreiras Formation rocks; Second-order bounding surfaces, which limit dune generations and Third-order bounding surfaces, a reactivation surface. This classification was based and adapted by the Brookfield (1977) and Kocurek (1996) propose. Four radarfacies was recognized: Radarfacies 1, progradational reflectors correlated to foresets of the dunes, Radarfacies 2, plain parallels reflectors related to sand sheets, Radarfacies 3, plain parallels reflectors associated to reworking of the blowout dune crest and Radarfacies 4, mounded reflectors associated to vegetated mound of sand or objects buried in subsurface. The GPR and GPS methods was also employed to the monitoring of dunefields susceptible to human activities in Buzios Beach, where the constructions along the blowout region and the tourism are changing the natural evolution of the deposits. This fact possibly to cause negative impacts to the coastal zone. Data obtained in Dunas Park, a unit environmental conservation, was compared with information of the Buzios Beach. There is a major tendency of erosion in Buzios, specifically in blowout corridor and blowout dune

Comparison of the sequences of the internal transcribed Spacer regions and PbGP43 genes of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis from patients and armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus)

Paracoccidioides brasiliensis isolates from 10 nine-banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) were comparable with 19 clinical isolates by sequence analysis of the PbGP43 gene and ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) and ITS2 and by random amplified polymorphic DNA. In this original ITS study, eight isolates differed by one or three sites among five total substitution sites.

EBNA-1 gene sequences in Brazilian and American patients with Hodgkin's disease

We examined the types of Epstein-Barr virus-associated nuclear antigen-1 (EBNA-1) gene carboxy (C)-terminal mutations occurring in Hodgkin's disease (HD) and reactive tissues from two different geographic regions. Previously reported EBNA-1 C-terminal region amino acid sequence variants, based on the amino acid at codon 487, include Prototype (P)-ala, which is found in the B95.8-derived prototype virus, P-thr, Variant (V)-leu, V-val, and V-pro. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify portions of the EBNA-1 gene, followed by DNA sequencing, we found a single EBNA-1 gene sequence variant in each tissue, whether reactive or neoplastic and whether from Brazil or the United States. Variant EBNA-1 gene sequences were more common in both neoplastic and non-neoplastic tissues from different geographic areas than the so-called prototype sequence. In the 17 Brazilian HD cases, 4 cases had P-thr variants and 13 had V-leu variants. In the six reactive tissues from Brazil, one had a P-ala variant, two had P-thr variants, and three had V-leu variants. In the 12 American HD cases, 2 had P-ala variants, 6 had P-thr variants, and 4 had V-leu variants. The 11 American reactive tissues included 2 P ala variants, 5 P-thr variants, and 4 V-leu variants. In both countries, there were similar variant EBNA-1 sequences present in normal tissues and HD cases. Compared with the P ala and P-thr cases, the V-leu cases were more likely to have the 30-bp latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) gene deletion (P = 0.0075). In addition, cases of HD with the V-leu were statistically associated with a substitution of asparagine for glutamine at codon 322 of the C-terminal portion of the LMP1 gene. Our results suggest that any variation in EBNA-1 gene sequence is caused by a polymorphism present in pre-existing viral strains in the underlying population, and not a mutation occurring during oncogenesis. (C) 1999 by the American Society of Hematology.