Integrated crop–livestock–forest is a promising strategy to improve soil quality. It comprises four different integrated farming systems: crop–livestock, crop–forest, forest–livestock and ...crop–livestock–forest. This work systematically reviewed studies about integrated crop–livestock–forest systems and soil quality. A total of 92 papers were retrieved from the Web of Science—Clarivate Analytics platform, and the following information was analysed: publication year, institution, region of the studied site, type of integrated system, soil type, tillage system, maximum soil depth and the soil quality indicators assessed. Most studies were published in the second half of the 2010s. Brazil is a prominent focus of research about soil quality and integrated crop–livestock–forest systems, with significant contribution from its central and southern regions. The Embrapa was the main publishing institution, present in over one‐third of the studies. Crop–livestock was the most common integrated system, Ferralsols was the most common soil group, and most of the studied soils were clayey. No tillage was the main tillage system. Most studies focused on the topsoil, assessing physical and/or chemical soil quality indicators. More emphasis on biological indicators of soil quality is required, as well as assessments integrating biological, physical and chemical indicators of soil quality. Future works should compare different integrated systems, including assessments deeper in the soil profile, especially in systems with the forest component, and also in sandy and silty soils. Soil quality indicators that have been rarely used should be further tested. Novel indicators should be added to better understand the promotion of soil quality by integrated crop–livestock–forest systems.
In order to support sugarcane growth for biofuel production without compromising the environmental sustainability, this work aims to assess the physical quality of soils cultivated under different ...long‐term tillage and management systems to identify the system that most contributes for a sustainable sugarcane production. Visual assessments and soil sampling to determine physical soil quality indicators were performed in sugarcane plots managed with no‐tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) with 0 (CT0–NT0) and 4 (CT4–NT4) Mg ha−1 of lime and in an adjoining area with native forest. In general, the results from traditional indicators showed no statistical difference between the different sugarcane cultivation systems and the different depths, so were not sensitive to identify the best tillage and management system in relation to soil physical quality for soils cultivated with sugarcane. However, even without statistical difference, three indicators presented limiting values for plant growth and development (Bd, ASW, and S index) in at least two sugarcane cultivation systems and one depth. Although all the systems showed a good soil structural quality in surface, the visual assessments suggest a poor and unsatisfactory soil structural quality in the subsurface of CT0, CT4, and NT0 (3.7 ± 0.2, 3.3 ± 0.6, and 3.7 ± 0.7 in Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure VESS and 2.2 ± 0.3, 3.1 ± 1.0, and 3.6 ± 1.1 in Rapid Diagnosis of Soil Structure DRES, respectively), requiring immediate management changes, while structural quality in NT4 (2.6 ± 0.9 and 3.9 ± 0.7, in VESS and DRES, respectively) was considered good. Thus, NT4 is suggested as the tillage and management system that least compromises structural quality of soils cultivated with sugarcane, and it is considered a viable alternative to promote soil conservation, as well as environmental and economical sustainability for sugarcane cultivation, as this system corrects soil acidity, minimally disturbs the soil, and maintains the soil cover, thus delivering ecosystem services.
Knowledge about reproductive biology is critical for understanding species ecology and evolution, hence their conservation. However, such information remains elusive for many species due to the ...difficulty of observing mating in nature. Herein, we coupled population and sociogenetic analysis to assess the reproductive biology of an important South American catfish, the “painted catfish” Pimelodus maculatus. We analysed the genetic diversity and kinship patterns of three wild ichthyoplankton samples identified by DNA barcoding and screened with microsatellite loci. We found the same trend in the three samples analysed: a high number unrelated larvae (r < 0.25) and potential parents involved (Ca1, 24♀:24♂; Ca2, 21♀:23♂; Cin, 24♀:25♂), as well as a high number of familial clusters (ML: 19‐21; MCMC: 23‐26). The data indicate a parental sexual proportion close to 1:1 and a polygynandrous mating system. We found high levels of genetic diversity, low GST values (GST < 0.014), but moderate DEST values between the tributary and reservoir samples (DEST > 0.25; Cin x Ca1 or Cin x Ca2), a similar pattern to the observed in adult populations. These results indicate that the mating system of P. maculatus has played an important role in minimising the loss of genetic diversity, a condition that may have favoured the species in a highly fragmented landscape.
