scholarly journals Effects of logging on Virola surinamensis in an Amazonian floodplain forest

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Leandro V. Ferreira ◽  
Denise A. Cunha ◽  
Pia Parolin
Keyword(s):  
Population Structure ◽  
Genetic Resources ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Timber Species ◽  
Floodplain Forests ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Conservation Program ◽  
Priority Species ◽  
New Policies ◽  
The Impact

Virola surinamensis is a dioecious timber species of Amazonian floodplain forests. It is threatened by extinction and a priority species in the conservation program of genetic resources with high economic value for Brazil. The present study was aimed to assess the population structure of Virola surinamensis and the impact of logging in the estuary region of Brazilian Amazonia. Our data suggest that altering the dioecious population structure by logging likely creates the imbalance of male and female individuals in the population. New policies are needed to protect Virola trees with a special regard on reproductive matriarch trees.

scholarly journals Commercial Logging of Timber Species Enhances Amazon (Brazil) Nut Populations: Insights from Bolivian Managed Forests

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 1059
Author(s):  
Marlene Soriano ◽  
Pieter A. Zuidema ◽  
Cristina Barber ◽  
Frits Mohren ◽  
Nataly Ascarrunz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Amazon Basin ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Selective Logging ◽  
Timber Species ◽  
Multiple Use ◽  
Brazil Nut ◽  
Disturbed Area ◽  
The Impact

A typical case of multiple-use forest management (MFM) in Southwestern Amazon is the commercial harvesting of Amazon or Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa) seeds and of timber of other tree species. Although the Amazon nut is the most important non-timber forest product (NTFP) in the Amazon basin, the species is under serious threat due to deforestation and may also be affected by overharvesting. However, selective logging of other tree species coexisting with Bertholletia may positively affect Bertholletia populations, thus enabling a special case for MFM. For this research, we investigated the impact of the intensity of Amazon nut harvesting and timber logging on Bertholletia populations in the Bolivian Amazon. We used demographic data from 72 two-hectare transects located within 24 community-based household forests varying in the intensity of nut collection (0–100%) and timber logging (0–15% of logging-disturbed forest area). Simulated Bertholletia population size increased with logging intensity but decreased with Amazon nut harvesting intensity. Bertholletia populations were projected to grow at the average MFM harvesting scenario tested: 57.4% of nut harvesting, 5.3% of logging-disturbed area (λ100 = 1.011). Our simulations also revealed that up to 89% of Amazon nut seeds can be harvested while sustaining Bertholletia populations, under 15% of logging-disturbed area, and applying liana cutting. Modest levels of timber logging and application of liana cutting may compensate for the negative effect of Amazon nut collection on Bertholletia populations for the next century. Our study demonstrates that Amazon nut and timber production could be combined in a sustainable MFM scheme, thus increasing the economic value of managed tropical forests and its promotion to reduce the increasing pressure by deforestation.

Water in the economy of Tamil Nadu, India: more flexible water allocation policies offer a possible way out of water-induced economic stagnation and will be good for the environment and the poor

Water Policy ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramesh Bhatia ◽  
John Briscoe ◽  
R. P. S. Malik ◽  
Lindy Miller ◽  
Smita Misra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Allocation ◽  
Water Policy ◽  
Tamil Nadu ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
The State ◽  
Allocation Policy ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
State Income ◽  
Important Exception ◽  
The Impact

