Characterization of the Use and Occupation of Soil on Rural Properties Using Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems - RPAS

The use of remotely piloted aircraft systems allows for practicality in the collection and monitoring of study areas or in the development of rehabilitation projects for degraded areas. As such, this technology is gaining space as an alternative for applications in studies and surveys of several areas. This work is justified by the demand for projects and the search for practical alternatives that will enable the framing of rural properties according to the new Brazilian Forestry Code (Codígo Florestal Brasileiro) and its environmental recovery plans (Plano de Recuperação Ambiental). The objective of this study is therefore to evaluate the use of a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System in the monitoring of a rural property, seeking to include it in the framework of the Brazilian Forestry Code. To accomplish this work, information samples were taken in an area of 30.19 ha of a rural property with the use of a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System - RPAS. After the data collection, the images were treated using the QGis software and through the generation of an ortho-mosaic, which enabled the data to be analyzed and interpreted. With the interpretation of land use and occupation data and with the generation of maps of land use and occupation, a diagnosis of the current situation of the area can be obtained. In a second phase, maps were created to include the property in the current legislative framework, seeking its regularization. After the completion of this work, the conclusion can be drawn that the use of a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System - RPAS is viable and enables the monitoring of rural areas with efficiency and speed

Adsorption and incorporation of the zinc oxide nanoparticles in seeds of corn: germination performance and antimicrobial protection

The treatments of the seeds are important procedures applied by the agronomical area to improve the culture yield. From these procedures the micronutrients are available for the seeds before and during the germination stages. One high challenge is make efficient these treatment processes and to ensure the adsorption and the incorporation of these micronutrients in the seeds and to improve its performance in the germination phase. In this work studies explored the optimization of the incorporation process and the characteristics of the zinc oxide clusters adsorbed on the surface of the seed. The results were associated with the agronomic responses during the germinations stages of the seeds of corn. The seeds were treated in suspensions containing different concentrations of nanoparticles of zinc oxide and during different treatment times. The adsorptions in the corn surface and the absorption of the nanoparticles for the inner of the seeds were studied together with its antibacterial characteristics and correlated with the germinations indicators. The results showed that is possible to incorporate nanoparticles of zinc oxide in inner of the seeds of corn and improve the germinations indicators. Antibacterial protection was aggregated on the seeds of corn. It´s possible to incorporate 0.280 mg of zinc oxide nanoparticle per seed mass in inner of seeds with the optimal treatment conditions with nanoparticle concentration of 50 mg/L in the suspension and with treatment time of 180 minutes. With the optimal treatment concentration the normal plant percentage increase of 2.70% in relationship to the seeds not treated

Development of a UV/Vis spectrophotometric method for analysis of total polyphenols from Caesalpinia peltophoroides Benth

Caesalpinia peltophoroides is a domesticated tree found in Brazil. It was necessary to develop an analytical method to determine the content of total polyphenols (TP) in this herbal drug. The pre-analytical method was standardized for analysis time, wavelength, and the best standard to use. The optimum conditions were: pyrogallol, 760 nm, and 30 min respectively. Under these conditions, validation by UV/Vis spectrophotometry proved to be reliable for TP of the crude extract and semipurified fractions from C. peltophoroides. Standardization is required for every herbal drug, and this method proved to be linear, precise, accurate, reproducible, robust, and easy to perform

Agricultural intensification can help protect the Amazon Forest and reduce global warming / Protecting the Amazon forest and reducing global warming via agricultural intensification

The Amazon basin includes 550 M ha covered with rainforests, with 60% of this area being in Brazil. Conversion of rainforest for soybean production raises concerns about the degree to which Brazil can reconcile production and environmental goals. Here we investigated the degree to which intensification could help Brazil produce more soybean without further encroachment of the Amazon Forest. Our analysis shows that continuation of current trends in soybean yield and area would lead to conversion of additional 5.7 M ha of forests and savannas during the next 15 years, with an associated 2550 Mt of CO2eq released into the atmosphere. In contrast, acceleration of yield improvement, coupled with expansion of soybean area only in areas currently used for livestock production, would allow Brazil to achieve similar economic benefits without deforestation and with substantially lower global climate warming

Genetics of kidney disease and related cardiometabolic phenotypes in Zuni Indians: the Zuni Kidney Project

The objective of this study is to identify genetic factors associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and related cardiometabolic phenotypes among participants of the Genetics of Kidney Disease in Zuni Indians study. The study was conducted as a community-based participatory research project in the Zuni Indians, a small endogamous tribe in rural New Mexico. We recruited 998 members from 28 extended multigenerational families, ascertained through probands with CKD who had at least one sibling with CKD. We used the Illumina Infinium Human1M-Duo version 3.0 BeadChips to type 1.1 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Prevalence estimates for CKD, hyperuricemia, diabetes, and hypertension were 24%, 30%, 17% and 34%, respectively. We found a significant (p < 1.58 × 10-7) association for a SNP in a novel gene for serum creatinine (PTPLAD2). We replicated significant associations for genes with serum uric acid (SLC2A9), triglyceride levels (APOA1, BUD13, ZNF259), and total cholesterol (PVRL2). We found novel suggestive associations (p < 1.58 × 10-6) for SNPs in genes with systolic (OLFML2B), and diastolic blood pressure (NFIA). We identified a series of genes associated with CKD and related cardiometabolic phenotypes among Zuni Indians, a population with a high prevalence of kidney disease. Illuminating genetic variations that modulate the risk for these disorders may ultimately provide a basis for novel preventive strategies and therapeutic interventions

