Abstract Introduction: King grass (Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone, syn. Pennisetum purpuphoides) and pineapple peel (Ananas comosus) silages are food alternatives for livestock in conditions ...of feed shortage. Objective: To describe the dynamics of the microbiota present in king grass and pineapple silage during the fermentation process using next generation sequencing (NGS) and to evaluate the protective effect of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei_6714 as a silage inoculum against Listeria monocytogenes. Methods: We used an unrestricted randomized design to characterize the microbiota present in silages made from king grass harvested 70 days after regrowth and pineapple peel. We inoculated mixtures of grass and peel with L. paracasei_6714 or L. monocytogenes, or both, with a non-inoculated treatment as control. The nutritional and fermentative profile was evaluated after 30 days. After 15 and 30 days of fermentation, we used 16S rRNA analysis to determine the dynamics and diversity of the microbiota in the inoculated and control silages. Result: Dry matter content and digestibility did not differ significantly; however, there were differences in crude protein, pH and organic acids. We obtained 4432 amplicon sequence variants of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacterioidetes, Actinobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Planctomycetes and Patescibacteria. The relative abundance of each phylum varied depending on the material and fermentation period. Phylum similarity was over 70 % (but not greater than 50 % with Bray-Curtis at the species level). Conclusion: These bacterial communities seem to have an important role during silage fermentation. Proper management of silage processing can reduce or eliminate pathogenic bacteria.
Putative type specimens of 18 taxa described from Mozambique collected by Américo Pires de Lima at the beginning of the 20th century are kept in the African collections of the Herbarium of Porto (PO) ...at the MHNC-UP. These specimens were not collected as part of a dedicated scientific mission, but they and the scientific studies carried out by Pires de Lima represent an important contribution to Portuguese colonial projects. During his scientific career, and despite the lack of support and specialised literature, Pires de Lima described 17 species new to science. In this work we analysed part of the material collected by Pires de Lima, kept in PO at MHNC-UP. Today, only two of the 17 taxa described by Pires de Lima remain as accepted taxa, viz. Tephrosia reptans var. microfoliata (Pires de Lima) Brummitt and Crotalaria retusa var. tunguensis (Pires de Lima) Polhill. In addition, information on Polygala limae Exell, named after Pires de Lima, has also been analysed as this is still accepted. Of over 300 specimens collected by Pires de Lima in the early 20th century, some 40% remain unidentified due to lack of expertise. Undoubtedly, this collection contains many other promising specimens in need of revision, taxonomic update, and other novelties that can be found even in the more ancient and inconspicuous materials.
Background: Morphological characteristics and life history strategies are vital in the success of plants to inhabit specific areas. Until recently the genus Acanthopsis was taxonomically poorly ...understood, and a recent revision rectified this aspect. The group comprises 20 species, all confined to arid parts of South Africa and Namibia. Much regarding the life history and ecology of the genus was still unknown. Objectives: Members of the genus Acanthopsis adapted to harsh environmental conditions have evolved an array of functional traits to enhance their chances of survival. The present contribution focuses on a select few of these traits, with discussion centred around them. Methods: This paper gives an overview of some casual and anecdotal observations made on the morphological characteristics and life history strategy during the taxonomic study. Results: Significant adaptations include a perennial subshrub habit, spinous inflorescences/infructescences, and flowers exhibiting the classical syndrome for insect pollination, likely by insects possessing elongated proboscises. Additionally, the seeds are myxospermous and undergo dispersal solely when there is an ample supply of water for germination. Noteworthy is the prompt germination of seeds, occurring within 24 h. Conclusion: Certain observations may potentially serve as catalysts for further, more in-depth investigations into the ecological significance of specific morphological traits and how the species might respond to anticipated future changes in temperature and precipitation.
The appropriate management of the habitat of the endangered and endemic White-spotted Ketsi Blue butterfly, Lepidochrysops ketsi leucomacula Henning & Henning, 1994, is necessary for its survival. ...Much of the life history and ecology of this butterfly are unknown. The oviposition plant was found to be Selago tarachodes Hilliard and the plants that were observed to be visited by L. k. leucomacula for nectar all had pink flowers. Monitoring of two populations of L. k. leucomacula in protected areas commenced in March 2022. Surveillance and walked transects were the monitoring methods used. Observed threats to this endangered butterfly in protected areas were uncontrolled grazing by domestic livestock and mowing of its grassland habitat. Fencing of its grassland habitat may be a way to control these threats.
Abstract Introduction: Knowledge on the mating behavior and habitat requirements of large sharks, including the lemon shark, Negaprion brevirostris, is scarce, hampering conservation efforts. ...Objective: To describe an area in the Equatorial Atlantic used as a mating ground by N. brevirostris, as well as part of the species pre-copulatory behaviors based on citizen reports. Methods: Between 2004 and 2019, recreational divers, dive guides and rangers from the Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Fernando de Noronha Archipelago (FEN) recorded courtship behaviour, females with mating scars, pregnant females, and adult males. Results: N. brevirostris was recorded mating in shallow waters (0.5-2 m deep) during the austral summer (December to March). A specific location in the MPA, Buraco da Raquel lagoon, was the main aggregation and mating site for adult N. brevirostris in FEN. Conclusions: Citizen science records allowed the identification of shallow waters as key sites for the reproduction of this shark in FEN. Results highlight the potential of citizen science contributions to knowledge of sharks in nature and show MPAs as essential for habitat conservation of sharks with decreasing populations along the Brazilian coast, such as N. brevirostris. We present management recommendations to protect N. brevirostris there and elsewhere.
