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Modernizing dairy cattle farming techniques promotes a gradual shift from traditional pasture-based systems to confinement with higher investments in animal comfort and welfare, such as the compost barn system (CBS). In this method, animals generate composted waste in the barn itself, on the bedding where they are housed, which is of high fertilizing potential, and whose subsequent application to soils can affect the functionality of edaphic organisms. The study aimed to evaluate the toxicity on edaphic organisms (Folsomia candidaand Eisenia andrei) of increasing doses of CB bedding applied to two soils with different textural characteristics. Ecotoxicological tests were standardized following the recommendations of ISO 11268-1 and 11268-2 for earthworms, and ISO 11267 for springtails. The experimental design was completely randomized with five replications, with the treatments being CB bedding doses (0, 6, 12, 18, 24, and 30 t of waste ha-1). Data were subjected to normality (Shapiro-Wilk) and variance homogeneity (Levene) tests, followed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post-hoc comparisons using the Dunnett test (p

Abstract: Aim In this study, we investigated the distribution of Anabaenopsis elenkinii and Limnospira platensis in the saline-alkaline lakes of Nhecolândia (Pantanal wetland) and evaluated the impact of pH, temperature, and nitrogen on their growth and development to understand their ecological responses, showing insights into their ecophysiology in both cultured and natural environments. Methods Both species were collected in the subsurface, using a plastic bottle (200 mL) and the parameters temperature, conductivity, and pH were measured in situ. From these samples, the strains A. elenkinii CCIBt1059 and L. platensis CCIBt3335 were isolated and underwent six different cultivation treatments, in triplicate, during 30 days, with daily cell count, photoperiod of 12-12 hours of light-dark, and light intensity between 80-100 µmol photons m-2.s-1, using BG-11 modified medium, as follows: nitrate concentration experiments were performed with a 750 mg.L-1 NaNO3 (50%) and a nitrogen-free condition (0%) (T1 vs T2); temperature experiments were performed with 30 °C and 35 °C (T3 vs T4); pH experiments with 10.5 and 7.0 (T5 vs T6). The adopted control conditions were BG-11m medium (3% NaNO3, 45 mg.L-1), pH adjusted to 9.5, and temperature set at 25 °C. Results We have found that the treatment with the highest nitrogen availability (T1), pH of 9.5, and a temperature of 25 °C, provides the most favorable conditions for the growth of both studied species. In nature, A. elenkinii occurred predominantly between pH 9.04 to 10.4 (average 9.8) and L. platensis at pH 9.22 to 10.23 (mean 9.9), highlighting the alkaliphilic nature of these species. Furthermore, we observed that temperature influences the frequency of heterocyte formation in A. elenkinii. At elevated temperatures (30 and 35 °C), the frequency of heterocytes was higher compared to 25 °C during the exponential growth phase, indicating that increased heterocyte formation is a strategy in response to temperature stress. Conclusions This research provides valuable insights into the ecological aspects and optimization of the cultivation of the two species studied, which hold ecological significance to saline lakes. Further studies are recommended to explore their potential biotechnological applications.

A alteração na estrutura natural da paisagem afeta condições abióticas e promove uma resposta biológica da comunidade local. A diversidade de organismos edáficos está relacionada com a diversidade de outros táxons e características abióticas, representando potenciais bioindicadores do ecossistema. O objetivo deste trabalho foi identificar quais atributos do solo explicam a comunidade de coleópteros e explorar seus efeitos por meio da modelagem espacial. O estudo foi desenvolvido em três paisagens do oeste de Santa Catarina (Brasil) localizadas em: Chapecó, Pinhalzinho e São Miguel do Oeste. Os sistemas de uso e cobertura do solo identificados foram: plantio direto, floresta nativa, pastagem, plantio de eucalipto, integração lavoura-pecuária e capoeira. Foram realizadas coletas de solo, liteira e coleópteros. A seleção das variáveis foi realizada pela Análise de Táxons Indicadores de Limiares e a modelagem espacial pela Geoestatística. Maiores valores de resistência a penetração associados ao sistema de plantio direto promoveram menor abundância de coleópteros da família Staphylinidae, condicionadas pela porosidade total do solo. Menores valores de umidade volumétrica, identificados em sistema plantio direto próximo de fragmentos de vegetação nativa, promoveram maior abundância da família Nitidulidae, em razão da adaptabilidade da família ao ambiente seco. A tendência de maior concentração de carbono microbiano em áreas de vegetação nativa explicou a maior abundância da família Chrysomelidae nessas áreas, em decorrência dos hábitos fitófagos das espécies dessa família. Dessa forma, a comunidade de coleópteros possui potencial como bioindicador da qualidade do solo e suas relações com os atributos físicos — químicos e microbiológicos — do solo podem ser modeladas espacialmente por meio da Geoestatística.

