Search Results (176)

In this study, the effects of composting phase and bulking agent on macronutrient extraction and the chemical, physicochemical, and biological properties of 20 compost teas from poultry waste composting mixtures were evaluated. Phosphorus (P) extraction was more efficient during stabilization after the thermophilic phase; however, water-soluble P declined as composting progressed. K was more amenable to extraction, with yields ranging from 30% to 70%, followed by N (2% to 12%) and P (1% to 7%). Compost tea quality was clearly affected by both the bulking agent and the composting stage. Bulking agents that accelerate the process, such as cotton waste (CW) and Napier grass (NG), contributed to nutrient mineralization, increasing availability in the compost tea but also raising salt contents responsible for phytotoxicity. In contrast, tree trimmings (TT), sawdust (S), and sugarcane bagasse (SCB) showed better results, striking a balance between nutrient availability and salt content. The period between the thermophilic phase and cooling was the most suitable for extraction, providing the greatest contribution of water-soluble nutrients. This study highlights the influence of bulking agents and composting phases on nutrient extraction and phytotoxicity of compost teas and provides new insights into the role of electrical conductivity as a threshold indicator for safe agricultural application. Full article

The present study aimed to evaluate the aerobic stability, fermentation profile, microbiological diversity, and bromatological composition of the haylage of white oats obtained using three dehydration methods: (1) Mechanical (MEC); (2) Mechanical + Bacterial chemical compound (MEC + BCC); and (3) Chemical (CHE), where Glyphosate was used as a desiccant. The haylage made with the forage dehydrated by the mechanical method showed lower aerobic stability (69.20 h) and a higher cumulative temperature from 0 to 84 h and from 0 to 168 h (12.73 °C and 25.91 °C, respectively). The haylage made with Glyphosate-desiccated forage had higher concentrations of acetic acid (3.96 g kg⁻¹) and isobutyric acid (0.78 g kg⁻¹). The microbiological diversity and richness did not differ among the haylages produced. However, the relative abundance of the genera Pantoea and Lactobacillus was higher in the haylage made with Glyphosate-desiccated forage. The bacterial chemical compound guaranteed a haylage with lower lignin content (31.97 g kg⁻¹), lower acid detergent nitrogen (7.54 g kg⁻¹), and higher hemicellulose (211.72 g kg⁻¹). The haylage made from dehydrated forage by the Mechanical + Bacterial Chemical Compound methods presented a better fermentation pattern and had lower fermentation losses, and its bromatological quality was superior to the others. Full article

Brazil is a leading producer of multi-purpose crops—such as corn, soybean, and sugarcane—used for human consumption, animal feed, and biofuel production. This study generated agricultural inventories for these three crops based on state-level information. For sugarcane, we used primary data submitted by ethanol producers to RenovaBio. For soybean and corn, we retrieved and updated data from a previous study, which gathered information through panel consultations with farmers and sector experts. We also calculated the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the crops using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method. Our analysis revealed significant variability in emissions across states, especially for corn and sugarcane. Without considering direct land use change (dLUC), the states with the highest and lowest emissions for each crop were as follows: (i) sugarcane: Paraíba at 54 and Goiás at 37, with a national average of 42 kg CO₂e/t cane; (ii) soybean: Maranhão at 344 and Minas Gerais at 300, average of 323 kg CO₂e/t soy; (iii) first-crop corn: Maranhão at 416 and Mato Grosso at 264, average of 300 kg CO₂e/t corn; (iv) second-crop corn: Paraná at 306 and Minas Gerais at 153, average of 255 kg CO₂e/t corn. Emissions were inversely related to crop yields, with the exception of second-crop corn. In general, lower yields were observed in states of the Northeast region (e.g., Maranhão and Paraíba), which face challenges due to irregular climate patterns and water deficits. For sugarcane cultivated in the same region, emissions from straw burning had a significant impact, with the practice being applied to more than 60% of the crop area. If dLUC emissions were included, variability would increase dramatically—particularly for corn and soybean in some states—due to patterns of cropland expansion into native vegetation areas over the 2000–2019 period. In particular, total soybean emissions would range from 471 in Paraná to 2173 in Maranhão, with a national average of 1022 kg CO₂e/t soy. These findings can be valuable as references for life cycle databases, for the development of state-specific emission factors for biofuels produced from the investigated crops, and as supporting information for decarbonization programs. Full article

