Access to land,livestock production and ecosystem conservation in the Brazilian Campos biome: The natural grasslands dilemma

How to improve access to land and livestock production in synergy with ecosystem conservation? The paradigm occurring in natural grasslands of the Southern Brazilian Campos biome is used to illustrate the dilemma. This paper aims to contribute by addressing the technical bases being used by legislations concerning access to land and incentive to production and their consequences for natural grassland systems. Current policies have a production-oriented focus trying to promote livestock productivity by setting minimum stocking rates to be applied in grasslands. The unexpected results are overgrazing and reduction of natural grasslands, so the dilemma production versus conservation emerges. There is a need for adapting access to land legislations to the new environmental functions expected for natural grasslands, which warrant a conservation-oriented approach according to their multifunctional role. Integrated measures are proposed, which could be helpful in resolving the conflicting compromises regarding the inducement of production and the promotion of natural resources conservation.     

Betalain Extracts from Beetroot as Food Colorants: Effect of Temperature and UV-Light on Storability

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - Beetroot is a good source of natural food colorants given that it contains significant amount of betalain pigments. This study investigates the three-months...     

The new French 2010 Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus causes an RHD-like disease in the Sardinian Cape hare (Lepus capensis mediterraneus)

Lagovirus is an emerging genus of Caliciviridae, which includes the Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus (RHDV) of rabbits and the European brown hare syndrome virus (EBHSV) of hares that cause lethal hepatitis. In 2010, a new RHDV related virus (RHDV2) with a unique genetic and antigenic profile and lower virulence was identified in France in rabbits. Here we report the identification of RHDV2 as the cause in Sardinia of several outbreaks of acute hepatitis in rabbits and Cape hare (Lepus capensis mediterraneus). This is the first account of a lagovirus that causes fatal hepatitis in both rabbits and hares.     

An alveolar recruitment maneuver followed by positive end-expiratory pressure improves lung function in healthy dogs undergoing laparoscopy

Objective

To evaluate the effects of an alveolar recruitment maneuver (ARM) followed by 5 cmH₂O positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) in dogs undergoing laparoscopy.

Purinergic receptors and regulatory volume decrease in seabream (Sparus aurata) hepatocytes: a videometric study

The response of isolated hepatocytes of Sparus aurata to hypotonic stress was studied by the aid of videometric methods with the aim to investigate the possible involvement of ATP in the regulatory volume decrease (RVD). This study confirms our previous observations showing the ability of these cells to undergo RVD. In addition, it shows that the homeostatic response was inhibited by apyrase, an ATP scavenger, thus suggesting the involvement of extracellular ATP in the RVD response. Experiments performed in the presence of ATPγS or adenosine, agonists of P₂ and P₁ receptors respectively, and in the presence of suramin or 8-PT, antagonists of P₂ and P₁ receptors respectively, suggest that ATP exerts its stimulatory effect on the homeostatic response by interacting with P₂ receptors. On the other hand, the activation of P₁ receptors by ATP metabolites produces opposite effects. In an attempt to clarify the mechanisms involved in ATP release from the cell, we performed some experiments with known inhibitors of the possible mechanisms of regulated ATP release. The results we obtained let us to suppose that the mechanism allowing the exit of ATP from the cell is verapamil sensitive suggesting the involvement of the P-glycoprotein.     

Selection for fungicide resistance throughout a growing season in populations of Plasmopara viticola

A method for evaluating the potential threat of selection for resistance to organically-based fungicides in populations of P. viticola is needed to screen a large panel of products alternative to copper in organic viticulture. Populations from an unexposed plot were compared throughout one season with a population sprayed with azoxystrobin (Quadris), reported as engendering selection pressure and resistance, and a population sprayed with an organically-based fungicide (Mycosan). The evolution of the three populations was followed with neutral specific SSR markers and with the specific marker for strobilurin resistance, as control of selection for resistant mutants. A reduction in genetic diversity of the P. viticola population was observed in the population sprayed with azoxystrobin, consistent with directional selection toward higher resistance, confirmed by an enhanced frequency of resistant mutants with respect to the unexposed population. In contrast, a higher diversity and a reduced frequency of resistant mutants were observed in the population sprayed with the organically-based fungicide. Assessing a reduction of genotypic diversity allows the detection of selection for resistance and constitutes a valid instrument for screening a large panel of products with non-specific, different and possibly indirect modes of action.     

New Modified Dipping Method Using 4-hexylresorcinol for Preventing Blackspot Formation in Prawns

Industry acceptance of alternative sulphite treatments for preventing blackspot in prawns is limited. This study demonstrated that dipping prawns (Penaeus monodon and Fenneropenaeus merguiensis) in a less concentrated solution for longer times provides better control of blackspot formation than the recommended 2 minute dip in 50 mg/L 4-hexylresorcinol. Protection improved as modified dipping times and solution concentrations increased. Blackspot protection provided by most of the modified dip methods was more effective than a 1 minute dip in 1% sodium metabisulphite. The recommended 2 minute dip method should be limited to 125 kg when used on consecutive 25-kg batches of prawns. Yields increased by less than 10% even after 72-hour exposure in the modified dip. The new dipping method meets most international residue standards when applying the modified treatments evaluated.     

The abundance of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the former special marine reserve of the Cres‐Lošinj Archipelago,Croatia

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