Only a subset of patients will typically respond to any given prescribed drug. The time it takes clinicians to declare a treatment ineffective leaves the patient in an impaired state and at unnecessary risk for adverse drug effects. Thus, diagnostic tests robustly predicting the most effective and safe medication for each patient prior to starting pharmacotherapy would have tremendous clinical value. In this article, we evaluated the use of genetic markers to estimate ancestry as a predictive component of such diagnostic tests. We first estimated each patient's unique mosaic of ancestral backgrounds using genome-wide SNP data collected in the Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) (n = 765) and the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) (n = 1892). Next, we performed multiple regression analyses to estimate the predictive power of these ancestral dimensions. For 136/89 treatment-outcome combinations tested in CATIE/STAR*D, results indicated 1.67/1.84 times higher median test statistics than expected under the null hypothesis assuming no predictive power (p

We studied nineteen populations of A. platensis (Microcoleaceae, Cyanobacteria), from Pantanal (Brazil) shallow, saline and alkaline lakes. The lakes are connected to the Paraná and Paraguay Rivers Basins, and during wet seasons, the waters flow towards La Plata River estuary. Morphology of natural populations and cultures were analyzed using optical microscope, and 16S rDNA sequences were used for the BI and ML phylogenetic analysis. The morphological analysis shows that our populations fit in the original description of A. platensis, but with additional aerotopes. Also, it is evident that these structures are facultative and the species is planktonic, rather than benthic without aerotopes, as originally described. The phylogenetic analysis shows our strains in the monophyletic Limnospira clade. Considering that, in this paper we transfer the species A. platensis to the genus Limnospira, based on phylogenetic and morphological data. This new taxonomical combination is supported also by ecological data, and indicates that the species is more related and abundant in Pantanal, than in La Plata Basin, region from where it was originally described. According to our results, L. platensis is planktonic or benthic and typical from saline, alkaline and warm waters.

Objective: to evaluate aspects related to the analysis of prescriptions by clinical pharmacists and the rate of medication-related errors after the implementation of an AI tool for the analysis of medical prescriptions in a large public teaching hospital in the city of Belo Horizonte/MG. Method: This is an observational study in which the results of the analysis of medical prescriptions performed in two periods were verified: the first (denoted BEFORE), period previously to the use of the AI tool (NoHarm.ai), in the months of March to September 2021; the second (named AFTER), comprises the same period in 2022, already in use of the AI tool. Results: In the BEFORE period, it was found that the rate of prescriptions evaluated was 0.6%, with an error rate of 13% and an average of 85 pharmaceutical interventions/month, which resulted in average savings of direct medication costs of R$1020.76/month. In the AFTER period, there was a 49% evaluated prescription rate and a 0.3% error rate and an average of 239 pharmaceutical interventions/month, with an estimated savings of R$ 7848.39/month. Conclusion: The use of an AI tool contributed substantially to the pharmaceutical analysis of medical prescriptions with an average increase of 50% in the prescriptions evaluated, a 43-fold reduction in the number of errors and generated almost triple the number of pharmaceutical interventions after the implementation of the tool, in addition to the direct savings obtained with these interventions that increased sevenfold. The results of this study show that the use of an AI tool probable save of financial resources, increased productivity of the Clinical Pharmacy Service, and increased safety related to the medication use.

Os campos sulinos são ambientes sensíveis que vêm sofrendo considerável diminuição em área ao longo dos anos, principalmente para dar lugar a silvicultura e monoculturas. Além disso, por se tratar de vegetação predominante gramínea, estas áreas são utilizadas largamente pela pecuária. Assim, nosso objetivo foi avaliar os impactos da presença e manejo de áreas de silvicultura e pecuária, através da riqueza e abundância dos macronivertebrados aquáticos bentônicos em riachos do Refúgio da Vida silvestre Campos de Palmas PR. Para tal, foram amostrados dez riachos com quatro fitofisionomias diferentes. Para verificar a qualidade ambiental, foram utilizados os índices BMWP e EPT, além da verificação da presença de poluentes emergentes. Os resultados demonstram que a presença de áreas de silvicultura e o manejo do gado possuem os valores mais baixos de BMWP e EPT. Isso demonstra a fragilidade ambiental nas áreas de campos que possuem criação extensiva de gado. Os demais pontos obtiveram índices satisfatórios na qualidade da água.