Characterizingthe spatial variability of agricultural data is a fundamental step in precision agriculture, especially in soil management and the creation of differentiated management units for increasing productivity. Modeling the spatial dependence structure using geostatistical methods is of great importance for efficiency, estimating the parameters that define this structure, and performing kriging-based interpolation. This work presents diagnostic techniques for global and local influence and generalized leverage using the displacement of the conditional expectation of the logarithm of the joint-likelihood, called the Q-function. This method is used to identify the presence of influential observations that can interfere with parameter estimations, geostatistics model selection, map construction, and spatial variability. To study spatially correlated data, we used reparameterized t-Student distribution linear spatial modeling. This distribution has been used as an alternative to the normal distribution when data have outliers, and it has the same form of covariance matrix as the normal distribution, which enables a direct comparison between them. The methodology is illustrated using one real data set, and the results showed that the modeling was more robust in the presence of influential observations. The study of these observations is indispensable for decision-making in precision agriculture. Full article

Over the last few years, the number of Brazilian immigrants living in Portugal has risen significantly, motivated by expectations of safety, prosperity, and professional success. However, the integration into the labor market frequently involves adversities such as professional devaluation, precarious working conditions, and experiences of social exclusion. This qualitative study aims to explore the work experiences of Brazilian immigrants in Portugal, with a special focus on how community support and collective resilience shape their ability to cope with adversity. Based on minority stress theory and intersectionality, we conducted 24 semi-structured interviews with Brazilian immigrants from diverse professional backgrounds. Thematic analysis revealed four main themes: (1) precarious integration into the labor market and underemployment, (2) experiences of xenophobia, racism, and discrimination, (3) mental health challenges and emotional exhaustion, and (4) community support and collective resilience. Participants emphasized the importance of informal solidarity networks to overcome institutional barriers and maintain emotional well-being. These results suggest that resilience is not only an individual resource, but a relational process rooted in everyday acts of care and connection. The study highlights the protective role of community in contexts of structural vulnerability and contributes to current discussions on migrant integration and well-being. Full article

Background/Objectives: Pyrostegia venusta (Cipó-de-São-João), a native Brazilian Cerrado plant, is rich antioxidant phytochemicals. The efficacy of herbal extracts, particularly their phenolic content and antioxidant potential, is influenced by the extraction method used. This study investigated the effects of two drying methods, hot-air oven drying and freeze-drying, on the antioxidant activity, cytotoxicity, and molecular interactions of aqueous extracts from the flowers and leaves of P. venusta. Methods: antioxidant capacity was assessed using DPPH, FRAP, and Folin–Ciocalteu assays; phenolic profiles were characterized by UHPLC; and cytotoxicity was evaluated via the MTT assay in HaCaT human keratinocyte cells. Additionally, in silico ADMET predictions were conducted to assess pharmacokinetics and potential toxicity, followed by molecular docking to evaluate interactions with the proliferation markers Ki-67 and PCNA. Results: freeze-dried extracts, particularly from the flowers, contained higher concentrations of phenolic compounds and exhibited superior antioxidant activity compared to hot-air oven-dried extracts. UHPLC analysis identified a range of bioactive phenolics including caffeic, chlorogenic, gallic, ferulic, and p-coumaric acids, quercetin, and anthocyanidins such as pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside and peonidin-3-O-glucoside, with distinct compositional differences between leaves and flowers. ADMET analysis revealed generally favorable pharmacokinetic properties for most compounds. Docking simulations indicated that multiple phenolics showed synergistic interactions with Ki-67 and PCNA. Conclusions: our findings highlight freeze-drying as the optimal method for preserving bioactive compounds in P. venusta and support the therapeutic potential of its flower extracts. The evidence supports the notion that the biological effects of P. venusta are driven by synergism among multiple constituents rather than isolated compounds. Full article

The objective of this study was to evaluate the temporal trend of suicide deaths and the disparities in the occurrence of suicide death between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. This ecological study analyzed deaths from intentionally self-inflicted injuries in the southern region of Brazil (states of Paraná, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul) from 2010 to 2019. The variables analyzed included annual frequency of events, age, sex, marital status, and education level. Descriptive analysis, association measures, and verification of temporal trends were performed. The average age-standardized suicide mortality rate for both populations was approximately 9.0 per 100,000 inhabitants, with a predominance among males (80%), single individuals (65%), and youth (37%). When only the state of Paraná was considered, the mortality rate during the period was 12.41 among the Indigenous population versus 6.94 per 100,000 inhabitants in the non-Indigenous population. In this state, the probability of suicide death was found to be almost twice as high among Indigenous men and women, with 13 times greater odds of death among Indigenous children and youth. A statistically significant temporal increase in the number of cases was observed only in the non-Indigenous population. An annual seasonal pattern of events among Indigenous individuals was suggested. The findings indicate a high suicide rate among the Indigenous population, particularly in Paraná, especially among young, single individuals, with a growing trend over the years. Full article