Variants in CPT1A, FADS1, and FADS2 are Associated with Higher Levels of Estimated Plasma and Erythrocyte Delta-5 Desaturases in Alaskan Eskimos

The delta-5 and delta-6 desaturases (D5D and D6D), encoded by fatty acid desaturase 1 (FADS1) and 2 (FADS2) genes, respectively, are rate-limiting enzymes in the metabolism of ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids. The objective of this study was to identify genes influencing variation in estimated D5D and D6D activities in plasma and erythrocytes in Alaskan Eskimos (n = 761) participating in the genetics of coronary artery disease in Alaska Natives (GOCADAN) study. Desaturase activity was estimated by product: precursor ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids. We found evidence of linkage for estimated erythrocyte D5D (eD5D) on chromosome 11q12-q13 (logarithm of odds score = 3.5). The confidence interval contains candidate genes FADS1, FADS2, 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase (DHCR7), and carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1A, liver (CPT1A). Measured genotype analysis found association between CPT1A, FADS1, and FADS2 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and estimated eD5D activity (p-values between 10−28 and 10−5). A Bayesian quantitative trait nucleotide analysis showed that rs3019594 in CPT1A, rs174541 in FADS1, and rs174568 in FADS2 had posterior probabilities > 0.8, thereby demonstrating significant statistical support for a functional effect on eD5D activity. Highly significant associations of FADS1, FADS2, and CPT1A transcripts with their respective SNPs (p-values between 10−75 and 10−7) in Mexican Americans of the San Antonio Family Heart Study corroborated our results. These findings strongly suggest a functional role for FADS1, FADS2, and CPT1A SNPs in the variation in eD5D activity

INSL3 in the Ruminant: A Powerful Indicator of Gender- and Genetic-Specific Feto-Maternal Dialogue

The hormone Insulin-like peptide 3 (INSL3) is a major secretory product of the Leydig cells from both fetal and adult testes. Consequently, it is a major gender-specific circulating hormone in the male fetus, where it is responsible for the first phase of testicular descent, and in the adult male. In most female mammals, circulating levels are very low, corresponding to only a small production of INSL3 by the mature ovaries. Female ruminants are exceptional in exhibiting high INSL3 gene expression by the thecal cells of antral follicles and by the corpora lutea. We have developed a specific and sensitive immunoassay to measure ruminant INSL3 and show that, corresponding to the high ovarian gene expression, non-pregnant adult female sheep and cows have up to four times the levels observed in other female mammals. Significantly, this level declines during mid-pregnancy in cows carrying a female fetus, in which INSL3 is undetectable. However, in cows carrying a male fetus, circulating maternal INSL3 becomes elevated further, presumably due to the transplacental transfer of fetal INSL3 into the maternal circulation. Within male fetal blood, INSL3 is high in mid-pregnancy (day 153) corresponding to the first transabdominal phase of testicular descent, and shows a marked dependence on paternal genetics, with pure bred or hybrid male fetuses of Bos taurus (Angus) paternal genome having 30% higher INSL3 levels than those of Bos indicus (Brahman) paternity. Thus INSL3 provides the first example of a gender-specific fetal hormone with the potential to influence both placental and maternal physiology

X chromosome inactivation does not necessarily determine the severity of the phenotype in Rett syndrome patients

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a severe neurological disorder usually caused by mutations in the MECP2 gene. Since the MECP2 gene is located on the X chromosome, X chromosome inactivation (XCI) could play a role in the wide range of phenotypic variation of RTT patients; however, classical methylation-based protocols to evaluate XCI could not determine whether the preferentially inactivated X chromosome carried the mutant or the wild-type allele. Therefore, we developed an allele-specific methylation-based assay to evaluate methylation at the loci of several recurrent MECP2 mutations. We analyzed the XCI patterns in the blood of 174 RTT patients, but we did not find a clear correlation between XCI and the clinical presentation. We also compared XCI in blood and brain cortex samples of two patients and found differences between XCI patterns in these tissues. However, RTT mainly being a neurological disease complicates the establishment of a correlation between the XCI in blood and the clinical presentation of the patients. Furthermore, we analyzed MECP2 transcript levels and found differences from the expected levels according to XCI. Many factors other than XCI could affect the RTT phenotype, which in combination could influence the clinical presentation of RTT patients to a greater extent than slight variations in the XCI pattern