Background Cocoa is an important tropical tree crop that is mainly cultivated in agroforestry systems (AFS). This system, known as cabruca in northeastern Brazil, holds promise to reconcile biodiversity conservation and economic development. However, since cocoa AFS alters forest structure composition, it can affect litter dynamics in riparian zones and streams. Thus, our objective was to determine litter inputs and standing stocks in riparian zones and streams under three types of forest: managed cocoa AFS, abandoned cocoa AFS, and secondary forest. Methods We determined terrestrial litter fall (TI), vertical (VI) and lateral (LI) litter inputs to streams, and litter standing stocks on streambeds (BS) in the Atlantic Forest of northeastern Brazil. Litter was collected every 30 days from August 2018 to July 2019 using custom-made traps. The litter was dried, separated into four fractions (leaves, branches, reproductive organs, and miscellaneous material) and weighed. Results Terrestrial litter fall was similar in all forests, ranging from 89 g m−2 month−1 in secondary forest (SF) to 96 g m−2 month−1 in abandoned cocoa AFS (AC). Vertical input were higher in AC (82 g m−2 month−1) and MC (69 g m−2 month−1) than in SF (40 g m−2 month−1), whereas lateral input were higher in MC (43 g m−2 month−1) than in AC (15 g m−2 month−1) and SF (24 g m−2 month−1). Standing stocks followed the order SF > AC > MC, corresponding to 425, 299 and 152 g m−2. Leaves contributed most to all litter fractions in all forests. Reproductive plant parts accounted for a larger proportion in managed AFS. Branches and miscellaneous litter were also similar in all forests, except for higher benthic standing stocks of miscellaneous litter in the SF. Despite differences in the amounts of litter inputs and standing stocks among the forests, seasonal patterns in the abandoned AFS (AC) were more similar to those of the secondary forest (SF) than the managed AFS, suggesting potential of abandoned AFS to restore litter dynamics resembling those of secondary forests.

Aedes aegypti has overcome all kinds of mosquito control attempts over the last century. Strategies for population control resorts to the use of synthetic insecticides, which can lead to problems like human intoxication and environmental contamination. The effects of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti), Ilex paraguariensis (yerba mate), and Ilex theezans (caúna herb) extracts against A. aegypti larvae were evaluated. The bioassays were conducted under controlled laboratory conditions of temperature (27 ± 3°C) and photoperiod (12 h). Hydroalcoholic extract of the leaves of I. theezans displayed better residual effect compared to the aqueous extract of I. paraguariensis fruits. The strongest residual effect of I. theezans was probably due to the presence of certain chemicals in its leaves, such as coumarins, hemolytic saponins, and cyanogenic glucosides, which were absent in I. paraguariensis. The results herein contributed to the prospection of natural insecticides and opened the possibility for subsequent studies on the use of plant extracts in field situations in a short-time scale.

Abstract ACE2 and TMPRSS2 are key players on SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells. However, it is still unclear whether expression levels of these factors could reflect disease severity. Here, a case–control study was conducted with 213 SARS-CoV-2 positive individuals where cases were defined as COVID-19 patients with respiratory distress requiring oxygen support (N = 38) and controls were those with mild to moderate symptoms of the disease who did not need oxygen therapy along the entire clinical course (N = 175). ACE2 and TMPRSS2 mRNA levels were evaluated in nasopharyngeal swab samples by RT-qPCR and logistic regression analyzes were applied to estimate associations with respiratory outcomes. ACE2 and TMPRSS2 levels positively correlated with age, which was also strongly associated with respiratory distress. Increased nasopharyngeal ACE2 levels showed a protective effect against this outcome (adjOR = 0.30; 95% CI 0.09–0.91), while TMPRSS2/ACE2 ratio was associated with risk (adjOR = 4.28; 95% CI 1.36–13.48). On stepwise regression, TMPRSS2/ACE2 ratio outperformed ACE2 to model COVID-19 severity. When nasopharyngeal swabs were compared to bronchoalveolar lavages in an independent cohort of COVID-19 patients under mechanical ventilation, similar expression levels of these genes were observed. These data suggest nasopharyngeal TMPRSS2/ACE2 as a promising candidate for further prediction models on COVID-19.

