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The integrative role that Evolutionary theory plays within Biology is recognised by most scientific authors, as well as in governmental education policies, including Brazilian policies. However, teaching and learning evolution seems problematic in many countries, and Brazil is among those. Many factors may affect teachers' and students' perceptions towards evolution, and studies can help to reveal those factors. We used a conceptual questionnaire, the Measure of Acceptance of the Theory of Evolution (MATE) instrument, and a Knowledge test to assess (1) the level of acceptance and understanding of 23 undergraduate Biology students nearing the end of their course, (2) other factors that could affect these levels, including course structure, and (3) the most difficult topics regarding evolutionary biology. The results of this study showed that the students, on average, had a 'Very High Acceptance' (89.91) and a 'Very Low Knowledge' (59.42%) of Evolutionary theory, and also indicated a moderate positive correlation between the two (r = 0.66, p = 0.001). The most difficult topics were related to the definition of evolution and dating techniques. We believe that the present study provides evidence for policymakers to reformulate current school and university curricula in order to improve the teachers' acceptance and understanding of evolution and other biological concepts, consequently, helping students reduce their misconceptions related to evolutionary biology.

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Global studies on urban forests (UFs) have extensively covered both environmental and social aspects, including concerns about public health and green solutions provided by trees and forests in cities. However, this trend has not been widely observed in South America, particularly in cities located outside and distant from capital cities and wealthier regions. So, this study examines disparities in socioenvironmental justice of cities in the poorest region of Paraná State, Brazil, comparing to Curitiba (CWB), the capital and one of the greenest cities of Brazil, and proposes a methodology to surpass the scarcity of adequate dataset. A four-dimensional analysis covers the configuration of UF landscapes, the provision of ecosystem services, accessibility to UF, and their interrelation with socioeconomic indicators. We used high-resolution multispectral images from PlanetScope Dove and employed a machine learning algorithm to accurately map UF. We quantified landscape patterns of UFs using a variety of landscape metrics (LM), including mean patch area (AREA_MN), percentage of the landscape class (PLAND), largest patch index (LPI), mean shape index (SHAPE_MN), and the percentage of similar adjacencies (PLADJ). Additionally, we estimated ecosystem services such as total biomass (TB), carbon stock (TCS), carbon dioxide equivalent (CO 2 eq), urban heat island (UHI), and available public green areas (PGA). We created accessibility maps to PGA at distances of 300 and 800 m. A Mann-Kendall correlation analysis was employed to explore the relationships between these variables and various socioeconomic indicators, including the percentage of people in households without adequate water supply and sewage (TAEE), the percentage of the population living in urban households without garbage collection service (TPSL), the illiteracy rate of the population aged 15 years or older (TANAL), the proportion of people with per capita household income equal to or less than half minimum wage at year of 2010 (TVULNER), the number of schools (SCHOOLS), and the number of permanent residents (MPERM). The Sen's slope test was performed to determine the magnitude of these correlations. Our four-dimensional analysis revealed significant disparities in the distribution and accessibility of ecosystem services within the cities of southeastern Paraná State when compared to CWB. Correlation analyses revealed significant discrepancies between different socioeconomic conditions and the availability of ecosystem services. Financial vulnerability is positively correlated with ecosystem services, while the lack of sanitation negatively impacts their availability. The results highlight the urgent need for equitable distribution of UF ecosystem services. • Social equity in accessing urban forest ecosystem services is a fundamental aspect of sustainable urban planning. • Assessing social aspects of urban forests in southeastern cities of Paraná State, Brazil, can be challenging. • We found injustice in the distribution of and accessibility to public green areas (PGA) and ecosystem services. • Curitiba exhibits relatively greater levels of accessibility within 300- and 800-meter walking distances to PGA. • We noted disparities in socioeconomic indicators, such as financial vulnerability and the absence of sanitation services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blackberry (Rubus sp.) is a fruit whose commercial exploitation is starting in Brazil. Its cultivation began in the 70's and is increasing with the introduction and adaptation of new cultivars. However, little is known about the disparities in the composition and characteristics of the fruit from these new plants. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physicochemical characteristics of different cultivars ('Tupy', 'Guarani' and 'Cherokee') and selections (02/96, 07/001 and 03/001) of blackberries, which are being studied to generate cultivars adapted to Southern Region of Brazil. The objective color, soluble solids (SS), pH, titratable acidity, proximate composition and fatty acids of blackberries were evaluated. The fruit humidity ranged between 84.8 and 90.3%; protein between 0.09 and 0.14%, dietary fiber between 5.5 and 5.8% and ash between 0.27 and 0.49%. Selection 02/96 had the lowest ash content. SS ranged from 7.3 to 10.2°Brix, titratable acidity ranged between 1.30 and 1.58% citric acid and pH between 2.8 and 3.1. Selection 03/001 had the lowest SS value and it also had lower redness, but higher color saturation than 'Tupy' cultivar. The fatty acids found at higher concentration were palmitic (22-29%), oleic (13-32%) and linoleic acid (15- 33%), with differences in the concentration among blackberry genotypes. The varieties of blackberry evaluated showed good nutritional value with sugar and acidity levels suitable for industrialization. It also contained fatty acids important for maintaining health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food industry generates a significant amount of seed wastes from the juice production, frozen pulps and jams. Considering that the characterization of wastes is the first step to determine their potential use, the aim of the present study was to determine the composition and the antioxidant capacity of seeds from pitanga fruits with different flesh colors (purple, red and orange). Chemical composition results revealed that pitanga seeds are a good source of insoluble dietary fiber, with low protein and fat levels, and no relevant differences were found among pitanga seeds from different flesh colors. Pitanga seed extracts had powerful antioxidant capacity that was partially correlated to their high phenolic content and showed some variation according to the pitanga flesh colors. Accordingly, it's suggested that this low value waste of pitanga processing, could be used as a source of natural antioxidants and dietary fiber, for animal and/or human nutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The physicochemical properties of seed oils from three pumpkin species were assessed. • PSO was different in tocopherol, carotenoids and unsaturated fatty acids contents. • Phase inversion temperature (PIT) method was suitable to fabricate PSO nanoemulsions. • Droplet size of nanomax and nanopepo increased earlier during storage at 25 °C. • As the pH of the medium increased, the values of ζ-potential also increased increasing the stability. We present the chemical composition, quality parameters and antioxidant capacity of pumpkin seed oils (PSO) from Cucurbita pepo , Cucurbita maxima , and Cucurbita moschata cultivated in Brazil. In addition, PSO nanoemulsions (nanopepo, nanomax and nanomosc) were developed and their physical stabilities were assessed under long-term storage at two temperatures. Among the PSO, C. pepo presented the highest contents of polyunsaturated fatty acids, total carotenoids, and chlorophylls, but the lowest oxidative stability. Conversely, C. maxima PSO showed highest oxidative stability and total tocopherol content but the lowest chlorophyll content. Nanomax and nanopepo were more stable to droplet growth at 4 °C, while nanomosc was more stable at 25 °C. Nanopepo was the most stable formulation after the heating–cooling cycles, whereas nanomax was the most stable under centrifugation regardless the temperature. Overall, all nanoemulsions presented droplet diameter lower than 200 nm and ζ-potential approaching −30 mV until the end of storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carotenoid bioaccessibility is an important predictor of absorption and provitamin A intake. Humans do not synthesize carotenoids which need to be acquired from the diet, mainly from green leafy vegetables and fruits with colors from yellow to red. The carotenoid composition of five industrialized fruit-based baby food (Assorted fruits (AF); Tropical fruits (TF); Apple, mango, and carrot (AMC); Papaya and orange (PO); and Grape and banana (GB)) acquired in Brazil was determined, and the carotenoid bioaccessibility was calculated after in vitro digestion by the Infogest 2.0 protocol. The provitamin A carotenoids were converted to RAE (retinol activity equivalent) to estimate the vitamin A value. (All- E)-β-carotene bioaccessibility ranged from 5% for AF to 24% for AMC baby foods and from 1% for GB to 15.5% for TF baby foods for total carotenoid bioaccessibility. Regarding vitamin A intake, AMC baby food had the highest RAE value, 15 per portion of 120 g, corresponding to 3% of the dietary reference intake (DRI). Lipids and minerals positively affected the bioaccessibility of carotenoids, except for (all- E)-α-carotene. Interestingly, fiber content positively affected the bioaccessibility of (all- E)-α-carotene, while no effect was observed on the other carotenoids' micellarization. [Display omitted] • Fruit-based baby food nutrient content differs from label information. • Minerals affect carotenoid bioaccessibility from fruit-based baby food. • Fruit-based baby foods do not contribute significantly to children's vitamin A intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]