Hydrometridae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Gerromorpha) is represented in Brazil by 17 species, belonging to six genera and three subfamilies: Veliometra Andersen, 1977 (Heterocleptinae); Bacillometra Esaki, 1927, Cephalometra Polhemus & Ferreira, 2018, Hydrometra Latreille, 1797, Spelaeometra Polhemus & Ferreira, 2018 (Hydrometrinae); and Limnobatodes Hussey, 1925 (Limnobatodinae). Hydrometra is the richest genus in the country, with 11 recorded species. Here, we describe H. perobas Cordeiro, Floriano & Moreira, sp. nov., collected in the buffer zone of Reserva Biológica das Perobas, a protected area within the Atlantic Forest biome, state of Paraná, southern Brazil. We also provide a revised key to the species of Hydrometra recorded from Brazil. Full article

Background and Objectives: The cultivation of Humulus lupulus has been encouraged in Brazil, despite the country’s climate generally being unfavorable for its development. This study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition, antioxidant activity, and photoprotective potential of four H. lupulus varieties, Cascade, Columbus, Comet, and Nugget, cultivated in the northwestern region of Paraná State, Brazil. Methods: The varieties were grown in experimental plots. Crude extracts (CEs) of cones and leaves were obtained through dynamic maceration with solvent renewal (96% ethanol), followed by concentration in a rotary evaporator. Assays for sun protection factor (SPF), total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2.2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH^•) radical scavenging activity, and 2.2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS^•⁺) were performed to assess antioxidant activity. Chemical profiling was performed using UHPLC-MS/MS. Results: UHPLC-MS/MS analysis revealed the presence of phenolic and organic acids, flavonoids, phenolic aldehydes, alkaloids, and α-benzopyrone-type lactones, with high concentrations of rutin (>500 µg/g) in both cones and leaves. Total phenolic content ranged from 69.70 to 95.95 µg gallic acid equivalent/mg CE; flavonoids from 170.53 to 696.67 µg quercetin equivalent/mg CE; DPPH^• EC₅₀ values ranged from 1.34 to 3.13 mg/mL; FRAP from 1.19 to 2.52 µM ferrous sulfate/mg; ABTS^•⁺ from 5.11 to 22.60 mM Trolox/mg CE; and SPF ranged from 16.02 to 39.48 in the CE of H. lupulus cones and leaves. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that the cultivated varieties possess antioxidant and photoprotective properties, encouraging further studies to explore their potential applications. Full article

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) is a major oilseed crop rich in phytosterols and tocopherols, compounds associated with functional and nutritional properties of vegetable oils. This study aimed to apply, for the first time, Independent Component Analysis (ICA) to discriminate the composition of phytosterols (β-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol) and tocopherols (α, β, γ, δ) in 20 soybean genotypes—14 non-transgenic and six transgenic—cultivated in two major producing regions of Paraná state, Brazil (Londrina and Ponta Grossa). Lipophilic compounds were extracted from soybean seeds, quantified via gas chromatography and HPLC, and statistically analyzed using ICA with the JADE algorithm. The extracted independent components successfully differentiated soybean varieties based on phytochemical profiles. Notably, transgenic cultivars from Ponta Grossa exhibited higher levels of total tocopherols, including α- and β-tocopherol, while conventional cultivars from both regions showed elevated phytosterol content, particularly campesterol and stigmasterol. ICA proved to be a powerful unsupervised method for visualizing patterns in complex compositional data. These findings highlight the significant influence of genotype and growing region on the nutraceutical potential of soybean, and support the use of multivariate analysis as a strategic tool for cultivar selection aimed at enhancing functional quality in food applications. Full article

Small rodents are known hosts of various pathogens, including Hepatozoon, but until now, in Brazil, only Hepatozoon milleri has been described in these animals. In this study, liver samples and blood smears were obtained from 289 rodents belonging to 14 Cricetidae and two Muridae species that had been captured in municipalities of the states of Paraná and Rio de Janeiro. Smears were stained with Giemsa, and gametocytes were detected via microscopy in 10.72% (n = 31/289) of samples, with these individuals representing three rodent species. Significant morphometric differences were observed in gametocyte measurements in Akodon rodents. Using conventional PCR, Hepatozoon spp. 18S rDNA fragments were amplified in 24.91% (n = 72/289) of samples, with those individuals representing seven rodent species. Phylogenetic analyses clustered 41 sequences from this study into a subclade with other sequences from small mammals in Brazil, identifying four distinct haplotypes, and, for the first time, a relationship between Hepatozoon haplotype and gametocyte length was observed. Based on phylogenetic analysis, this study reinforces the trophic relationship between rodents and reptiles as a possible link in the Hepatozoon transmission cycle in South America. Furthermore, our findings expand knowledge on Hepatozoon spp. hosts, describing Oxymycterus nasutus and Oxymycterus quaestor as new host species and identifying two novel circulating haplotypes in rodents from Paraná State, southern Brazil. Full article