Abstract The atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) flow occurs due to the interaction between the Earth’s surface and atmosphere, and it usually happens under thermal stratification. Therefore, in order to emulate this phenomenon, atmospheric wind tunnels need appropriate devices, such as spires and cubical roughness elements, at the entrance of the wind tunnel to create atmospheric characteristics for the analysis. In the current study, numerical and experimental investigations of the thermally stratified boundary layer are performed. The experimental data are measured using Inmetro’s atmospheric wind tunnel. Two different spires set configurations and inlet velocities are considered. Moreover, the compressible Navier-Stokes equations using the k-epsilon turbulence model are computed by OpenFOAM opensource software. The simulated results and measured data presented a good overall agreement and showed that the proposed configuration provides the desired thermal and dynamic boundary layer necessary for the study of ABL.

Brazil records alarming rates of epidemic violence against women and LGBTQ+. According to statistics, the country ranks as the fifth most violent for women and the deadliest in the world for homosexuals. On the other hand, progressive policies to support both groups have been implemented by different public administrations in the last decades generating remarkable milestones. Despite being considered as cutting-edge, those actions have not necessarily translated into a reduction of violence. One explanation for these paradoxes between progressive policies to protect women, LGBTQ+ and the frequent violence against these groups, might be found in historical, cultural, and religious roots. This article highlights that, notwithstanding that some progress was made in Brazil, the rise of conservative and far-right groups may undermine all the advancement reached in the last decades, which could lead to the aggravation of the gender-based violence in the country.

On the electrocardiogram, the PR interval reflects conduction from the atria to ventricles and also serves as risk indicator of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Here, the authors perform genome-wide meta-analyses for PR interval in multiple ancestries and identify 141 previously unreported genetic loci.

Recently, in Brazil, corn ethanol industries are being installed and the integration with sugar/energy-cane has been proposed, using bagasse for cogeneration and the juice to dilute the corn. However, this integration may have some limitations, such as the quality of the cane juice and potential contamination by microorganisms brought with the cane from the field. In this article, we first tested the effects of mixing energy cane juice with corn on fermentative parameters. We also assessed the effects of Lactobacilli. contamination on organic acids produced during the fermentation and fermentation parameters and proposed the use of ionizing radiation to replace antibiotics as a disinfection control method. Our results showed that mixing energy cane juice with corn does not have any negative effect on fermentation parameters, including ethanol production. The contamination with Lactobacilli. considerably increased the production of acetic, lactic, and succinic acid, reducing the pH and ethanol content from 89.2 g L−1 in the sterilized treatment to 72.9 g L−1 in the contaminated treatment. Therefore, for the integration between corn and cane to be applied on an industrial scale, it is essential to have effective disinfection before fermentation. Ionizing radiation (20 kGy) virtually disinfected the wort, showing itself to be a promising technology; however, an economic viability study for adopting it in the industry should be carried out.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) undergo splicing and have multiple transcribed isoforms. Nevertheless, for lncRNAs, as well as for mRNA, measurements of expression are routinely performed only at the gene level. Metformin is the first-line oral therapy for type 2 diabetes mellitus and other metabolic diseases. However, its mechanism of action remains not thoroughly explained. Transcriptomic analyses using metformin in different cell types reveal that only protein-coding genes are considered. We aimed to characterize lncRNA isoforms that were differentially affected by metformin treatment on multiple human cell types (three cancer, two non-cancer) and to provide insights into the lncRNA regulation by this drug. We selected six series to perform a differential expression (DE) isoform analysis. We also inferred the biological roles for lncRNA DE isoforms using in silico tools. We found the same isoform of an lncRNA (AC016831.6-205) highly expressed in all six metformin series, which has a second exon putatively coding for a peptide with relevance to the drug action. Moreover, the other two lncRNA isoforms (ZBED5-AS1-207 and AC125807.2-201) may also behave as cis-regulatory elements to the expression of transcripts in their vicinity. Our results strongly reinforce the importance of considering DE isoforms of lncRNA for understanding metformin mechanisms at the molecular level.

