The role played by exotic plants in urban ecosystems: comments on Spennemann, 2019

The article written by Dirk HR Spennemann, and published in the European Journal of Ecology, addresses the role played by a palm tree species native to the Canary Islands as food source for several frugivore species found in Australian cities. This palm tree bears fruit throughout the year; therefore, it is a reliable food source in winter and helps increasing wildlife support. Spennemann avoids the native versus exotic dogmatic simplism; instead, he assesses the palm tree species based on its positive environmental impact

ESTIMATIVA DO ISEW PARA MUNICÍPIOS DO POLO PETROLINA-JUAZEIRO: RESULTADOS PRELIMINARES

O pólo Petrolina-Juazeiro possui uma economia fortemente baseada na agricultura irrigada; identificada como única alternativa de transformação econômica e social da região, uma vez que esta enfrenta uma assombrosa realidade de seca. Estas constatações sobre irrigação relativas à sua instituição na micro região do semi-árido nordestino são relativamente recentes; sendo a própria experiência do pólo um baluarte delas. Mas a sustentabilidade da atividade na região tem sido questionada, principalmente devido à sua forte dependência ambiental, em particular do recurso hídrico. Ao se basear na irrigação para produção agrícola, e ser esta a propulsora dos efeitos multiplicadores da renda regional, pode-se dizer que o desenvolvimento do pólo é altamente dependente das condições produtivas da terra e da disponibilidade e qualidade da água do rio São Francisco. Este artigo tem como objetivo testar a hipótese da insustentabilidade, utilizando-se, para isto, do cálculo do ISEW para municípios selecionados do pólo. É proposta uma metodologia de cálculo dos diversos itens do ISEW em nível municipal, fazendo-se as adaptações necessárias devido ao nível de agregação dos dados e de disponibilidade dos dados. Os resultados são ainda parciais, mas tem se mostrado coerentes com os resultados obtidos para outros estudos.Pólo Petrolina/Juazeiro, sustentabilidade, ISEW, Livestock Production/Industries,

O papel dos Larídeos como portadores de Salmonella e Listeria spp

As in other countries, the population of gulls (Laridae) has been increased exponentially in Portugal. To evaluate the public health implications of this development, two hundred and eighty-five samples of gulls’ faeces were investigated for two bacteria species of zoonotic importance, Salmonella spp. and Listeria sp. Thirty-seven (13.0 %) samples were positive for Salmonella spp. Amongst these, teh most common serovars were Salmonella Typhimurium (37.8%) and Salmonella Derby (18.9%). Simultaneously presence of two different serovars was detected in six samples. Twenty four different antibioresistance profiles were detected in Salmonella sp. isolates (68.7%).Phage-types found for Salmonella Typhimurium 5+ were PT 12 and U302. Listeria spp. were present in twenty-eight (9.8%) samples, seventeen of which had Listeria monocytogenes (6.0%). Other species isolated were Listeria seeligeri (0.7%), L. innocua (5.3%), and L.welshimeri (0.7%). Seven samples were co-contaminated with two or more species. A combination of serotyping, phage-typing, cadmium and arsenic sensitivities were used to subtype 18 of the L. monocytogenes isolates recognising at least 10 different strains. Both bacterial genera were simultaneously isolated from twelve samples (4.2%). Several epidemiological explantion and the possible significance as markers waste management in the geographical area studied are discussed

Analysis of coastal lagoon metabolism as a basis for management

This work was carried out in a shallow eutrophic coastal lagoon (St. André lagoon, SW Portugal) which is artificially opened to the sea each year in early spring. Macrophytes, mainly Ruppia cirrhosa, are keystone species in this ecosystem covering up to 60% of its total area with peak biomasses over 500 g DWm−2. The main objectives were to study ecosystem metabolism, to evaluate the metabolic contribution to the community of the macrophyte stands and their influence in the development of thermal stratification and bottom oxygen depletion. The work combined an experimental and a modelling methodology. The experimental approach included open water, mesocosm and microcosm seasonal experiments. During these experiments several physical, chemical and biological parameters were monitored in the lagoon and in plastic enclosures (mesocosms) for periods of 24 hours. The microcosm experiments followed the light-dark bottle technique. The simultaneous use of these different methodologies allowed the analysis of the contribution of the planktonic and benthic compartments to the ecosystem’s oxygen budget. The modelling work was based on the mathematical simulation of heat and gas exchanges in a vertically resolved water column, under different macrophyte densities. Several simulations were carried out, in order to investigate the importance of the macrophytes in the development of water column stratification and anoxia. The simulation results suggest that macrophytes may greatly influence thermocline and oxycline development. This influence is proportional to their biomass and canopy height. It is suggested that controlled macrophyte biomass removal of up to 25% of available biomass in summer, may be useful in preventing bottom anoxia without compromising benthic net primary production