The state of Tamil Nadu, India, is in the grips of a water crisis, with demand far outstripping supply. As the economy of the state grows, this crisis is going to become ever more serious. To date the focus of state water policy has been on trying to augment supplies, from within the state (even from desalinization) and from neighboring states. In addition, the water use is regulated in a way that does not encourage the highest value uses. International experience shows that supply-side measures must be complemented by demand-side measures and that practice must move away from fixed, command-and-control allocation policies towards flexible allocation mechanisms, which facilitate the voluntary movement of water from low to high-value uses. This study addresses the question of whether such a change in allocation policies is worth doing. It addresses this question by developing optimization models for each of the 17 river basins in Tamil Nadu (including an assessment of the economic value of water in different end-uses – agriculture, domestic and industry), then using an input–output model embedded in a social accounting matrix (SAM), to assess the impact of these changes on the state economy and on different rural and urban employment groups. The results suggest that a shift to a flexible water allocation system would bring major environmental, economic and social benefits to the state. Compared with the current “fixed sectoral allocation” policy, a flexible allocation policy would, in 2020, result in 15% less overall water used; 24% less water pumped from aquifers; 20% higher state income; with all strata, rich and poor, benefiting similarly, with one important exception, that of agricultural laborers.

scholarly journals The Influence of Diet and Sex on the Gut Microbiota of Lean and Obese JCR:LA-cp Rats

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1037
Author(s):  
Craig Resch ◽  
Mihir Parikh ◽  
J. Alejandro Austria ◽  
Spencer D. Proctor ◽  
Thomas Netticadan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Control Diet ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Alpha Diversity ◽  
Short Chain Fatty Acids ◽  
Female Rats ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Ground Flaxseed ◽  
The Impact

There is an increased interest in the gut microbiota as it relates to health and obesity. The impact of diet and sex on the gut microbiota in conjunction with obesity also demands extensive systemic investigation. Thus, the influence of sex, diet, and flaxseed supplementation on the gut microbiota was examined in the JCR:LA-cp rat model of genetic obesity. Male and female obese rats were randomized into four groups (n = 8) to receive, for 12 weeks, either (a) control diet (Con), (b) control diet supplemented with 10% ground flaxseed (CFlax), (c) a high-fat, high sucrose (HFHS) diet, or (d) HFHS supplemented with 10% ground flaxseed (HFlax). Male and female JCR:LA-cp lean rats served as genetic controls and received similar dietary interventions. Illumine MiSeq sequencing revealed a richer microbiota in rats fed control diets rather than HFHS diets. Obese female rats had lower alpha-diversity than lean female; however, both sexes of obese and lean JCR rats differed significantly in β-diversity, as their gut microbiota was composed of different abundances of bacterial types. The feeding of an HFHS diet affected the diversity by increasing the phylum Bacteroidetes and reducing bacterial species from phylum Firmicutes. Fecal short-chain fatty acids such as acetate, propionate, and butyrate-producing bacterial species were correspondingly impacted by the HFHS diet. Flax supplementation improved the gut microbiota by decreasing the abundance of Blautia and Eubacterium dolichum. Collectively, our data show that an HFHS diet results in gut microbiota dysbiosis in a sex-dependent manner. Flaxseed supplementation to the diet had a significant impact on gut microbiota diversity under both flax control and HFHS dietary conditions.

The impact of maternal protein restriction during perinatal life on the response to a septic insult in adult rats

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Reza Khazaee ◽  
Anastasiya Vinokurtseva ◽  
Lynda A. McCaig ◽  
Cory Yamashita ◽  
Daniel B. Hardy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Control Diet ◽  
Protein Restriction ◽  
Saline Control ◽  
Female Adult ◽  
Adult Rats ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Maternal Protein Restriction ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Septic Insult

Abstract Although abundant evidence exists that adverse events during pregnancy lead to chronic conditions, there is limited information on the impact of acute insults such as sepsis. This study tested the hypothesis that impaired fetal development leads to altered organ responses to a septic insult in both male and female adult offspring. Fetal growth restricted (FGR) rats were generated using a maternal protein-restricted diet. Male and female FGR and control diet rats were housed until 150–160 d of age when they were exposed either a saline (control) or a fecal slurry intraperitoneal (Sepsis) injection. After 6 h, livers and lungs were analyzed for inflammation and, additionally, the amounts and function of pulmonary surfactant were measured. The results showed increases in the steady-state mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines in the liver in response to the septic insult in both males and females; these responses were not different between FGR and control diet groups. In the lungs, cytokines were not detectable in any of the experimental groups. A significant decrease in the relative amount of surfactant was observed in male FGR offspring, but this was not observed in control males or in female animals. Overall, it is concluded that FGR induced by maternal protein restriction does not impact liver and lung inflammatory response to sepsis in either male or female adult rats. An altered septic response in male FGR offspring with respect to surfactant may imply a contribution to lung dysfunction.