Purpose
Knowledge on whether low expressions of HER2 have prognostic impact in early-stage breast cancer (BC) and on its response to current chemotherapy protocols can contribute to medical practice ...and development of new drugs for this subset of patients, changing treatment paradigms. This study aims to evaluate the impact of HER2-low status on response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and survival outcomes in early-stage HER2-negative BC.
Methods
Records from all BC patients treated with NACT from January 2007 to December 2018 in a single cancer center were retrospectively reviewed. HER2-negative (immunohistochemistry IHC 0, + 1, or + 2 non-amplified by in situ hybridization ISH) patients were included. HER2-low was defined by IHC + 1 or + 2 ISH non-amplified and HER2-0 by IHC 0. The coprimary objectives were to compare pathological complete response (pCR) and relapse-free survival (RFS) between luminal/HER2-low versus luminal/HER2-0 populations and between triple negative (TNBC)/HER2-low versus TNBC/HER2-0.
Results
In total, 855 HER2-negative patients were identified. The median follow-up was 59 months. 542 patients had luminal subtype (63.4%) and 313 had TNBC (36.6%). 285 (33.3%) were HER2-low. Among luminal patients, 145 had HER2 IHC + 1 (26.8%) and 91 had IHC + 2/ISH non-amplified (16.8%). In TNBC, 36 had HER2 IHC + 1 (11.5%) and 13 had IHC + 2/ISH non-amplified (4.2%). Most patients had locally advanced tumors, regardless of subtype or HER2-low status. For luminal disease, pCR was achieved in 13% of HER2-low tumors versus 9.5% of HER2-0 (
p
= 0.27). Similarly, there was no difference in pCR rates among TNBC: 51% versus 47% in HER2-low versus HER2-0, respectively (
p
= 0.64). HER2-low was also not prognostic for RFS, with 5-year RFS rates of 72.1% versus 71.7% (
p
= 0.47) for luminal HER2-low/HER2-0, respectively, and 75.6% versus 70.8% (
p
= 0.23) for TNBC HER2-low/HER2-0.
Conclusion
Our data does not support HER2-low as a biologically distinct BC subtype, with no prognostic value on survival outcomes and no predictive effect for pCR after conventional NACT.
Non-native species are a major driver of biodiversity loss. Aquaculture activities play a key role in introductions, including the escape of fishes from fish farm facilities. Here, the impact of ...flooding due to El Niño rains in 2015/2016 in the Lower and Middle Paranapanema River basin, southern Brazil, was investigated by evaluating fish escapes from 12 fish farms. The flooding resulted in the escape of approximately 1.14 million fishes into the river, encompassing 21 species and three hybrids. Non-native species were the most abundant escapees, especially
Oreochromisniloticus
(Linnaeus, 1758) and
Coptodonrendalli
(Boulenger, 1897) (96% of all fish). Only seven native fishes were in the escapee fauna, comprising 1% of all fish. Large floods, coupled with inadequate biosecurity, thus resulted in considerable inputs of non-native fish into this already invaded system.
Landulfo Alves was an agronomist who was educated in the USA and became a politician, having served as federal intervener in Bahia from 1938 to 1942, in the context of the
, and later as senator of ...the Republic from 1951 to 1954. His investments in agriculture and education left important legacies for scientific activities in Bahia. Despite these achievements, historians may not have fully grasped his importance in the development of Bahia, especially in science. Seeking to fill this void, this paper addresses questions which have received little exploration in historiography: how did his education motivate his initiation into the public sphere and influence his political choices? What were his investments in the state? Was he an isolated case, or was he in line with the development policies of his time? As a result, we hope that this work will provide new historiographical approaches to Landulfo Alves’ contributions to science and higher education in Bahia.
