Analysis of multicriteria in the practice of environmental services in areas of watersheds

ABSTRACT

Watersheds have become strategically important for the survival of cities due to the accelerated increase in both the demand and the rapid deterioration of the water intended to supply the urban populations. The present article aims to present the applicability of the “multicriteria method” to help the Government of the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil organize payment for environmental services for watershed protection using the “Delphi method” as the principal methodology. This article consists of a review of the literature and a case study of the Mina d’Água program from the State Secretary of the Environment (within the Government of São Paulo) in partnership with other municipalities (city by river basin). The article also covers the advent of pertinent climate change laws. The positive results in the use of the Delphi method represent a fruitful tool to facilitate communication between groups of experts and the public, encouraging better judgment and a more consistent decision-making process.     

Food safety in raw milk production: risk factors associated to bacterial DNA contamination

While human illness from milkborne pathogens may be linked to contamination of the product after pasteurization or improper pasteurization, such diseases are usually associated with consumption of raw milk or its by-products. Molecular biology tools were applied to investigate contamination by Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., some pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli, and Campylobacter jejuni in 548 raw milk samples from 125 dairy farms established in two regions from southern Brazil. Moreover, 15 variables were evaluated for their association with raw milk contamination levels, and the risk factors were determined by multiple regression analysis. Salmonella spp. were more frequently detected, followed by pathogenic E. coli. There was difference in contamination index between the regions, in which risk factors such as temporary cattle confinement, low milk production, low milking machine cleaning frequency, and milk storage area without tile walls were identified. The risk factors were specific to each region studied. Nevertheless, the data can be used to improve milk quality of dairy farms/herds with similar management practices.     

Assessment of the metabolic,protein, energy,and liver profiles of lambs finished in a feedlot and receiving diets containing groundnut cake

Forty-five crossbred Dorper × Santa Inês lambs were selected to assess the effect of replacing soybean meal by groundnut cake metabolic profile and histopathological evaluation of the kidney and liver tissues. The animals were 5 months old on average with a 24.5?±?5.3 kg initial body weight which were maintained fed in feedlot with groundnut cake (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 %) as the replacement for soybean meal. Confinement lasted 84 days, and on the last day, the animals were fasted and slaughtered. A completely randomized design with five treatments and nine repetitions was used. Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein of each animal to evaluate the metabolic, protein, energy, and liver profiles of lambs. No effect was observed on protein, energy, or enzymatic profiles, which remained within the normal range for sheep. A histopathological examination was performed, and no deleterious effects from groundnut cake were observed in the liver or kidney tissues. Groundnut cake as a replacement for soybean meal can be used as an alternative protein source up to 100 % because it does not affect the metabolic, protein, and energy profiles or the liver and kidney functions of the growing sheep for slaughter.     

Vitrification of Bovine Blastocysts Produced In Vitro Inflicts Selective Damage to the Inner Cell Mass

In contrast to the embryos derived from live animals, the embryos produced in vitro undergo increased damage and reduced survival after cryopreservation, particularly when produced with serum. In medium containing serum, retinoic acid increases cell numbers in the inner cell mass and the trophectoderm without altering their relative proportions in the bovine blastocyst. In this work, in medium without serum, we analyzed the contribution of retinoic acid to the development of blastocyst and survival to vitrification, and found a strong cell reduction in the inner mass when compared to the trophectoderm. Day-6 in vitro -produced morulae were treated for 24 h with retinoic acid (0.7 and 1.4 μ m ) and subsequently cultured without additives for a further 24 h period. Day-8 blastocyst production and cell counts in hatched blastocysts were unaffected by retinoic acid. However, Day-7 expanded, vitrified embryos produced with retinoic acid 1.4 μ m survived at lower rates than controls when cultured after warming. Vitrification greatly reduced cell numbers in the inner mass (p < 0.0001), while cells in the trophectoderm remained unaltered. Differential cell counts analysis in blastocysts should be taken up to replace unspecific determination of total cells to appreciate substantial modifications in their exact terms. The strong reduction we found in the inner cell mass could explain why in vitro survival to cryopreservation is sometimes scarcely informative on the viability of the embryo after transfer to recipients.