Showing papers by "Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso published in 2014"

Brazilian wetlands: their definition, delineation, and classification for research, sustainable management, and protection

Abstract: Although 20% of Brazilian territory is covered by wetlands, wetland inventories are still incomplete. In 1993, Brazil signed the Ramsar Convention but a coherent national policy for the sustainable management and protection of wetlands has yet to be established. Major gaps in the definition of a specific wetland policy are twofold: (1) the lack of standardized criteria by which wetlands are defined and delineated that reflects the specific ecological conditions of the country and (2) the lack of a national classification of wetlands that takes into account specific hydrological conditions and respective plant communities. In recent years, efforts have been made at a regional level to improve public awareness of the ecology of Brazilian wetlands, their benefits to society, and the major threats endangering them. Studies have shown that wetlands play a crucial role in the regional hydrological cycle and provide multiple benefits for local populations. Furthermore, Brazilian wetlands contribute significantly to South American biodiversity. Therefore, wetland conservation and sustainable management should be given high legislative priority. This article provides a synthesis of the current body of knowledge on the distribution, hydrology, and vegetation cover of Brazilian wetlands. Their definition, delineation, and classification at the national level are proposed in order to establish a scientific basis for discussions on a national wetland policy that mandates the sustainable management of Brazil's extremely diverse and complex wetlands. This goal is particularly urgent in the face of the continuing and dramatic deterioration of wetlands resulting from large-scale agro-industrial expansion, and hydroelectric projects as well as the projected impact of global climate change on hydrological cycles.

The Brazilian Cerrado: assessment of water and soil degradation in catchments under intensive agricultural use: ECOHYDROLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE BRAZILIAN CERRADO

Abstract: The Brazilian Cerrado is recognized as one of the most threatened biomes in the world, as the region has experienced a striking change from natural Cerrado vegetation to intense cash crop production. This paper reviews the history of land conversion in the Cerrado and the development of soil properties and water resources under past and ongoing land use. We compared soil and water quality parameters from different land uses considering 80 soil and 18 water studies conducted in different regions across the Cerrado to provide quantitative evidence of soil and water alterations from land use change. Following the conversion of native Cerrado, significant effects on soil pH, bulk density and available P and K for croplands and less-pronounced effects on pastures were evident. Soil total N did not differ between land uses because most of the sites classified as croplands were nitrogen-fixing soybeans, which are not artificially fertilized with N. In contrast, water quality studies showed nitrogen enrichment in agricultural catchments, indicating fertilizer impacts and potential susceptibility to eutrophication. Regardless of the land use, P is widely absent because of the high-fixing capacities of deeply weathered soils and the filtering capacity of riparian vegetation. Pesticides, however, were consistently detected throughout the entire aquatic system. In several case studies, extremely high-peak concentrations exceeded Brazilian and European Union (EU) water quality limits, which were potentially accompanied by serious health implications. Land use intensification is likely to continue, particularly in regions where less annual rainfall and severe droughts are projected in the northeastern and western Cerrado. Thus, the leaching risk and displacement of agrochemicals are expected to increase, particularly because the current legislation has caused a reduction in riparian vegetation. We conclude that land use intensification is likely to seriously limit the Cerrado's future regarding both agricultural productivity and ecosystem stability. Because only limited data are available, we recommend further field studies to understand the interaction between terrestrial and aquatic systems. This study may serve as a valuable database for integrated modelling to investigate the impact of land use and climate change on soil and water resources and to test and develop mitigation measures for the Cerrado. Copyright (C) 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Nutrient enrichment is related to two facets of beta diversity for stream invertebrates across the United States.

Abstract: Beta diversity, the spatial or temporal variability of species composition, is a key concept in community ecology. However, our ability to predict the relative importance of the main drivers of beta diversity (e.g., environmental heterogeneity, dispersal limitation, and environmental productivity) remains limited. Using a comprehensive data set on stream invertebrate assemblages across the continental United States, we found a hump-shaped relationship between beta diversity and within-ecoregion nutrient concentrations. Within-ecoregion compositional dissimilarity matrices were mainly related to environmental distances in most of the 30 ecoregions analyzed, suggesting a stronger role for species-sorting than for spatial processes. The strength of these relationships varied considerably among ecoregions, but they were unrelated to within-ecoregion environmental heterogeneity or spatial extent. Instead, we detected a negative correlation between the strength of species sorting and nutrient concentrations. We suggest that eutrophication is a major mechanism disassembling invertebrate assemblages in streams at a continental scale.