Profile of a short-acting κ-antagonist, LY2795050, on self-grooming behaviors, forced swim test and locomotor activity: sex comparison in mice

2021 ◽  
pp. 026988112199688
Author(s):  
Eduardo R Butelman ◽  
Caroline Baynard ◽  
Bryan D McElroy ◽  
Thomas E Prisinzano ◽  
Mary Jeanne Kreek
Keyword(s):  
Locomotor Activity ◽  
Forced Swim Test ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Short Acting ◽  
Swim Test ◽  
Central Nervous System Dysfunction ◽  
Forced Swim ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Κ Receptor

Background: Novel short-acting κ(kappa)-opioid receptor selective antagonists are translational tools to examine the impact of the κ-receptor/dynorphin system in assays related to central nervous system dysfunction (e.g., substance use disorders, anhedonia and depression). The effects of such compounds have been compared in males and females under very limited conditions. Aims: The goal of this study was to examine potential sex differences in the effects of a κ-agonist and a short-acting κ-antagonist in an ethologically relevant test of anhedonia, the “splash test” of self-grooming, and also in the forced swim test and in locomotor activity. Methods: We examined the dose-dependence of grooming deficits caused by the κ-agonist U50,488 (0.1–3.2 mg/kg intraperitoneal (i.p.)) in gonadally intact adult male and female C57BL/6J mice. We then compared the effects of the short-acting κ-antagonist LY2795050 ((3-chloro-4-(4-(((2S)-2-pyridin-3-ylpyrrolidin-1-yl)methyl) phenoxy)benzamide)); 0.032–0.1 mg/kg i.p.) in blocking grooming deficits caused by U50,488 (3.2 mg/kg). The effects of LY2795050 were also studied in the forced swim test (FST). The effects of LY2795050 in blocking the locomotor depressant effects of U50,488 (10 mg/kg) were also studied. Results: U50,488 produced dose-dependent grooming deficits in male and female mice, and LY2795050 prevented these effects. In contrast, LY2795050 decreased immobility in the FST in males at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg, but not in females, up to a dose of 0.32 mg/kg. Also, LY2795050 (0.32 mg/kg) prevented and also reversed the locomotor-depressant effects of U50,488 (10 mg/kg), in males and females. Conclusions: This study further implicates the κ-receptor system in ethologically relevant aspects of anhedonia, and confirms sexual dimorphism in some behavioral effects of novel κ-antagonists.

