Uskonnollisesta lukemisesta monella eri taholla

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Florística e estrutura da vegetação arbustivo-arbórea das Areias Brancas do Parque Nacional Serra de Itabaiana/Sergipe, Brasil

O Parque Nacional Serra de Itabaiana destaca-se pela diversidade fitofisionômica, dentre estas, uma conhecida localmente por Areias Brancas, uma vegetação aberta que varia de arbustiva-herbácea a arbustiva-arbórea e classificada por alguns autores como restinga ou cerrado, a depender do porte. Com intuito caracterizar e classificar esta fitofisionomia foram selecionadas duas áreas amostrais de Areias Brancas no Parque Nacional Serra de Itabaiana e construída uma listagem de acordo com o material depositado no Herbário ASE e de coletas adicionais. Para o estudo fitossociológico foi utilizado o método dos quadrantes errantes, amostrando todos os indivíduos com circunferência do tronco (> 15 cm) a altura do peito (1,30 m). Foi verificada nas Areias Brancas do Parque, a ocorrência de 193 espécies, distribuídas em 143 gêneros e 60 famílias, sendo, em sua maioria, representadas por espécies herbáceas e arbustivas. Destaca-se o alto número de espécies encontradas nas Areias Brancas quando comparado com estudos realizados em todo Parque Nacional. Há similaridade florística significativa entre as áreas amostradas, porém estruturalmente as duas áreas devem ser consideradas como diferentes fisionomias sucessionais pelas variações de densidade, altura e dominância. Mesmo possuindo espécies vegetais em comum, as Areias Brancas do Parque Nacional não podem ser classificadas como restinga ou cerrado por não possuir características de origem comuns a estas formações. As Areias Brancas devem ser consideradas como um refúgio ecológico, uma vegetação azonal derivada de condições especiais da formação do substrato.

José Pedro Autran e o retorno de Xangô

Resumo O artigo apresenta uma análise histórica da vida do liberto africano José Pedro Autran, casado, na Bahia, com Iyá Nassô, a fundadora do candomblé da Casa Branca. A primeira parte analisa a heterogênea rede social de Autran entre 1822 e 1837, mostrando como o parentesco, o compadrio, a iniciação espiritual e a posse escrava imbricavam o grupo doméstico com a comunidade de terreiro liderada por sua mulher. A segunda parte examina a viagem do casal de retorno à África em 1837 e o seu estabelecimento no porto de Uidá. Baseado em pesquisa etnográfica realizada nessa cidade, o texto focaliza uma família que reclama descendência de José Pedro Autran e a memória de um templo de Xangô que ele teria fundado.

Lugares e objetos de memória no batuque gaúcho

Resumo O artigo aborda a mediação de objetos e lugares para o aprendizado da hierarquia religiosa e como fonte de registro de memória na tradição oral do batuque gaúcho. Apresento relato etnográfico sobre os antepassados na Nação Oyó, demonstrando como a geografia porto-alegrense faz memorá-los e saudá-los em seu sentido mais genérico, como orixás e escravos da África. Em sentido específico, são os objetos, sagrados ou não, que remetem aos parentes de santo mais “antigos”, vivos ou mortos. Os ensinamentos transmitidos por pais de santo a seus filhos são mediados por passeios em pontos específicos da cidade e pela utilização desses objetos, fazendo com que a memória conecte corpo e mente e também objetos e lugares.

Neu und verbesserter Plan der St. u. Hafens Havana auf der Ins. Cuba : mit den Wasser Tiefen, Sandbaencken und Klippen nochmahlen über sehen

Irtokartta

Wheat bran- but not oat bran-enriched diets increase the mucosal height of the cecum and colon of newly weaned and aged rats

The effect of diets enriched with oat or wheat bran (prepared by the addition of 300 g of each fiber to 1000 g of the regular diet), given for 8 weeks, on the mucosal height of the colon and cecum was investigated. Newly weaned (21 days old) and aged (12 months old) male Wistar rats were used in this study. As compared to controls, diets enriched with wheat bran provoked a significant increase in the mucosal height, whereas oat bran did not cause any effect. In newly weaned rats (21 days old), wheat bran increased the mucosal height (µm) in the cecum by 20% (mean ± SEM for 8 rats; 169.1 ± 5.2 and 202.9 ± 8.0 for control and wheat bran, respectively) and in the colon (218.8 ± 7.2 and 264.5 ± 18.8 for control and wheat bran, respectively). A similar effect was observed in aged rats (12 months old), with an increase of 15% in the mucosal height (µm) of the cecum (mean ± SEM of 8 rats; 193.2 ± 8.6 and 223.7 ± 8.3 for control and wheat bran, respectively) and of 17% in the colon (300.4 ± 9.2 and 352.2 ± 15.9 for control and wheat bran, respectively)