Multiple species of Trichosporon produce biofilms highly resistant to triazoles and amphotericin B.

Abstract: Invasive infections caused by Trichosporon spp. have increased considerably in recent years, especially in neutropenic and critically ill patients using catheters and antibiotics. The genus presents limited sensitivity to different antifungal agents, but triazoles are the first choice for treatment. Here, we investigated the biofilm production and antifungal susceptibility to triazoles and amphotericin B of 54 Trichosporon spp. isolates obtained from blood samples (19), urine (20) and superficial mycosis (15). All isolates and 7 reference strains were identified by sequence analysis and phylogenetic inferences of the IGS1 region of the rDNA. Biofilms were grown on 96-well plates and quantitation was performed using crystal violet staining, complemented with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Susceptibility tests for fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole and amphotericin B were processed using the microdilution broth method (CLSI) for planktonic cells and XTT reduction assay for biofilm-forming cells. Our results showed that T. asahii was the most frequent species identified (66.7%), followed by T. faecale (11.1%), T. asteroides (9.3%), T. inkin (7.4%), T. dermatis (3.7%) and one T. coremiiforme (1.8%). We identified 4 genotypes within T. asahii isolates (G1, G3, G4 and G5) and 2 genotypes within T. faecale (G1 and G3). All species exhibited high adhesion and biofilm formation capabilities, mainly T. inkin, T. asteroides and T. faecale. Microscopy images of high biofilm-producing isolates showed that T. asahii presented mainly hyphae and arthroconidia, whereas T. asteroides exhibited mainly short arthroconidia and few filaments. Voriconazole exhibited the best in vitro activity against all species tested. Biofilm-forming cells of isolates and reference strains were highly resistant to all antifungals tested. We concluded that levels of biofilm formation by Trichosporon spp. were similar or even greater than those described for the Candida genus. Biofilm-forming cells were at least 1,000 times more resistant to antifungals than planktonic cells, especially to voriconazole.

Molecular detection of Mayaro virus during a dengue outbreak in the state of Mato Grosso, Central-West Brazil

Abstract: Mayaro virus (MAYV) is frequently reported in Pan-Amazonia. The aim of this study was to investigate the circulation of alphaviruses during a dengue outbreak in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Serum samples from dengue-suspected patients were subjected to multiplex semi-nested reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction for 11 flaviviruses and five alphaviruses, to nucleotide sequencing and to viral isolation. MAYV was detected in 15 (2.5%) of 604 patients. Twelve were co-infected with dengue virus 4, which was isolated from 10 patients. The molecular detection of MAYV in dengue-suspected patients suggests that other arboviruses may be silently circulating during dengue outbreaks in Brazil.

Biochar increases plant-available water in a sandy loam soil under an aerobic rice crop system

Abstract: . The main objective of this study was to assess the impact of biochar rate (0, 8, 16 and 32 Mg ha−1) on the water retention capacity (WRC) of a sandy loam Dystric Plinthosol. The applied biochar was a by-product of slow pyrolysis (∼450 °C) of eucalyptus wood, milled to pass through a 2000 μm sieve that resulted in a material with an intrinsic porosity ≤10 μm and a specific surface area of ∼3.2 m2 g−1. The biochar was incorporated into the top 15 cm of the soil under an aerobic rice system. Our study focused on both the effects on WRC and rice yields 2 and 3 years after its application. Undisturbed soil samples were collected from 16 plots in two soil layers (5–10 and 15–20 cm). Soil water retention curves were modelled using a nonlinear mixed model which appropriately accounts for uncertainties inherent of spatial variability and repeated measurements taken within a specific soil sample. We found an increase in plant-available water in the upper soil layer proportional to the rate of biochar, with about 0.8% for each Mg ha−1 biochar amendment 2 and 3 years after its application. The impact of biochar on soil WRC was most likely related to an effect in overall porosity of the sandy loam soil, which was evident from an increase in saturated soil moisture and macro porosity with 0.5 and 1.6% for each Mg ha−1 of biochar applied, respectively. The increment in soil WRC did not translate into an increase in rice yield, essentially because in both seasons the amount of rainfall during the critical period for rice production exceeded 650 mm. The use of biochar as a soil amendment can be a worthy strategy to guarantee yield stability under short-term water-limited conditions. Our findings raise the importance of assessing the feasibility of very high application rates of biochar and the inclusion of a detailed analysis of its physical and chemical properties as part of future investigations.

