Effects of dredging operations on sediment quality: contaminant mobilization in dredged sediments from the Port of Santos, SP, Brazil

Background, aim, and scope  

Contaminated sediments are a worldwide problem, and mobilization of contaminants is one of the most critical issues in environmental risk assessment insofar as dredging projects are concerned. The investigation of how toxic compounds are mobilized during dredging operations in the channel of the Port of Santos, Brazil, was conducted in an attempt to assess changes in the bioavailability and toxicity of these contaminants.     

Fitness costs associated with milbemectin resistance in the two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae

The two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch is one of the most important pests of a wide range of crops worldwide. Its control is still largely based on the use of acaricides. However, due to its short life-cycle, high fecundity and arrhenotokous reproduction, it is able to develop resistance to these compounds very rapidly. Preliminary studies for milbemectin resistance in T. urticae showed that, under laboratory conditions, such resistance was unstable in the absence of a selection pressure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible fitness costs associated with milbemectin resistance in T. urticae. Comparison of biological traits between resistant and susceptible strains indicated the occurrence of fitness costs associated with milbemectin resistance. The resistant strain showed a longer juvenile development period for females, lower fecundity and a higher proportion of males among the progeny. The figures for net reproductive rate (R ₀), intrinsic rate of natural increase (r _m) and finite rate of increase (λ) were higher in the susceptible strain. The instability of milbemectin resistance can be exploited in resistance management programmes.     

Land-use and land-cover change processes in the Upper Uruguay Basin: linking environmental and socioeconomic variables

Landscape Ecology - Land-use and land-cover change affects both ecological and socioeconomic processes, motivating the integration of environmental and socioeconomic data to help understand this...     

Antiallergic Effect of Picholine Olive Oil-in-Water Emulsions through β-Hexosaminidase Release Inhibition and Characterization of Their Physicochemical Properties

The inhibitory effect of Picholine olive oil from Montpellier in Southern France on the chemical mediator release in type I allergy, using rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells, was investigated. Oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions prepared using Picholine olive oil showed an inhibitory effect on the chemical mediator release and decreased expressions of genes related to type I allergy in RBL-2H3 cells. We then measured the phenolic compounds present in Picholine olive oil using high-performance liquid chromatography and investigated some physical properties, such as droplet size, size distribution, viscosity, and surface tension of the resulting olive O/W emulsions. Our findings indicate that Picholine olive oil has high flavonoids content, especially apigenin, and the prepared emulsion of Picholine olive oil resulted in a considerable small size distribution, with an average droplet size of 170 nm.     

Fluoride Removal from Aqueous Solutions by Boehmite

Boehmite was used for the removal of fluoride ions from aqueous solutions in a batch system. The pH, contact time, and fluoride concentration in the removal of fluoride ions by boehmite were evaluated. The removal of fluoride ions by boehmite was the highest between the pH values of 4.5 and 7.5. The kinetic fluoride sorption from aqueous solutions by boehmite was best described by the pseudo-second-order model, and equilibrium was reached in about 24 h. The Freundlich model described the isotherm sorption process; the results indicate that the sorption mechanism is chemisorption on a heterogeneous material.     

Tomato fruit quality as influenced by the interactions between agricultural techniques and harvesting period

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Mill) is an important crop in terms of its economic and nutritional value. Many factors, including cultivar, climate, geography, geochemistry, and agricultural practice, can affect its nutrient concentrations. An HJ‐biplot study was performed to examine the effects of cultivar (Dorothy, Boludo, Dominique, Thomas, and Dunkan), agricultural practices, climatic factors, and their interactions. Significant differences were analyzed using a one‐way ANOVA. All samples were collected and assayed at the same degree of ripeness. In the conventional and organic tomato samples, those harvested from December to April had the highest concentrations of fructose, glucose, citric acid, malic acid, ascorbic acid, protein, Na, and Mg, while those harvested in October had the highest concentrations of lycopene and hydroxycinnamic acid. There were high concentrations of Ca, P, Zn, and Cu in the no‐soil tomatoes. Conventional and organic cultivation practices showed similar results with respect to the collection period, both presenting high organic compound concentrations, while high mineral concentrations seemed to correspond to the no‐soil practice. No clear pattern was observed among the different cultivars, perhaps due to all the samples having been collected at the same degree of ripeness.     

