Selection of native trees for intercropping with coffee in the Atlantic Rainforest biome

A challenge in establishing agroforestry systems is ensuring that farmers are interested in the tree species, and are aware of how to adequately manage these species. This challenge was tackled in the Atlantic Rainforest biome (Brazil), where a participatory trial with agroforestry coffee systems was carried out, followed by a participatory systematisation of the farmers experiences. Our objective was to identify the main tree species used by farmers as well as their criteria for selecting or rejecting tree species. Furthermore, we aimed to present a specific inventory of trees of the Leguminosae family. In order to collect the data, we reviewed the bibliography of the participatory trial, visited and interviewed the farmers and organised workshops with them. The main farmers’ criteria for selecting tree species were compatibility with coffee, amount of biomass, production and the labour needed for tree management. The farmers listed 85 tree species; we recorded 28 tree species of the Leguminosae family. Most trees were either native to the biome or exotic fruit trees. In order to design and manage complex agroforestry systems, family farmers need sufficient knowledge and autonomy, which can be reinforced when a participatory methodology is used for developing on-farm agroforestry systems. In the case presented, the farmers learned how to manage, reclaim and conserve their land. The diversification of production, especially with fruit, contributes to food security and to a low cost/benefit ratio of agroforestry systems. The investigated agroforestry systems showed potential to restore the degraded landscape of the Atlantic Rainforest biome.     

Mixed Nothofagus forest management: a crucial link between regeneration,site and microsite conditions

New Forests - Canopy openings due to harvesting practices constitute a disturbance that changes the environmental conditions of microsites. Its impact on the relative performance of the...     

Sorption Behavior of 4-Chlorophenol from Aqueous Solutions By a Surfactant-modified Mexican Zeolitic Rock in Batch and Fixed Bed Systems

The removal of 4-chlorophenol from aqueous solutions by both a Mexican clinoptilolite-heulandite zeolitic rock and the modified zeolitic material with the surfactant hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HDTMABr), using batch and packed-bed (column) configurations, was investigated. The unmodified zeolitic rock did not show any adsorption of 4-chlorophenol. The effects of pH, contact time and concentration of 4-chlorophenol on the adsorption process by the surfactant modified material were examined. The sorption of 4-chlorophenol was not affected by the pH range from 4 to 9.5. 4-chlorophenol retention reached equilibrium in about 18 h and the rate of 4-chorophenol adsorption by the modified material was faster in the first 10 h than later. The experimental data were treated with the models: pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order, fractional power and Elovich models. Although, the last three gave correlation coefficients higher than 0.96, the pseudo-second order model was the best to describe the reaction rate. The experimental data follow a linear isotherm which is characteristic for sorption of organic solutes by the partition mechanism. The Bed Depth-Service Time Model was applied to the sorption results in order to model the column operation. The results showed that the surfactant modified zeolitic rock could be considered as a potential adsorbent for 4-chlorophenol removal from aqueous solutions.     

The influence of increased water temperature on the duration of spermatogenesis in a neotropical fish,Astyanax altiparanae (Characiformes,Characidae)

Fish Physiology and Biochemistry - In view of the established climate change scenario and the consequent changes in global temperature, it is essential to study its effects on animal...     

Electrooxidation Performance of Aqueous Solution of Nonylphenol Decaethoxylate and Denim Wastewater

The goal of this research was the electrooxidation (EO) of a nonionic surfactant nonylphenol decaethoxylate (NP-10) in aqueous solution and denim wastewater. Three different configuration systems were evaluated in batch cells using a boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode; copper, iron, and BDD were used as cathodes. The EO process was carried out in a batch process, in a glass cell with a capacity of 1000 mL. The anode surface area was 0.0307 m² and 1–3 A of current intensity were applied (3, 6, 10 mA/cm²) with an electrolysis time of 240 min for aqueous solution and 780 min for denim wastewater in order to investigate the degradation of the surfactant. The processes were analyzed in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC). The maximum mineralization efficiency in aqueous solution for the BDD-Cu electrooxidation system was 92.2% for COD and 45.6% for TOC at pH 2 and 3 mA/cm² of current intensity. For denim wastewater, the removal efficiency was 44.1% for COD and 26.5% for TOC at pH 4.5 and 6 mA/cm² of current intensity, using a BDD-BDD system. The raw and treated (aqueous solution and denim) wastewater were characterized by UV-Vis and infrared spectroscopy.     