Variance partitioning of deconstructed periphyton communities: does the use of biological traits matter?

Abstract: The use of species traits offers a promising approach to the understanding of the main processes underlying metacommunity patterns. We analyzed samples of periphytic algae in 30 environments of the Upper Parana River floodplain in southeastern Brazil, to test the hypotheses that variation in species composition of algal groups with low dispersal abilities would be mainly explained by spatial variables; on the other hand, algal groups with higher dispersal abilities would be better explained by environmental variables. The variation in community structure was mainly correlated with environmental variables. This result is in line with a growing body of evidence indicating a predominant role of species-sorting processes. The more-refined prediction that the spatial variables would gradually become more important across a gradient of adherence or size was, however, not supported by our analyses. Also, the large unexplained variation suggested that these periphytic communities were assembled by idiosyncratic events, or that other variables that are often neglected in studies of aquatic metacommunities needed to be included.

Seasonal variation in energy balance and canopy conductance for a tropical savanna ecosystem of south central Mato Grosso, Brazil

Abstract: [1] Tropical savanna (locally known as cerrado) composes 24% of Brazil and is characterized by high climatic variation; however, patterns of energy exchange are poorly understood, especially for mixed grasslands (locally known as campo sujo). We used eddy covariance to measure latent (Le) and sensible (H) heat flux of a mixed grassland and linked meteorological and remote sensing data to determine the controls on these fluxes. We hypothesized that (1) seasonal variations in H and Le would be large due to variations in precipitation; (2) ecosystem phenology, estimated using the enhanced vegetation index (EVI), would be the best predictor of seasonal variation in Le; and (3) cerrado, transitional, and humid evergreen forests would have similar rates of average annual Le despite large seasonal variation in cerrado Le. Our data suggest that campo sujo exhibits large seasonal fluctuations in energy balance that are driven by rainfall and that responses to rainfall pulses are rapid and dynamic, especially during the dry season. Path analysis indicated that temporal variations in the EVI did not significantly affect Le or Gc, but this was because all three variables (EVI, Le, and Gc) responded similarly to temporal variations in surface water availability. Compared to other tropical ecosystems, wetter sites had higher rates of Le during the dry season but similar rates during the wet season when water was not limiting. Over annual time periods, average rates of Le increased significantly as average annual rainfall increased, due to dry-season water limitations in the more seasonal tropical ecosystems.

The structure of ant–plant ecological networks: Is abundance enough?

Abstract: Knowledge of the mechanisms that shape biodiversity is essential to understand the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of interacting species. Recent studies posit that most of the organization of mutualistic networks is shaped by differences in species abundance among interacting species. In this study, we examined the mutualism involving plants with extrafloral nectaries and their associated ants. We show empirically that the difference in abundance among ants on vegetation partially explains the network structure of mutualistic interactions and that it is independent of ant species compositions: an ant species that is abundant usually interacts with more plant species. Moreover, nested networks are generated by simple variation in ant abundance on foliage. However, in ant-plant mutualistic networks, nestedness was higher than in networks describing the occurrence of ants on plants without a food resource. Additionally, the plant and ant species with the highest number of interactions within these networks interacted more among themselves than expected under the assumption of an abundance-based, random mixing of individuals. We hypothesize that the dominance of these ant species occurs because these ants are able to outcompete other ant species when feeding on extrafloral nectaries and because of the presence of ecophysiological adaptations to utilize liquid food.

Fabry-Perot interferometer with quantum mirrors: nonlinear light transport and rectification.

Abstract: Optical transport represents a natural route towards fast communications, and it is currently used in large scale data transfer. The progressive miniaturization of devices for information processing calls for the microscopic tailoring of light transport and confinement at length scales appropriate for upcoming technologies. With this goal in mind, we present a theoretical analysis of a one-dimensional Fabry-Perot interferometer built with two highly saturable nonlinear mirrors: a pair of two-level systems. Our approach captures nonlinear and nonreciprocal effects of light transport that were not reported previously. Remarkably, we show that such an elementary device can operate as a microscopic integrated optical rectifier.

Individual-based ant-plant networks: diurnal-nocturnal structure and species-area relationship.