Physico‐chemical characterization of humic‐metal‐phosphate complexes and their potential application to the manufacture of new types of phosphate‐based fertilizers

The aim of this review is to describe the main physicochemical characteristics of diverse types of humic‐metal‐phosphate acid complexes. The effects of these complexes on phosphorus (P) fixation in soils with different pH values and physicochemical features and on plant phosphorus uptake are also discussed. Humic‐metal‐phosphate complexes have apparent stability constants in the same range as those of metal‐humic complexes, in solutions with diverse pH and ionic‐strength values. Likewise, the molecular‐size distribution of humic‐metal‐phosphate complexes as a function of pH is similar to that of potassium or sodium humates and metal‐humic complexes. Humic‐metal‐phosphate complexes are able to decrease phosphate fixation in soils and increase plant growth and phosphate uptake. Phosphorus fertilizers containing humic‐metal‐phosphate complexes proved to be efficient to improve plant growth and P uptake with respect to conventional fertilizers such as single superphosphate. The values of parameters related to plant phosphorus‐utilization efficiency (PUt E) suggest that the regulation of root acquisition of phosphate from these complexes could involve the interregulation of a system for the optimization of metabolic P utilization in the shoot and another system involving stress responses of roots under phosphorus deficiency.     

Septic peritonitis and uroperitoneum secondary to subclinical omphalitis and concurrent necrotizing cystitis in a colt

A 15-day-old American Quarter horse colt was presented for depression and pyrexia. Peritonitis was diagnosed following peritoneal fluid analysis. Exploratory laparotomy revealed an area of focal necrosis over the dorsal wall of the urinary bladder leading to peritonitis and uroperitoneum. The affected area of the urinary bladder was resected and the peritonitis resolved with medical treatment.     

Relationships between endometrial cytology and interval to first ovulation, and pregnancy in postpartum dairy cows in a single herd

The objectives were to investigate the relationships between endometrial cytology (EC) and interval from calving to first ovulation, and pregnancy in dairy cows, and that between uterine fluid and EC. On day 25 postpartum, 39 dairy cows were grouped based on EC, as having low (?8%) or high (>8%) polymorphonuclear cells (PMN), and the quantity of uterine fluid was assessed by ultrasound. The interval from calving to first ovulation was shorter in low, than in high PMN cows (32 vs. 45 d). A greater proportion of cows with uterine fluid had high PMN (64% vs. 21%), and the PMN increased from 14% to 34% as the quantity of uterine fluid increased. The mean interval from calving to ovulation was longer in primiparous cows with high PMN (49 d) compared to that of primiparous and multiparous cows with low PMN (28 and 29 d, respectively). Although the conception rate to first service at 92 d postpartum was not different between PMN groups, the cumulative pregnancy at 270 d tended to be higher in low than in high PMN (80% vs. 58%) multiparous cows. Also, cows that had uterine fluid on day 25 postpartum had a shorter interval from calving to pregnancy than those with no uterine fluid (161 vs. 208 d). In conclusion, combining transrectal ultrasonography with endometrial cytology on day 25 postpartum has diagnostic value in the assessment of uterine inflammation.     

Meta-analysis of the effects of endoparasites on pig performance

A meta-analysis was carried out in order to study the effects of endoparasites on the performance of growing pigs. Criteria that should be considered for the publication selection were: (1) the health challenge caused by parasites; (2) pig in growing phase; (3) presentation of the nutritional composition of the diets and (4) animal performance. Meta-analysis followed three sequential analysis: graphical, correlation and variance-covariance. The group that were infected with parasites had an average daily feed intake 5% lower than that the control group (2044 vs. 2147 g d(-1); P<0.001), their average daily weight gain was also 31% lower (665 vs. 987 g d(-1); P<0.001) and their feed conversion ratio was 17% superior than that of the control group (3.07 vs. 2.62; P<0.001). The variance decomposition demonstrated that 59% of the reduction in weight gain was explained by the reduction in their feed intake, as well as a 6% reduction being due to parasites.