Salmonella Typhimurium is associated with foodborne diseases worldwide, including in Peru, and its emerging antibiotic resistance (AMR) is now a global public health problem. Therefore, country-specific monitoring of the AMR emergence is vital to control this pathogen, and in these aspects, whole genome sequence (WGS)—based approaches are better than gene-based analyses. Here, we performed the antimicrobial susceptibility test for ten widely used antibiotics and WGS-based various analyses of 90 S. Typhimurium isolates (human, animal, and environment) from 14 cities of Peru isolated from 2000 to 2017 to understand the lineage and antimicrobial resistance pattern of this pathogen in Peru. Our results suggest that the Peruvian isolates are of Typhimurium serovar and predominantly belong to sequence type ST19. Genomic diversity analyses indicate an open pan-genome, and at least ten lineages are circulating in Peru. A total of 48.8% and 31.0% of isolates are phenotypically and genotypically resistant to at least one antibiotic, while 12.0% are multi-drug resistant (MDR). Genotype–phenotype correlations for ten tested drugs show >80% accuracy, and >90% specificity. Sensitivity above 90% was only achieved for ciprofloxacin and ceftazidime. Two lineages exhibit the majority of the MDR isolates. A total of 63 different AMR genes are detected, of which 30 are found in 17 different plasmids. Transmissible plasmids such as lncI-gamma/k, IncI1-I(Alpha), Col(pHAD28), IncFIB, IncHI2, and lncI2 that carry AMR genes associated with third-generation antibiotics are also identified. Finally, three new non-synonymous single nucleotide variations (SNVs) for nalidixic acid and eight new SNVs for nitrofurantoin resistance are predicted using genome-wide association studies, comparative genomics, and functional annotation. Our analysis provides for the first time the WGS-based details of the circulating S. Typhimurium lineages and their antimicrobial resistance pattern in Peru.

Arboviruses pose a major threat throughout the world and represent a great burden in tropical countries of South America. Although generally associated with moderate febrile illness, in more severe cases they can lead to neurological outcomes, such as encephalitis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and Congenital Syndromes. In this context astrocytes play a central role in production of inflammatory cytokines, regulation of extracellular matrix, and control of glutamate driven neurotoxicity in the central nervous system. Here, we presented a comprehensive genome-wide transcriptome analysis of human primary astrocytes infected with Chikungunya, Mayaro, Oropouche, or Zika viruses. Analyses of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), pathway enrichment, and interactomes have shown that Alphaviruses up-regulated genes related to elastic fiber formation and N-glycosylation of glycoproteins, with down-regulation of cell cycle and DNA stability and chromosome maintenance genes. In contrast, Oropouche virus up-regulated cell cycle and DNA maintenance and condensation pathways while down-regulated extracellular matrix, collagen metabolism, glutamate and ion transporters pathways. Zika virus infection only up-regulated eukaryotic translation machinery while down-regulated interferon pathways. Reactome and integration analysis revealed a common signature in down-regulation of innate immune response, antiviral response, and inflammatory cytokines associated to interferon pathway for all arboviruses tested. Validation of interferon stimulated genes by reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) corroborated our transcriptome findings. Altogether, our results showed a co-evolution in the mechanisms involved in the escape of arboviruses to antiviral immune response mediated by the interferon (IFN) pathway.

The Islamic Feminism is a powerful movement which is shaking the patriarchal structure in the Muslim world, since women have largely granted accesses to education. Even though, the movement is not uniform, and it gathers many different voices even, sometimes, disagreeing of its fundamental goals. The essay states that the reinterpretation of the Quranic message – originated in solid education – by the feminists claiming equality in the society is perceived as a threat by the fundamentalist – and in some cases by members of the Political Islam group – and offers a critique of the mainstream male Islamic discourse, based on some Islamic feminist authors interpretation. Ultimately, the essay finishes presenting the case of Malala Yousafzai as a reference. Furthermore, the essay grounds its analyses juxtaposing various interpretations within this movement and among relevant authors and scholars such as Fatema Mernissi and Amina Wadud. It also presents the discussions from two different angles before stating the conclusion of the research.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused immeasurable impacts on the health and socioeconomic system. The real-time identification and characterization of new Variants of Concern (VOCs) are critical to comprehend its emergence and spread worldwide. In this sense, we carried out a national epidemiological surveillance program in Brazil from April to October 2021. Genotyping by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and sequencing were performed to monitor the dynamics and dissemination of VOCs in samples from 15 federative units. Delta VOC was first detected on June 2021 and took sixteen weeks to replace Gamma. To assess the transmissibility potential of Gamma and Delta VOCs, we studied the dynamics of RT-qPCR cycle threshold (Ct) score in the dominance period of each variant. The data suggest that Delta VOC has a higher transmission rate than Gamma VOC. We also compared relevant symptom patterns in individuals infected with both VOCs. The Delta-infected subjects were less likely to have low oxygen saturation or fatigue, altered results on chest computed tomography, and a propensity for altered X-rays. Altogether, we described the replacement of Gamma by Delta, Delta enhanced transmissibility, and differences in symptom presentation.