Abstract: Despite the importance and increasing knowledge of ecological networks, sampling effort and intrapopulation variation has been widely overlooked. Using continuous daily sampling of ants visiting three plant species in the Brazilian Neotropical savanna, we evaluated for the first time the topological structure over 24 h and species-area relationships (based on the number of extrafloral nectaries available) in individual-based ant-plant networks. We observed that diurnal and nocturnal ant-plant networks exhibited the same pattern of interactions: a nested and non-modular pattern and an average level of network specialization. Despite the high similarity in the ants’ composition between the two collection periods, ant species found in the central core of highly interacting species totally changed between diurnal and nocturnal sampling for all plant species. In other words, this “night-turnover” suggests that the ecological dynamics of these ant-plant interactions can be temporally partitioned (day and night) at a small spatial scale. Thus, it is possible that in some cases processes shaping mutualistic networks formed by protective ants and plants may be underestimated by diurnal sampling alone. Moreover, we did not observe any effect of the number of extrafloral nectaries on ant richness and their foraging on such plants in any of the studied ant-plant networks. We hypothesize that competitively superior ants could monopolize individual plants and allow the coexistence of only a few other ant species, however, other alternative hypotheses are also discussed. Thus, sampling period and species-area relationship produces basic information that increases our confidence in how individual-based ant-plant networks are structured, and the need to consider nocturnal records in ant-plant network sampling design so as to decrease inappropriate inferences.

Monogamy of entanglement of formation

Abstract: It is well known that a particle cannot freely share entanglement with two or more particles. This restriction is generally called monogamy. However the formal quantification of such restriction is only known for some measures of entanglement and for two-level systems. The first and broadly known monogamy relation was established by Coffman, Kundu, and Wootters for the square of the concurrence. Since then, it is usually said that the entanglement of formation is not monogamous, as it does not obey the same relation. We show here that despite that, the entanglement of formation cannot be freely shared and therefore should be said to be monogamous. Furthermore, the square of the entanglement of formation does obey the same relation of the squared concurrence, a fact recently noted for three particles and extended here for N particles. Therefore the entanglement of formation is as monogamous as the concurrence. We also numerically study how the entanglement is distributed in pure states of three qubits and the relation between the sum of the bipartite entanglement and the classical correlation.

Ground and remote sensing-based measurements of leaf area index in a transitional forest and seasonal flooded forest in Brazil

Abstract: Leaf area index (LAI) is a key driver of forest productivity and evapotranspiration; however, it is a difficult and labor-intensive variable to measure, making its measurement impractical for large-scale and long-term studies of tropical forest structure and function. In contrast, satellite estimates of LAI have shown promise for large-scale and long-term studies, but their performance has been equivocal and the biases are not well known. We measured total, overstory, and understory LAI of an Amazon-savanna transitional forest (ASTF) over 3 years and a seasonal flooded forest (SFF) during 4 years using a light extinction method and two remote sensing methods (LAI MODIS product and the Landsat-METRIC method), with the objectives of (1) evaluating the performance of the remote sensing methods, and (2) understanding how total, overstory and understory LAI interact with micrometeorological variables. Total, overstory and understory LAI differed between both sites, with ASTF having higher LAI values than SFF, but neither site exhibited year-to-year variation in LAI despite large differences in meteorological variables. LAI values at the two sites have different patterns of correlation with micrometeorological variables. ASTF exhibited smaller seasonal variations in LAI than SFF. In contrast, SFF exhibited small changes in total LAI; however, dry season declines in overstory LAI were counteracted by understory increases in LAI. MODIS LAI correlated weakly to total LAI for SFF but not for ASTF, while METRIC LAI had no correlation to total LAI. However, MODIS LAI correlated strongly with overstory LAI for both sites, but had no correlation with understory LAI. Furthermore, LAI estimates based on canopy light extinction were correlated positively with seasonal variations in rainfall and soil water content and negatively with vapor pressure deficit and solar radiation; however, in some cases satellite-derived estimates of LAI exhibited no correlation with climate variables (METRIC LAI or MODIS LAI for ASTF). These data indicate that the satellite-derived estimates of LAI are insensitive to the understory variations in LAI that occur in many seasonal tropical forests and the micrometeorological variables that control seasonal variations in leaf phenology. While more ground-based measurements are needed to adequately quantify the performance of these satellite-based LAI products, our data indicate that their output must be interpreted with caution in seasonal tropical forests.