Staphylococcus aureus subsp. anaerobius isolates from different countries are clonal in nature

Staphylococcus aureus subsp. anaerobius, a microaerophilic, catalase-negative bacteria, is the etiological agent of abscess disease, a specific chronic condition of sheep and goats, characterized by the formation of necrotic lesions that are typically located in superficial lymph nodes. In this study, molecular analysis including pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and accessory gene regulator (agr) typing was carried out on 94 S. aureus subsp. anaerobius strains isolated in different countries (79 were isolated from 35 outbreaks of the disease in Spain from 1981 to 2009, 9 were isolated in Italy, 3 in Denmark and 3 in Sudan). All of the 94 S. aureus subsp. anaerobius isolates examined belonged to one PFGE type, within which four minority subtypes were identified. Representative isolates of all PFGE subtypes as well of all countries belonged to the same sequence type (ST), ST1464, which was a singleton, and to the agr type II. Our results support the view that abscess disease is caused by a single bacterial clone worldwide. This bacterium has existed for at least a century and, thus, has undergone long-term small ruminant host restriction.     

Development of expression vectors based on pepino mosaic virus

Background  

Plant viruses are useful expression vectors because they can mount systemic infections allowing large amounts of recombinant protein to be produced rapidly in differentiated plant tissues. Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV) (genus Potexvirus, family Flexiviridae), a widespread plant virus, is a promising candidate expression vector for plants because of its high level of accumulation in its hosts and the absence of severe infection symptoms. We report here the construction of a stable and efficient expression vector for plants based on PepMV.     

Clinical safety of intratesticular transplantation of allogeneic bone marrow multipotent stromal cells in stallions

Although stem cell therapy is a promising alternative for treatment of degenerative diseases, there are just few reports on the use of stem cells therapy in horse's reproductive system. This study aims to evaluate the effect of intratesticular injection of bone marrow mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) in healthy stallions, and its outcome on seminal parameters and fertility. In Experiment 1, 24 stallions were divided into treatment group (TG) and control group (CG). In the TG, an intratesticular application of MSC was performed, and in the CG, only PBS was used. Measurements of testicular volume, surface temperature and Doppler ultrasonography were performed 24 and 48 hr after treatments. Fifteen days after application, the testicles were removed and submitted to histological analysis. In Experiment 2, 3 fertile stallions received similarly treatment with MSCs. Physical examination and sperm analysis were performed weekly during 60 days after treatment, and at the end, semen from one of them was used for artificial inseminations of 6 healthy mares. In Experiment 1, clinical examinations showed no signals of acute inflammation on both groups according to the analysed variables (p > .05). Also, no signal of chronic inflammation was observed on histological evaluation. In Experiment 2, stallions presented no physical alterations or changes in sperm parameters, and a satisfactory fertility rate (83%; 5/6) was observed after AI. The results support the hypothesis that intratesticular application of bone marrow MSCs is a safe procedure, and this could be a promising alternative to treat testicular degenerative conditions.     

Ultrasonographic Features of the Chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera) Kidney

Nine healthy chinchillas (Chinchilla lanigera) were used to characterize the ultrasonographic size and anatomical structure of the kidneys. Sonographic evaluations were performed with the aid of a 12-MHz linear probe. Kidney measurements included total width and length, total organ area, cortex and medullary thickness, and width and length of the renal pelvis. Based on the results of this study, normal chinchilla kidneys are located retroperitoneally, with the right kidney in a more cranial location than the left. Statistical analysis showed that measurements were similar between contralateral kidneys and between sexes. Chinchilla kidneys have a single papilla and a wider renal pelvis compared with the renal pelvis of dogs and cats. Moreover, chinchilla kidneys have a longer medullary area. The data herein may aid diagnosis of renal disease in chinchillas, avoiding misinterpretations of ultrasonic findings involving the kidneys of this species.