Hemodynamic responses to acute aortic coarctation in conscious sinoaortic denervated rats

The hemodynamic responses to acute (45 min) partial aortic constriction were studied in conscious intact (N = 7) or sinoaortic denervated (SAD) adult male Wistar rats (280-350 g, N = 7) implanted with carotid and femoral arterial catheters, a pneumatic cuff around the abdominal aorta and a pulsed Doppler flow probe to measure changes in aortic resistance. In addition, the hypertensive response and the reflex bradycardia elicited by total (N = 8) vs partial (N = 7) aortic constriction (monitored by maintenance of the pressure distal to the cuff at 50 mmHg) were compared in two other groups of intact rats. Intact rats presented a smaller hypertensive response (26 to 40% above basal level) to partial aortic constriction than SAD rats (38 to 58%). The calculated change in aortic resistance imposed by constriction of the aorta increased progressively only in intact rats, but was significantly smaller (193 to 306%) than that observed (501 to 591%) in SAD rats. Intact rats showed a significant bradycardia (23 to 26% change in basal heart rate) throughout coarctation, whereas the SAD rats did not (1 to 3%). Partial or total occlusion of the aorta induced similar hypertensive responses (37-38% vs 24-30% for total constriction) as well as reflex bradycardia (-15 to -17% vs -22 to -33%) despite a greater gradient in pressure (97-98 vs 129-140 mmHg) caused by total constriction. The present data indicate that the integrity of the baroreflex in intact rats can cause the hypertensive response to level off at a lower value than in SAD rats despite a progressive increase in aortic resistance. In addition, they also indicate that the degree of partial aortic constriction by maintenance of the pressure distal to the cuff at 50 mmHg already elicits a maximal stimulation of the arterial baroreflex

Vitamin D3-induced calcemic and phosphatemic responses in the freshwater mud eel Amphipnous cuchia maintained in different calcium environments

Vitamin D3 (100 ng 100 g body weight-l day-l) was administered intraperitoneally (ip) to the freshwater mud eel Amphipnous cuchia kept in artificial freshwater, calcium-free freshwater, low-calcium freshwater (0.2 mmol/l CaCl2) or calcium-rich freshwater (13.4 mmol/l CaCl2) for 15 days. Analyses of serum calcium and phosphate levels were performed on days 1, 3, 5, 10 and 15 after the beginning of the experiment (six eels from each group at each interval). Administration of vitamin D3 elevated the serum calcium [maximum elevation occurred at day 10 in artificial freshwater (vehicle: 10.55 ± 0.298, vitamin D: 13.90 ± 0.324), low-calcium freshwater (vehicle: 11.17 ± 0.220, vitamin D: 12.98 ± 0.297) and calcium-rich freshwater (vehicle: 11.24 ± 0.373, vitamin D: 14.24 ± 0.208) whereas it occurred at day 5 (vehicle: 8.42 ± 0.253, vitamin D: 11.07 ± 0.328) in calcium-free freshwater] and phosphate levels [maximum elevation at day 15 in artificial freshwater (vehicle: 4.39 ± 0.105, vitamin D: 5.37 ± 0.121), calcium-free freshwater (vehicle: 4.25 ± 0.193, vitamin D: 5.12 ± 0.181), low-calcium freshwater (vehicle: 3.93 ± 0.199, vitamin D: 5.28 ± 0.164) and calcium-rich freshwater (vehicle: 3.77 ± 0.125, vitamin D: 5.46 ± 0.151)] of the fish maintained in the above mentioned environmental media, but the responses were more pronounced in the fish kept in calcium-rich media

Development of the insulin secretion mechanism in fetal and neonatal rat pancreatic B-cells: response to glucose, K+, theophylline, and carbamylcholine

