Chemical elements in sediments and in bivalve mollusks from estuarine regions in the south of Bahia State, northeast Brazil

Estuaries receive daily inputs of chemical elements which can impact the quality of water and sediment, as well as the health of biota. In addition to the sediment, bivalve mollusks have been used in the chemical monitoring of these systems. This study investigated the presence and contents of As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn in superficial sediment and in bivalves (Crassostrea gasar, C. rhizophorae and Mytella guyanensis) from estuaries in the south / extreme south of Bahia State, northeast Brazil. The samples were evaluated with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES, Varian 710). Except for Cd, all other elements were found in the samples, being that Co was exclusive in the sediment. The estuaries equivalent to sampling stations #1 - Valença, #2 - Taperoá, #3 - Ilhéus and #4 - Belmonte showed levels of metals compatibles with those established by the Brazilian legislation, however, the #5 - Santa Cruz Cabrália, in addition to the presence of As, presented a high level of Pb and Cu in C. gasar, which was attributed to the impacts of nautical activities in that locality.

Characterization of obstetric care developed in teaching hospitals in a capital of northeast Brazil

ABSTRACT Objective: to describe the obstetric care developed in teaching hospitals (TH) in the city of Maceió-AL, intended for high-risk pregnancies. Methods: Retrospective cohort study performed between June and November 2018 with 291 women who received assistance with vaginal delivery, cesarean section, or abortion process in teaching hospitals selected as settings for this research. Data collection allowed the characterization of the interviewees as well as the assistance received and its relationship with obstetric violence. The analysis was performed using descriptive and analytical statistics with the aid of the Epi Info software (version 7.2.0.1) and measures that allowed the comparison of means and proportions. Results: All women reported at least one violent situation, contrary to recommendations based on scientific evidence. Conclusion: It becomes necessary to optimize professional training to deconstruct obstetric care based on medicalization and pathologization of pregnancy and strengthen science-based care.

Nature vs policy: drought and famine in the northeast of Brazil, 1877-79

Droughts followed by famines were common in Brazil, mainly in Northeast Brazil, until the 1980s and were frequently devastating, destroying livelihoods. A succession of droughts resulted in harvest failure, triggering famines in some cases. Famine-like conditions prevailed mainly in the 1877-79 Grande Seca (Great Drought), in which many died of malnutrition-related causes. In subsequent droughts, famine-like conditions reoccurred, but the extent of starvation-induced deaths declined to almost zero. Do only available political theories and known natural and socio-political factors, such as climate, topography, and market viability, provide sufficient data to investigate the causes of the drought of 1877-1879? The author concludes that there is little or no research, accumulated knowledge and information on the possible factors that satisfactorily explain why the drought and famine episodes were so impactful in that period.

Defining Biologically Meaningful Biomes Through Floristic, Functional, and Phylogenetic Data

While we have largely improved our understanding on what biomes are and their utility in global change ecology, conservation planning, and evolutionary biology is clear, there is no consensus on how biomes should be delimited or mapped. Existing methods emphasize different aspects of biomes, with different strengths and limitations. We introduce a novel approach to biome delimitation and mapping, based upon combining individual regionalizations derived from floristic, functional, and phylogenetic data linked to environmentally trained species distribution models. We define “core Biomes” as areas where independent regionalizations agree and “transition zones” as those whose biome identity is not corroborated by all analyses. We apply this approach to delimiting the neglected Caatinga seasonally dry tropical forest biome in northeast Brazil. We delimit the “core Caatinga” as a smaller and more climatically limited area than previous definitions, and argue it represents a floristically, functionally, and phylogenetically coherent unit within the driest parts of northeast Brazil. “Caatinga transition zones” represent a large and biologically important area, highlighting that ecological and evolutionary processes work across environmental gradients and that biomes are not categorical variables. We discuss the differences among individual regionalizations in an ecological and evolutionary context and the potential limitations and utility of individual and combined biome delimitations. Our integrated ecological and evolutionary definition of the Caatinga and associated transition zones are argued to best describe and map biologically meaningful biomes.

Perception of Environmental Impacts of Wind Farms in Agricultural Areas of Northeast Brazil

In recent years, wind power in Brazil has emerged as an alternative to diversify the country′s energy mix and minimize the emission of pollutants derived from fossil fuels. The state of Rio Grande do Norte, in the Brazilian Northeast, has considerable potential for the generation of wind energy due to the occurrence of strong winds in many areas along the coast and in the interior of the state, in places with higher altitudes. However, wind energy, despite being considered clean and renewable, can cause environmental impacts in those places. Thus, the present study analyzed the perception of environmental impacts caused by the installation of wind farms in the agricultural areas of Northeast Brazil. The study was carried out in the municipality of Serra do Mel, in the western region of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, based on a survey of local farmers. The study concluded that farmers live without major problems and without apparent conflicts with wind farms but have little knowledge about the environmental impacts. In the perception of most farmers, there are few negative environmental impacts, and those that exist are barely noticed or still do not cause damage to most farmers in the region.

Notes on Stigmoderini (Coleoptera, Buprestidae) from Brazil, with the description of a new species of Hiperantha Gistel, 1834, and new distributional records

A new species of Hiperantha (Hyperanthoides) is described from northeast Brazil: Hiperantha (Hyperanthoides) pikachu sp. nov. Identification key of the genus Hiperantha is modified to include the new species. We also present a compilation of all species of the genus known from Brazil, including new state records for the following species: H. (s. str.) interrogationis (Klug, 1825), H. (H.) testacea (Fabricius, 1801), H. (s. str.) menetriesii Mannerheim, 1837, H. (s. str.) menetriesii ornaticollis (Gory & Laporte, 1839), H. (s. str.) bella Saunders, 1869 and H. (H.) decorata (Gory, 1841).

Droughts and aridity in northeast Brazil

ABSTRACT. Results of a study of droughts and aridity in northeast Brazil are presented in this paper. The study is based on the analysis of yearly water balances at fifteen stations in the region. Incidence of droughts of varying intensities at the stations is discussed. Climatic shifts at the stations are evaluated on the basis of the moisture index values. The use of the cumulative deviation technique in drought studies is briefly mentioned.