Abstract Introduction: The snail Hexaplex princeps is the most important gastropod in the fishery of Guerrero, but capture is not legally regulated for lack of enough studies about its reproduction, ...growth and other fishing aspects. Objective: To assess fishery data for H. princeps in Guerrero. Methods: From October 2016 to December 2017, we analyzed histological samples of the gonads from 6 to 13 individuals per month. We also collected data on pre-reproductive organisms captured in Costa Chica (2013 and 2014), Costa Grande (2017) and Acapulco (2019 and 2020). Results: Both sexes have five stages of gonadal development; most reproductive activity was from December to July, related to sea surface temperatures of 26 to 28 °C. The LC M in females was 94.1 mm (males: 86.1 mm). There was a high percentage of juvenile organisms in the catches (88.6 %). Conclusions: To let these snails reproduce at least once, we recommend a fishing ban from December to July, and that the minimum size of commercial capture be set at 94.1 mm.
Abstract Introduction: Pathogenic protozoans, like Entamoeba histolytica and Trichomonas vaginalis, represent a major health problem in tropical countries; and polymeric nanoparticles could be used ...to apply plant extracts against those parasites. Objective: To test Curcuma longa ethanolic extract and Berberis vulgaris methanolic extracts, and their main constituents, against two species of protozoans. Methods: We tested the extracts, as well as their main constituents, curcumin (Cur) and berberine (Ber), both non-encapsulated and encapsulated in polymeric nanoparticles (NPs), in vitro. We also determined nanoparticle characteristics by photon correlation spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy, and hemolytic capacity by hemolysis in healthy erythrocytes. Results: C. longa consisted mainly of tannins, phenols, and flavonoids; and B. vulgaris in alkaloids. Encapsulated particles were more effective (P < 0.001); however, curcumin and berberine nanoparticles were the most effective treatments. CurNPs had IC50 values (µg/mL) of 9.48 and 4.25, against E. histolytica and T. vaginalis, respectively, and BerNPs 0.24 and 0.71. The particle size and encapsulation percentage for CurNPs and BerNPs were 66.5 and 73.4 nm, and 83.59 and 76.48 %, respectively. The NPs were spherical and significantly reduced hemolysis when compared to non-encapsulated extracts. Conclusions: NPs represent a useful and novel bioactive compound delivery system for therapy in diseases caused by protozoans.
Introduction: Sudan is the third largest country in Africa and has rich reserves of petroleum and other ground resources, but its per capita Gross Domestic Product is only $808 and researchers work ...in insufficient institutional facilities and with little funding. Previous studies about its scientific productivity have been limited to specific subjects and relatively short periods, with no large analyses until now. Objective: To analyze the scientific output of Sudan in depth, considering all research areas and several decades of scientific activity. Methods: We retrieved the documents with “Sudan” in field country in the Science Citation Index Expanded for the period 1900-2019. Results: We retrieved over 9 000 publications and found that most were articles; that citation was higher for review articles and book chapters, and that this index mostly covered articles in English. Beginning in 1972, the number of publications in this database has increased rapidly. The citation lifespan indicates slow growth in the Sudanese scientific literature, and collaboration is frequent both nationally and internationally, possibly because the scarce resources make collaboration almost compulsory. Most external collaboration is done with Saudi Arabia but citation is higher for articles resulting from international megaprojects, led by Europe and the USA, in which Sudanese researchers play secondary roles. Research focusses on applied technological subjects with little innovation value. Women play a smaller role in Sudanese science. Conclusions: Our recommendations for Sudanese science include increasing the number of women in leading research positions; providing funding directly to researchers (i.e., bypassing bureaucratic bodies); increasing basic research to avoid stagnation; training Sudanese researchers for leading positions; and identifying specific research areas where Sudan can lead in its region.
Abstract Introduction: The prediction of potential fishing areas is considered one of the most immediate and practical approaches in fisheries and is an essential technique for decision-making in ...managing fishery resources. It helps fishermen reduce their fuel costs and the uncertainty of their fish catches; this technique allows to contribute to national and international food security. In this study, we build different combinations of predictive statistical models such as Generalized Linear Models and Generalized Additive Models. Objective: To predict the spatial distribution of PFZs of the dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus L.) in the Colombian Pacific Ocean. Methods: We built different combinations of Generalized Linear Models and Generalized Additive Models to predict the Catch Per Unit Effort of C. hippurus captured from 2002 to 2015 as a function of sea surface temperature, chlorophyll-a concentration, sea level anomaly, and bathymetry. Results: A Generalized Additive Model with Gaussian error distribution obtained the best performance for predicting PFZs for C. hipurus. Model validation was performed by calculating the Root Mean Square Error through a cross-validation approach. The R2 of this model was 50 %, which was considered suitable for the type of data used. January and March were the months with the highest Catch per Unit Effort values, while November and December showed the lower values. Conclusion: The predicted PFZs of C. hippurus with Generalized Additive Models satisfactorily with the results of previous research, suggesting that our model can be explored as a tool for the assessment, decision making, and sustainable use of this species in the Colombian Pacific Ocean.