We studied the development of the insulin secretion mechanism in the pancreas of fetal (19- and 21-day-old), neonatal (3-day-old), and adult (90-day-old) rats in response to stimulation with 8.3 or 16.7 mM glucose, 30 mM K+, 5 mM theophylline (Theo) and 200 µM carbamylcholine (Cch). No effect of glucose or high K+ was observed on the pancreas from 19-day-old fetuses, whereas Theo and Cch significantly increased insulin secretion at this age (82 and 127% above basal levels, respectively). High K+ also failed to alter the insulin secretion in the pancreas from 21-day-old fetuses, whereas 8.3 mM and 16.7 mM glucose significantly stimulated insulin release by 41 and 54% above basal levels, respectively. Similar results were obtained with Theo and Cch. A more marked effect of glucose on insulin secretion was observed in the pancreas of 3-day-old rats, reaching 84 and 179% above basal levels with 8.3 mM and 16.7 mM glucose, respectively. At this age, both Theo and Cch increased insulin secretion to close to two-times basal levels. In islets from adult rats, 8.3 mM and 16.7 mM glucose, Theo, and Cch increased the insulin release by 104, 193, 318 and 396% above basal levels, respectively. These data indicate that pancreatic B-cells from 19-day-old fetuses were already sensitive to stimuli that use either cAMP or IP3 and DAG as second messengers, but insensitive to stimuli such as glucose and high K+ that induce membrane depolarization. The greater effect of glucose on insulin secretion during the neonatal period indicates that this period is crucial for the maturation of the glucose-sensing mechanism in B-cells.

Antidepressant-like effect of lead in adult mice

It has been reported that lead can cause behavioral impairment by inhibiting the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor complex. MK-801, a noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist, exhibits an antidepressant-like action in the forced swimming test. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether subacute lead exposure in adult male Swiss mice weighing 30-35 g causes an antidepressant-like action in a forced swimming test. Mice were injected intraperitoneally (ip) with 10 mg/kg lead acetate or saline daily for 7 consecutive days. Twenty-four hours after the last treatment, the saline and lead-treated mice received an injection of MK-801 (0.01 mg/kg, ip) or saline and were tested in forced swimming and in open-field tests. Immobility time was similarly reduced in the saline-MK-801, Pb-saline and Pb-MK-801 groups compared to the saline-saline group (mean ± SEM; 197.3 ± 18.5, 193.5 ± 15.8, 191.3 ± 12.3 and 264.0 ± 14.4 s, respectively; N = 9). These data indicate that lead may exert its effect on the forced swimming test by directly or indirectly inhibiting the NMDA receptor complex. Lead treatment caused no deficit in memory of habituation and did not affect locomotor activity in an open-field (N = 14). However, mice that received MK-801 after lead exhibited a deficit in habituation (22% reduction in rearing responses between session 3 and 1; N = 14) as compared to control (41% reduction in rearing responses; N = 15), further suggesting that lead may have affected the NMDA receptor activity. Forced-swim immobility in a basin in two daily consecutive sessions was also significantly decreased by lead exposure (mean ± SEM; day 1 = 10.6 ± 3.2, day 2 = 19.6 ± 3.6; N = 16) as compared to control (day 1 = 18.4 ± 3.8, day 2 = 34.0 ± 3.7; N = 17), whereas the number of crossings was not affected by lead treatment, further indicating a specific antidepressant-like action of lead.

Effects of serotonin and fluoxetine on blood glucose regulation in two decapod species

One of the best known crustacean hormones is the crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (CHH). However, the mechanisms involved in hormone release in these animals are poorly understood, and thus constitute the central objective of the present study. Different groups of crustaceans belonging to diverse taxa (Chasmagnathus granulata, a grapsid crab and Orconectes limosus, an astacid) were injected with serotonin, fluoxetine, or a mixture of both, and glycemic values (C. granulata and O. limosus) and CHH levels (O. limosus) were determined after 2 h in either submerged animals or animals exposed to atmospheric air. Both serotonin and fluoxetine caused significant hyperglycemia (P<0.05) after injection into the blood sinus of the two species, an effect enhanced after exposure to atmospheric air. In C. granulata blood glucose increased from 6.1 to 43.3 and 11.4 mg/100 ml in submerged animals and from 5.7 to 55.2 and 22.5 mg/100 ml in air-exposed animals after treatment with serotonin and fluoxetine, respectively. In O. limosus the increases were from 1.2 to 59.7 and 135.2 mg/100 ml in submerged animals and from 2.5 to 200.3 and 193.6 mg/100 ml in air-exposed animals after treatment with serotonin and fluoxetine, respectively. Serotonin and fluoxetine also caused a significant increase in the circulating levels of CHH in O. limosus, from 11.9 to 43 and 45.7 fmol/ml in submerged animals and from 13.2 to 32.6 and 45.7 fmol/ml in air-exposed animals, respectively, thus confirming their action as neuroregulators in these invertebrates.