024 Quiescent Wakefulness: Characterising the Impact of Oxytocin on Sleep-Wake Behaviour in Male and Female Rats

SLEEP ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. A11-A11
Author(s):  
Joel Raymond ◽  
Nicholas Everett ◽  
Anand Gururajan ◽  
Michael Bowen
Keyword(s):  
Rem Sleep ◽  
Sleep Onset ◽  
Conscious State ◽  
Positive Control ◽  
Female Rats ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Routes Of Administration ◽  
Male And Female Rats ◽  
Competing Hypotheses ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Introduction Oxytocin is a versatile hypothalamic neuropeptide involved in diverse neurobehavioural processes. Since oxytocin can elicit anxiolytic and serenic effects, one could hypothesise that oxytocin should prime the brain for sleep and promote hypnogenesis. However, based on the social salience hypothesis—that oxytocin promotes prosocial behaviour and directs attention toward social stimuli—one could also posit that oxytocin should promote wakefulness. At present, little research has comprehensively characterised the effect of oxytocin on sleep-wake behaviour and no explanation to reconcile these two seemingly competing hypotheses has been proposed. Methods This study investigated the effects of oxytocin on sleep-wake outcomes using radiotelemetry-based polysomnography in adult male and female Wistar rats. Oxytocin was administered via the intraperitoneal (IP; 0.1, 0.3 and 1 mg/kg) and intranasal (IN; 0.06, 1, 3 mg/kg) routes. Caffeine (IP and IN; 10 mg/kg) was also administered as a wake-promoting positive control. Additionally, pre-treatment with the oxytocin receptor (OTR) antagonist L-368,899 (IP; 5 mg/kg) and vasopressin 1a receptor (V1aR) antagonist SR49059 (IP; 1 mg/kg) followed by oxytocin (IP; 1 mg/kg) was conducted to determine which receptor(s) mediated sleep-wake effects of oxytocin. Results In both male and female rats, IP oxytocin produced dose-dependent effects on sleep-wake behaviour. Specifically, oxytocin initially promoted quiescent wakefulness (a restful but conscious state) at the cost of reducing both active wakefulness and sleep. Throughout the 1.5-hour period post-administration, oxytocin delayed REM sleep onset and reduced the proportion of both NREM and REM sleep. Conversely, IN oxytocin did not significantly alter any sleep-wake parameters at any dose tested. Caffeine demonstrated wake-promoting effects under both the IP and IN routes of administration. The involvement of OTR and V1aR binding in oxytocin-induced effects on sleep-wake outcomes will be discussed. Conclusion These findings appear to reconcile the two competing hypotheses: in rats, IP oxytocin appears to promote a state of quiescent wakefulness—one of calm and rest, but also of conscious responsivity to environmental stimuli. IN oxytocin demonstrated little to no effect on sleep-wake behaviour, which is a crucial finding given the escalating use of IN oxytocin as a therapeutic for conditions with comorbid disordered sleep. Support (if any) None.

scholarly journals The impact of different doses of vitamin A supplementation on male and female mortality. A randomised trial from Guinea-Bissau

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorthe Yakymenko ◽  
Christine S Benn ◽  
Cesario Martins ◽  
Birgitte R Diness ◽  
Ane B Fisker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin A ◽  
Randomised Trial ◽  
Female Mortality ◽  
Vitamin A Supplementation ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Guinea Bissau ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Different Doses

scholarly journals Effects of Intensive Meditation on Sex-Role Identification: Implications for a Control Model of Psychological Health

1982 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-46
Author(s):  
Deane H. Shapiro ◽  
Johanna Shapiro ◽  
Roger N. Walsh ◽  
Dan Brown
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Health ◽  
Sex Role ◽  
Control Model ◽  
Significant Shift ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Role Identification ◽  
Masculinity And Femininity ◽  
Meditation Retreat ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Female Subjects

This study assessed the impact of a 3-mo. meditation retreat on 15 respondents' self-perceived masculinity and femininity. As hypothesized, male and female subjects, who on pretest perceived themselves to be more stereotypically feminine than normative samples, on posttest reported a significant shift to even greater endorsement of feminine adjectives and less endorsement of masculine adjectives.

scholarly journals The Risk of Partner Aggression Research: Impact of Laboratory Couples Conflict Protocols on Participants

2006 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 483-497 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela J. Owen ◽  
Richard E. Heyman ◽  
Amy M. Smith Slep
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Research Impact ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Partner Aggression ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Impact Measure ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Male To Female ◽  
Couples Conflict

The impact of male-to-female intimate partner violence (IPV) research on participants is unknown. A measure of impact was given to participants in an IPV study to assess systematically the impact of completing questionnaires, engaging in conflict conversations, and being interviewed individually about anger escalation and de-escalation during the conversations. Participants completed a six-question, Likert-scaled impact measure. Both male and female participants rated the impact of the study as helpful to them personally and to their relationships. Female participants rated different segments of the study as more helpful to themselves and their relationships, while male participants did not find any segment of the study to have a different impact than other segments.

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