Mixed stocks are described for
Chelonia mydas
and the frequency
of haplotypes in feeding areas can aid understanding of the genetic and
ecological diversity, since with this information it is ...possible to identify the
origin of the individuals. The current study aims to characterize and compare
genetic diversity along the coast of Paraná with 17 other feeding areas in the
Atlantic Ocean. A total of 285 samples from juveniles were DNA sequenced in the
control region, resulting in the identification of 12 haplotypes, with a
predominance of the CMA8 haplotype (69%) and the first registration of CMA23.
For the study subjects, haplotypic and nucleotide diversity were 0.469 ± 0.032
and 0.00189 ± 0.00020, respectively, and comparisons with other feeding areas
presented significant values for the majority of FST and ΦST. The results point
to the importance of this region and provide evidence that over the years a
mixed stock has used the region as a feeding area. This variation could be
related to sea currents, climatic changes, and oceanographic characteristics
that may alter the availability of food, water temperature, and the presence of
turtles. The current results can be considered in conservation plans for
Chelonia mydas
.
The pepper-bark tree (Warburgia salutaris) is one of the most highly valued medicinal plant species worldwide. Native to southern Africa, this species has been extensively harvested for the bark, ...which is widely used in traditional health practices. Illegal harvesting coupled with habitat degradation has contributed to fragmentation of populations and a severe decline in its distribution. Even though the species is included in the IUCN Red List as Endangered, genetic data that would help conservation efforts and future re-introductions are absent. We therefore developed new molecular markers to understand patterns of genetic diversity, structure, and gene flow of W. salutaris in one of its most important areas of occurrence (Mozambique). In this study, we have shown that, despite fragmentation and overexploitation, this species maintains a relatively high level of genetic diversity supporting the existence of random mating. Two genetic groups were found corresponding to the northern and southern locations. Our study suggests that, if local extinctions occurred in Mozambique, the pepper-bark tree persisted in sufficient numbers to retain a large proportion of genetic diversity. Management plans should concentrate on maintaining this high level of genetic variability through both in and ex-situ conservation actions.
Biochar is considered a promising option for the development of sustainable agroecosystems, due to its diverse agronomic and environmental benefits. In this context, the aim of this study was to ...carry out a bibliometric analysis on biochar research in Brazil within an agricultural context, including investigating the raw materials most employed for its production in the country. The analysis was conducted based on a search for scientific articles (peer-reviewed papers) at the Web of Science database (WoS Core Collection) from 2003 to 2020 specifically in Brazil. A performance analysis was carried out by applying a descriptive and metric approach concerning research constituents (authors, institutions, countries and keywords) and science mapping to clarify scientific collaborations and cognitive and intellectual structure patterns regarding the biochar domain in Brazilian research, using the VOSviewer software. The obtained studies were also analyzed individually to classify the different raw materials employed in biochar production. A total of 261 scientific articles met the screening criteria, indicating that the beginning of biochar publications in Brazil took place in 2003, increasing until 2015 and peaking in 2021. Institutions and authors with the highest publication contributions were the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) (Novotny E.), São Paulo University (USP) (Cerri C.) and Federal Lavras University (UFLA) (Melo L.). The United States, Spain, Australia, Germany and the Netherlands present the most collaborations on biochar research with Brazil. The biochar domain was highly associated with the following keywords: biochar, pyrogenic carbon, pyrolysis, charcoal, immobilization, black carbon, soil fertility and soil and characterization. Raw materials of plant origin were the most employed in biochar research in Brazil, with wood residues being the most studied and residues originated from the sugar-energy industry (straw, bagasse and filter cake) identified as exhibiting high potential for future studies. Poultry litter is the most promising animal waste for biochar production, while the use of biosolids can be innovative, contributing to the consolidation of biochar as an option for serious urban waste sanitary management problems.
PDF