Phylogenetic Relationships of Mouse Opossums (Didelphidae, Marmosa) with a Revised Subgeneric Classification and Notes on Sympatric Diversity

Abstract: To resolve phylogenetic relationships among species of Marmosa we analyzed DNA sequences from one mitochondrial and three nuclear genes for every member of the nominotypical subgenus and from four species of the subgenus Micoureus. As reported in previous studies, the subgenus Marmosa was found to be paraphyletic, whereas Micoureus was recovered as a robustly supported clade. Species currently referred to the subgenus Marmosa form four strongly supported and morphologically diagnosable groups. Based on these results we recognize a total of five subgenera: Marmosa Gray, 1821 (for macrotarsus, murina, tyleriana, and waterhousei); Micoureus Lesson, 1842 (for alstoni, constantiae, demerarae, paraguayana, phaea, and regina); Stegomarmosa Pine, 1972 (for andersoni and lepida); Eomarmosa, new subgenus (for rubra); and Exulomarmosa, new subgenus (for isthmica, mexicana, robinsoni, simonsi, xerophila, and zeledoni). The best-supported hypothesis of relationships among these clades is ((Stegomarmosa (Marmo...

Physical and mechanical properties of particleboard manufactured from wood, bamboo and rice husk

Abstract: In this work, the physical-mechanical properties of particleboards manufactured with wood (Eucalyptus grandis), bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris) and/or rice husk (Oryza sativa) particles, combined or not, were assessed. They were produced in the following proportions: 100% wood; 100% bamboo; 100% rice; 50% wood and 50% bamboo; 50% wood and 50% rice husk. In order to characterize the manufactured particleboards, their physical (density; moisture content; water absorption and thickness swelling) and mechanical properties (static bending; internal bonding and screw withdrawal) were assessed. The results indicated that the use of rice husk caused reduction in particleboard quality. Particleboards manufactured with bamboo showed better quality than those using rice husk as raw material. For most parameters, the particleboards manufactured exclusively with wood particles showed similar performance to bamboo and wood-bamboo particleboards.

Optimal rectification in the ultrastrong coupling regime.

Abstract: We study the effect of ultrastrong coupling on the transport of heat. In particular, we present a condition for optimal rectification, i.e., flow of heat in one direction and complete isolation in the opposite direction. We show that the strong-coupling formalism is necessary for correctly describing heat flow in a wide range of parameters, including moderate to low couplings. We present a situation in which the strong-coupling formalism predicts optimal rectification whereas the phenomenological approach predicts no heat flow in any direction, for the same parameter values.

Actual preoperative fasting time in Brazilian hospitals: the BIGFAST multicenter study.

Abstract: BACKGROUND Prolonged fasting increases organic response to trauma. This multicenter study investigated the gap between the prescribed and the actual preoperative fasting times in Brazilian hospitals and factors associated with this gap. METHODS Patients (18-90-years-old) who underwent elective operations between August 2011 and September 2012 were included in the study. The actual and prescribed times for fasting were collected and correlated with sex, age, surgical disease (malignancies or benign disease), operation type, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, type of hospital (public or private), and nutritional status. RESULTS A total of 3,715 patients (58.1% females) with a median age of 49 (18-94) years from 16 Brazilian hospitals entered the study. The median (range) preoperative fasting time was 12 (2-216) hours, and fasting time was longer (P<0.001) in hospitals using a traditional fasting protocol (13 [6-216] hours) than in others that had adopted new guidelines (8 [2-48] hours). Almost 80% (n=2,962) of the patients were operated on after 8 or more hours of fasting and 46.2% (n=1,718) after more than 12 hours. Prolonged fasting was not associated with physical score, age, sex, type of surgery, or type of hospital. Patients operated on due to a benign disease had an extended duration of preoperative fasting. CONCLUSION Actual preoperative fasting time is significantly longer than prescribed fasting time in Brazilian hospitals. Most of these hospitals still adopt traditional rather than modern fasting guidelines. All patients are at risk of long periods of fasting, especially those in hospitals that follow traditional practices.