Maatalousalueen monivaikutteisten kosteikkojen ja luonnon monimuotoisuuden yleissuunnitelma : Nilsiän vesistöreitin alaosan alue

Järjestyksessään viides Pohjois-Savon monivaikutteisten kosteikkojen yleissuunnittelu toteutettiin vuonna 2013 Nilsiän vesistöreitin alaosalla Kuopion, Siilinjärven ja Juankosken alueilla. Kartoitusalueen valintaan vaikutti alueen vesistöjen heikentynyt tila sekä alueen maatalousvaltaisuus. Suomen ympäristökeskuksen vesistömallijärjestelmän mallilaskelmien perusteella kartoitusalueelta löytyi runsaasti mahdollisia kosteikkopaikkoja. Yleissuunnittelun tarkoituksena oli löytää alustavasti kohteita, joihin mahdollisimman vähäisillä toimenpiteillä saadaan perustettua tai ennallistettua kosteikko. Kosteikkojen perustamiseen on mahdollista hakea maatalouden ei-tuotannollisten investointien tukea ja hoitoon ympäristötuen erityistukea. Kaikki tässä yleissuunnitelmassa esitetyt toimenpidesuositukset ovat vapaaehtoisia eivätkä velvoita maanomistajaa mihinkään toimenpiteisiin. Maanomistaja päättää itse kosteikon mahdollisesta toteutuksesta. Peruskuivatusten yhteydessä alavilla seuduilla aikaisemmin yleisesti esiintyneitä luontaisia kosteikkoja on usein kuivatettu tai täytetty maalla. Monivaikutteisilla kosteikoilla pidätetään pelloilta tulevaa ravinne- ja kiintoainekuormitusta, ja näin edistetään maatalouden vesiensuojelua, sekä luodaan vaihtelua maisemaan ja lisätään luonnon monimuotoisuutta luomalla eliöille uusia elinympäristöjä. Kosteikoilla on erityistä merkitystä riistan elinympäristöinä ja lisäksi ne voivat toimia myös virkistyskohteina. Kesän 2013 maastokartoituksessa arvioitiin noin 60 kohteen soveltuvuus monivaikutteisen kosteikon perustamispaikaksi. Kartoituksen tuloksena luontaisia paikkoja kosteikon perustamiselle löytyi jokunen. Monet alustavista kohteista sijaitsivat tiheäpuustoisen syvän uoman varrella, viljelykäytössä olevalla pellolla, puustoisella ojitetulla suolla tai hankalakulkuisella umpeenkasvaneella rantaluhdalla. Useissa tapauksissa kohteiden perustaminen olisi periaatteessa mahdollista, mutta vaatisi massiivikaivua ja/tai huomattavaa pengertämistä ja puuston hakkausta riittävän tilan saamiseksi. Arvioiduista kohteista n. 20 voisi soveltua kosteikon perustamiseen järkevällä työmäärällä. Tässä yleissuunnitelmassa esitetään kohdekohtaiset perustiedot kaikista maastokartoituksessa tarkistetuista kohteista, joita voidaan hyödyntää päätettäessä kosteikon perustamisesta ja varsinaisen hankesuunnitelman valmistelusta. Kosteikkokohteiden valuma-alueelta ja lähietäisyydeltä kartoitettiin myös luonnon monimuotoisuus (LUMO) kohteita; perinnebiotooppeja sekä muita luonnon ja maiseman monimuotoisuuden kannalta arvokkaita alueita. Kesällä 2013 arvioitiin 40 aluetta, joilta löytyi yli 210 sopivaa maatalouden erityistukisopimuksen täyttävää kohdetta. Löydetyt kohteet ovat mm. perinnebiotooppeja, metsäsaarekkeita, puronuomia sekä pellon ja metsän/vesistön välisiä reunavyöhykkeitä. Lisäksi alueilta löytyi puukujanteita ja latoja, jotka ovat maisemallisesti arvokkaita. LUMO -kohteiden arvokkaiden ominaispiirteiden ylläpitäminen vaatii aktiivista hoitoa. Raportissa esitetään hoitotoimenpiteitä, joiden avulla kohteiden arvoa pidetään yllä.

Etsimässä ratkaisua modernin maailman ahdinkoon : eurooppalainen älymystö fasismin pyörteissä?

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