Background/Objectives: In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 have progressively displayed a range of symptoms linked to protracted COVID during the post-acute phase of illness. Concurrently, in several nations globally, the phenomenon of population aging has been intensifying. In this scenario, the aged population has become both vulnerable and high-risk during the acute phase of COVID-19, and faces significant dangers associated with long-COVID. This study seeks to analyze the incidence and spatial distribution of health complications in older people affected by COVID-19, in the first year of the pandemic (2020), in the State of Paraná, as well as to identify the factors associated with the development of cardiovascular, neurological, respiratory, and metabolic diseases. Method: An observational and retrospective study was carried out in the Brazilian state of Paraná. Participants were randomly selected from two databases. A total of 893 older people (≥60 years) participated in the study 12 months after acute COVID-19 infection. Telephone questionnaires were applied between March and December 2021. The Moran index test, logistic regression, and Poisson models were used to analyze the data. Results: In terms of age, most participants (66%) were between 60 and 69 years old, 25.8% were between 70 and 79 years old, and 8.2% were 80 years old or older. Most participants were female (51.2%), white (98.1%), had a partner (69.8%), and had been hospitalized due to COVID-19 (59.3%). Cardiovascular diseases were the most frequent in the population (39.5%), followed by metabolic diseases (27.3%). The long-term use of medication was associated with the development of metabolic diseases (aOR = 9.8), cardiovascular diseases (aOR = 6.6), and diseases in multiple organic systems (aOR = 3.2); living alone was associated with neurological diseases (aOR = 2.5), and the age group of 80 years or older (aOR = 2.4) was associated with cardiovascular events. The spatial distribution showed that complications in body groups are distributed randomly among the health regions of the state, with no influence from neighboring locations. Conclusions: Post-COVID-19 health complications are more frequent in older adults who have comorbidities and long-term medication use. Therefore, long-term monitoring of these individuals and investment in public policies for rehabilitation and prevention of complications are necessary. Full article

The equitable use and distribution of shared water resources is a topic of renewed regional debate in Latin America, especially given the recent review of the Binational ITAIPU Treaty between Brazil and Paraguay. Building more equitable and transparent agreements in this context requires an understanding of the historical trends of negotiations. This study analyzes five decades of negotiations on the shared use of water resources in the Paraná River Basin, drawing on interviews with former negotiators and officials from Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. The complex interaction between internal dynamics and geopolitical factors in establishing state-owned transboundary hydroelectric plants is highlighted. Based on these findings, we propose a conceptual framework that identifies the key elements to consider when negotiating strategic resources at national and regional levels. This study, extending beyond the Paraná basin, offers an applicable model for managing other shared natural resources, providing useful insights into negotiation strategies for transboundary resource and infrastructure management. Full article

Pollination is a determining factor in achieving economic yield in hazelnut cultivation, and together with variable climate conditions, this requires the use of artificial pollination. This study evaluated the efficiency of artificial pollination performed with a manual sprayer using pollen from three pollinizer cultivars on the ‘Tonda Francescana^®’ commercial orchard and the effect of different pollen sources on nuts. Dry pollens were applied by a Pollen Blower machine twice during female blooming. The pollen of ‘Nocchione’ determined the highest fruit set and yield per tree, even if it did not determine the highest blank seed percentage. The open pollinizers exhibited a lower sphericity and shape index (NSI), ‘Camponica’ pollen was associated with the biggest nut and kernel; ‘San Giovanni’ pollen showed higher nut elongation. Artificial pollination turned out to be a good tool to increase yield, but its efficiency is strongly influenced by the pollen used. Full article

This study evaluated the effects of zootechnical additives in combination with antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) on broiler performance, leukocyte differential activity, phagocytic activity, intestinal histomorphometry, and the inside index. A total of 1400 one-day-old Cobb 500 male chicks were assigned to a completely randomized design with seven treatments and eight replicates of 25 birds per unit. The treatments included a basal diet without AGPs, a basal diet with AGPs, and AGPs combined with different zootechnical additives: prebiotics (fructooligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, beta-glucans, and mannan-oligosaccharides), probiotics (Bacillus subtilis LFU160), essential oils (cashew nut shell liquid), and organic acids (butyric acid glycerides). The results showed the treatments combining AGPs and zootechnical additives had better effects (p < 0.05) on weight gain, feed intake, the feed conversion ratio, and the productive efficiency index. The phagocytic activity was worse in birds without AGPs and with AGPs but without additives. However, birds that received AGPs in combination with zootechnical additives exhibited a poorer intestinal histomorphometry and lower inside index compared to those fed only AGPs or diets without AGPs. In conclusion, zootechnical additives can be used alongside AGPs to enhance broiler performance and immune function, particularly during early growth stages, with essential oils showing the most promising results. Full article