Prolonged Preoperative Fasting in Elective Surgical Patients Why Should We Reduce It

Abstract: Despite the abundance of evidence to the contrary, 6-8 hours of total preoperative fasting is still considered essential by many surgeons and anesthesiologists, based on the strength of old concepts. Patients frequently end up fasting for 12 hours or more because of delays and changes in operating room schedules. The metabolic response to long fasting leads to intensification of the organic response occurring after trauma, which is mainly manifested as increased insulin resistance, an acute-phase response, and loss of lean body mass. In fact, there has not been any evidence indicating that a shorter fast of 2-3 hours, which includes oral clear or carbohydrate (CHO)-rich (12.5% carbohydrates, 50 kcal/100 mL) fluids, results in an increased risk of aspiration, regurgitation, or related morbidity compared with the standard policy of "nil by mouth after midnight." In addition, preoperative treatment with CHO-rich fluids may reduce postoperative discomfort and, for patients undergoing major abdominal surgery, may decrease the duration of postoperative hospitalization. New formulas for preoperative oral fluids containing amino acid or protein such as glutamine or whey protein are also potential candidates for early preoperative treatment and merit further study.

Vigilância aos agrotóxicos: quantificação do uso e previsão de impactos na saúde-trabalho-ambiente para os municípios brasileiros

Abstract: This paper analyzes the quantity, type and toxicity of pesticides used per hectare in the State of Mato Grosso as a surveillance strategy for the health of workers, the population in general and the environment, and to serve as a surveillance indicator for Brazilian cities. Brazil cultivated 95 million hectares in 2012, and Mato Grosso was the major consumer of pesticides. In this research, the database of the Agriculture and Livestock Defense Institute was consulted, as it records the prescribed agronomic data and place of use in sales invoices. The results reveal the average consumption of pesticides per hectare per crop: 12 liters for soy; 6 liters for corn; 4.8 liters for sugarcane; and 24 liters for cotton. The toxicological types and classes of pesticides used per hectare per crop were also monitored. Using a matrix of agricultural production and pesticide consumption, it was also found that certain health problems are correlated with the major producing regions. Based on pesticide consumption, agricultural production and pesticide toxicity it is possible to ascertain health problems in Brazilian cities and establish prevention and surveillance strategies for the workers, the environment and the populations exposed to pesticides.

Hypothalamic endoplasmic reticulum stress and insulin resistance in offspring of mice dams fed high-fat diet during pregnancy and lactation.

Abstract: Objective The goal of this study was to determine the presence early of markers of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and insulin resistance in the offspring from dams fed HFD (HFD-O) or standard chow diet (SC-O) during pregnancy and lactation. Materials/methods To address this question, we evaluated the hypothalamic and hepatic tissues in recently weaned mice (d28) and the hypothalamus of newborn mice (d0) from dams fed HFD or SC during pregnancy and lactation. Results Body weight, adipose tissue mass, and food intake were more accentuated in HFD-O mice than in SC-O mice. In addition, intolerance to glucose and insulin was higher in HFD-O mice than in SC-O mice. Compared with SC-O mice, levels of hypothalamic IL1-β mRNA, NFκB protein, and p-JNK were increased in HFD-O mice. Furthermore, compared with SC-O mice, hypothalamic AKT phosphorylation after insulin challenge was reduced, while markers of ERS (p-PERK, p-eIF2α, XBP1s, GRP78, and GRP94) and p-AMPK were increased in the hypothalamic tissue of HFD-O at d28 but not at d0. These damages to hypothalamic signaling were accompanied by increased triglyceride deposits, activation of NFκB, p-JNK, p-PERK and p-eIF2α. Conclusion These point out lactation period as maternal trigger for metabolic changes in the offspring. These changes may occur early and quietly contribute to obesity and associated pathologies in adulthood. Although in rodents the establishment of ARC neuronal projections occurs during the lactation period, in humans it occurs during the third trimester. Gestational diabetes and obesity in this period may contribute to impairment of energy homeostasis.

Environmental footprints show China and Europe’s evolving resource appropriation for soybean production in Mato Grosso, Brazil

Abstract: Mato Grosso has become the center of Brazil’s soybean industry, with production located across an agricultural frontier expanding into savanna and rainforest biomes. We present environmental footprints of soybean production in Mato Grosso and resource flows accompanying exports to China and Europe for the 2000s using five indicators: deforestation, land footprint (LF), carbon footprint (CF), water footprint (WF), and nutrient footprints. Soybean production was associated with 65% of the state’s deforestation, and 14–17% of total Brazilian land use change carbon emissions. The decade showed two distinct production systems illustrated by resources used in the first and second half of the decade. Deforestation and carbon footprint declined 70% while land, water, and nutrient footprints increased almost 30% between the two periods. These differences coincided with a shift in Mato Grosso’s export destination. Between 2006 and 2010, China surpassed Europe in soybean imports when production was associated with 97 m 2 deforestation yr �1 ton �1 of soybean, a LF of 0.34 ha yr �1 ton �1 , a carbon footprint of 4.6 ton CO2eq yr �1 ton �1 , a WF of 1908 m 3 yr �1 ton �1 , and virtual phosphorous and potassium of 5.0 kg P yr �1 ton �1 and 0.0042 g K yr �1 ton �1 . Mato Grosso constructs soil fertility via