Climate change impacts on seagrass meadows and macroalgal forests: an integrative perspective on acclimation and adaptation potential

Marine macrophytes are the foundation of algal forests and seagrass meadows-some of the most productive and diverse coastal marine ecosystems on the planet. These ecosystems provide nursery grounds and food for fish and invertebrates, coastline protection from erosion, carbon sequestration, and nutrient fixation. For marine macrophytes, temperature is generally the most important range limiting factor, and ocean warming is considered the most severe threat among global climate change factors. Ocean warming induced losses of dominant macrophytes along their equatorial range edges, as well as range extensions into polar regions, are predicted and already documented. While adaptive evolution based on genetic change is considered too slow to keep pace with the increasing rate of anthropogenic environmental changes, rapid adaptation may come about through a set of non-genetic mechanisms involving the functional composition of the associated microbiome, as well as epigenetic modification of the genome and its regulatory effect on gene expression and the activity of transposable elements. While research in terrestrial plants demonstrates that the integration of non-genetic mechanisms provide a more holistic picture of a species' evolutionary potential, research in marine systems is lagging behind. Here, we aim to review the potential of marine macrophytes to acclimatize and adapt to major climate change effects via intraspecific variation at the genetic, epigenetic, and microbiome levels. All three levels create phenotypic variation that may either enhance fitness within individuals (plasticity) or be subject to selection and ultimately, adaptation. We review three of the most important phenotypic variations in a climate change context, including physiological variation, variation in propagation success, and in herbivore resistance. Integrating different levels of plasticity, and adaptability into ecological models will allow to obtain a more holistic understanding of trait variation and a realistic assessment of the future performance and distribution of marine macrophytes. Such multi-disciplinary approach that integrates various levels of intraspecific variation, and their effect on phenotypic and physiological variation, is of crucial importance for the effective management and conservation of seagrasses and macroalgae under climate change.FCT SFRH/BPD/115162/2016 Portuguese FCT through MARFOR Biodiversa/0004/2015 Norwegian Research Council (Havkyst project) 243916 European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Mar 2020 program through the VALPRAD project 16-01-04-FMP-0007 SFRH/PBD/107878/2015info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Design, education, and the online tech-pandemic

Amidst the COVID-19, the use of technology in the learning environment was no longer a matter of choice. Forced by circumstance, educators had to adapt in order to see the academic year through. While for some, already used to an online modality, it was business as always, for others was the start of a journey through unfamiliar territory. This study inserts itself in such context. It presents and discusses results gathered through an online questionnaire about the perceptions and personal experiences of design educators in Higher Education (HE) caught in this move from in-class face-to-face onto online teaching. Objectively, it portrays how this shift impacted their ability to teach, the compromises made or alternatives sought, and views towards a more technologically enabled future in HE. From a more extensive reliance on Learning Management Systems (LMS), changes in the learning environment, and perspectives of near-future uses of Virtual Reality (VR) in distance education, this study covers uses of technology but also the identification of pain points influencing the overall experience, as well as positive perceptions and significant changes made to the learning environment

Immunoreactivity of brazilian HIV isolates with different V3 motifs

California Department of Health Services Viral and Rickettsial Disease LaboratoryInstituto Oswaldo Cruz Departamento de ImmunologiaUniversidade de São Paulo Faculdade de Medicina Laboratório de Immunogenética e Transplante ExperimentalInstituto Adolfo Lutz Serviço de Virologia Laboratório de RetrovirusEscola Paulista de Medicina DIPAFIOCRUZ Centro de Pesquisa Gonçalo Moniz Laboratório Avançado de Saúde PúblicaUNIFESP, EPM, DIPASciEL

First Latin American clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus: Latin American Group for the Study of Lupus (GLADEL, Grupo Latino Americano de Estudio del Lupus)–Pan-American League of Associations of Rheumatology (PANLAR)

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a complex and heterogeneous autoimmune disease, represents a significant challenge for both diagnosis and treatment. Patients with SLE in Latin America face special problems that should be considered when therapeutic guidelines are developed. The objective of the study is to develop clinical practice guidelines for Latin American patients with lupus. Two independent teams (rheumatologists with experience in lupus management and methodologists) had an initial meeting in Panama City, Panama, in April 2016. They selected a list of questions for the clinical problems most commonly seen in Latin American patients with SLE.CONACYT - Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y TecnologíaPROCIENCI