Este artigo analisa o significado social da formação de professores a partir da política de expansão e interiorização do ensino superior implementada à partir do ano de 2003 no Brasil. Para tal, além do levantamento de dados em documentos oficiais federais e institucionais, realizou-se uma pesquisa qualitativa com 39 discentes ingressantes dos primeiros cursos de licenciatura de um Campus Universitário Federal na Baixada Fluminense, região metropolitana do Rio de Janeiro (BR). Para a coleta de dados foi aplicado um questionário semiestruturado o qual foi explorado com base na análise de conteúdo de Bardin (1979). Os resultados da investigação, entre outros aspectos, evidenciava que a implementação do Campus da Universidade na Baixada Fluminense parece estar contribuindo com a mobilidade social e a redução das desigualdades sociais na região, ainda que de forma lenta.

The emergence of diverse lineages harboring mutations with functional significance and potentially enhanced transmissibility imposes an increased difficulty on the containment of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic [...]

Microorganisms play a vital role in maintaining soil fertility and plant health. They can act as biofertilizers and increase the resistance to biotic and abiotic stress. This study aimed at isolating and characterizing plant growth-promoting bacteria associated with sugarcane, as well as assessing their ability to promote plant growth. Endophytic bacteria from leaf, stem, root and rhizosphere were isolated from the RB 867515 commercial sugarcane variety and screened for indole acetic acid (IAA) production, ability to solubilize phosphate, fix nitrogen and produce hydrogen cyanide (HCN), ammonia and the enzymes pectinase, cellulase and chitinase. A total of 136 bacteria were isolated, with 83 of them presenting some plant growth mechanism: 47 % phosphate solubilizers, 26 % nitrogen fixers and 57 % producing IAA, 0.7 % HCN and chitinase, 45 % ammonia, 30 % cellulose and 8 % pectinase. The seven best isolates were tested for their ability to promote plant growth in maize. The isolates tested for plant growth promotion belong to the Enterobacteriaceae family and the Klebsiella, Enterobacter and Pantoea genera. Five isolates promoted plant growth in greenhouse experiments, showing potential as biofertilizers.

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a diversidade vegetal de fanerógamas em três matas de galeria no Distrito Federal, Brasil. O estudo foi realizado na Área de Proteção Ambiental Gama-Cabeça de Veado, a partir do levantamento fitossociológico em 12 parcelas paralelas aos córregos das matas de galerias amostradas, totalizando 3600 m2 de área. Foram identificadas 146 espécies, sendo Fabaceae, Myrtaceae e Rubiaceae as famí­lias mais representativas. Apenas sete espécies ocorreram concomitantemente nas áreas estudadas, indicando elevada diversidade, sobretudo em termos de árvores e arbustos. Os valores de riqueza de espécies e diversidade de Shannon foram maiores no córrego Cabeça-de-Veado (JBB), comparado ao córrego Capetinga (FAL) e Roncador (IBGE), respectivamente. Enquanto que a Dominância Absoluta apresentou maiores valores no córrego Roncador, comparado aos córregos Capetinga e Cabeça-de-Veado, respectivamente. Assim, observamos que a diversidade de espécies está relacionada heterogeneidade ambiental das matas amostradas, as quais estão relacionadas as caracterí­sticas edáficas e do regime hidrológico.

Neste texto apresentamos alguns resultados do projeto de pesquisa Epistemologia e Psicologia em Educação: aprofundamentos acerca dos processos de elaboração conceitual entre licenciandos em Química. Por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas com alunos do 5º ano de um curso de Licenciatura em Química de uma universidade pública brasileira investigou-se os processos de elaboração conceitual do termo Relações de Ensino. As entrevistas foram gravadas, transcritas e analisadas com base na abordagem da Psicologia Histórico-Cultural. Neste trabalho apresentamos alguns excertos selecionados a partir dos discursos de três alunos. Concluímos que os processos de elaboração são ressiginificados ao longo da carreira docente; são construídas e transformadas de acordo com a história pregressa e; o esforço de entender como ocorrem as relações de ensino passa pelo espaço institucionalizado da escola que demarca discursos, comportamentos e identidades docentes.