Prevalence and factors associated with sedentary behavior in adolescents

Abstract: OBJECTIVE To analyze the prevalence of sedentary behavior and associated factors in adolescents. METHODS A cross-sectional study with adolescents aged 10 to 17 years, of both sexes, belonging to a 1994-1999 birth cohort in the city of Cuiaba, MT, Central Western Brazil. Data were collected using a questionnaire containing sociodemographic, economic, lifestyle and anthropometric variables. Sedentary behavior was determined as using television and/or computer/video games for a time greater than or equal to 4 hours/day. Associations with sedentary behavior were evaluated using body mass index in childhood and adolescence and sociodemographic and behavioral variables using hierarchical logistic regression. RESULTS The overall prevalence of sedentary behavior was 58.1%. Of the 1,716 adolescents evaluated, 50.7% (n = 870) were male. In multivariate analysis, after adjustment for confounding factors, the variables that remained associated with sedentary behavior were: age (14 and over) (OR = 3.51, 95%CI 2.19;5.60); higher socioeconomic class (OR = 3.83, 95%CI 2.10;7.01), higher level of maternal education (OR = 1.81, 95%CI 1.09;3.01); living in the country (OR = 0.49, 95%CI 0.30;0.81); insufficient physical activity (OR = 1.25, 95%CI 1.02;1.53); experimentation with alcoholic beverages (OR = 1.34, 95%CI 1.08;1.66) and being overweight in adolescence (OR = 1.33, 95%CI 1.06;1.68). CONCLUSIONS The high proportion of adolescents in sedentary activities and the lack of association with being overweight in childhood, indicates the need for educational initiatives to reduce multiple risk behaviors. Encouraging physical activity in young people as a way of reducing sedentary behavior and, consequently, being overweight is fundamental.

Implementation of the presence of companions during hospital admission for childbirth: data from the Birth in Brazil national survey

Abstract: Robust evidence of the benefits of continuous support during childbirth led to the recommen-dation that it should be offered for all women. In Brazil, it has been guaranteed by law since 2005, but scarce data on implementation is available. We aimed to estimate the frequency and associ-ated socio-demographic, obstetric and institu-tional predictors of women having companion -ship during childbirth in the Birth in Brazil sur-vey. Descriptive statistical analysis was done for the characterization of companions (at different moments of hospital stay), maternal and insti-tutional factors; associations were investigated in bivariate and multivariate models. We found that 24.5% of women had no companion at all, 18.8% had continuous companionship and 56.7% had partial companionship. Independent predictors of having no or partial companion-ship at birth were: lower income and education, brown color of skin, using the public sector, mul-tiparity, and vaginal delivery. Implementation of companionship was associated with having an appropriate environment, and clear institution-al rules about women’s rights to companionship.Medical Chaperones; Midwifery; Maternal and Child Health; Parturition

Knowledge of Diabetes Mellitus: Does Gender Make a Difference?

Abstract: Objective: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic disease considered an important public health problem. In recent years, its prevalence has been exponentially rising in many developing countries. Chronic complications of DM are important causes of morbidity and mortality among patients, which impair their health and quality of life. Knowledge on disease prevention, etiology, and management is essential to deal with parents, patients, and caregivers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge regarding DM in an adult population from a Middle-western Brazilian city. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study covering 178 adults, aged 18e64 years, who answered a diabetes knowledge questionnaire. In order to identify the difference between groups, analysis of variance was used. Results: Higher knowledge scores were found regarding the role of sugars on DM causality, diabetic foot care, and the effects of DM on patients (blindness, impaired wound healing, and male sexual dysfunction). However, lower scores were found amongst types of DM, hyperglycemic symptoms, and normal blood glucose levels. Females tended to achieve better knowledge scores than males. Conclusion: Women had better knowledge regarding types of DM, normal blood glucose values, and consequences of hyperglycemia revealed that diabetes education should be improved.