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Rhynchospora is one of the most species-rich genera of Cyperaceae, comprising c. 400 species in 28 sections. Rhyncospora section Tenues is one of the largest sections and one of the most problematic. Because it is morphologically similar to sections Laevinuces , Luzuliformes and Spermodontes , the characters traditionally used to distinguish section Tenues cannot be reliably used to place species into one of these four sections. These four sections are included in the Psilocarya group of Rhynchospora subgenus Rhynchospora with sections Psilocarya and Dichromena. Previous molecular studies of Rhynchospora indicate that species of the Psilocarya group form a clade and are sister to at least some species of the sections being studied here. Since only 11 of the estimated 41 species in these four sections were included in earlier phylogenetic studies, the relationships among these sections remain unclear. To elucidate these relationships, we conducted a molecular phylogenetic analysis for Rhynchospora , based on plastid trnL -F and nuclear ETS and ITS markers, emphasizing species in these four sections. Results show that sections Laevinuces , Spermodontes and Tenues are individually not monophyletic but, grouped together, form a well-supported clade, Rhynchospora section Tenues s.l. Rhynchospora section Luzuliformes is monophyletic but is not a sister clade of section Tenues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to World Health Organization, 80% of world population uses traditional practices for primary health care, and 85% of this shares the use of medicinal plants or plants-based preparations. Thus, the present work had as objective to investigate the profile of herbal medicine use as well as the conditions to the alive pharmacy implementation in four basic health units in the city of Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil. For such, 84 family health professionals were interviewed about the use of medicinal plants. Concerning the indication of medicinal plants, 41.67% of the health staff prescribes medicinal plants, 55.95% reported never having prescribed medicinal plants and 2.4% abstained from responding. Despite the intention to use phytotherapy as a therapeutic practice, this practice is not yet fully inserted in the analyzed units due to factors such as lack of training and specific protocols to assist professionals in the use of medicinal plants and phytotherapics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: We offer a first classification of South Brazilian grasslands (Campos Sulinos) based on quantitative vegetation data and describing grassland types in terms of dominant and indicator species. Location: South Brazilian grasslands (Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul states). Methods: We described vegetation plots in 167 sampling units throughout the region using a stratified nested design, totalizing 1,502 1 m² quadrats. We classified vegetation using cluster analysis based on Bray–Curtis dissimilarities, establishing three vegetation types and ten subtypes. We conducted indicator species analysis within the resulting subtypes, and for all possible combinations of subtypes. Results: In the cluster analyses, a clear separation of poorly drained grasslands from the drier sites appeared. Further, a clear distinction between grasslands in the South Brazilian highland region, situated in the Atlantic Forest biome, and the grasslands of the Pampa biome, to the south, emerged, reflecting climatic and management differences. Highland grasslands showed lower species cover dominance, while in the Pampa, Paspalum notatum clearly was the most important species and the abundance of exotic species was higher. Conclusions: Our study provides the first classification of South Brazilian grasslands based on quantitative vegetation data recorded in a standardized sampling design. The data support the division of grasslands into the main phytogeographic units of the region (Brazilian biome classification). Grasslands in these two regions also differ in terms of species dominance pattern (higher dominance in Pampa grasslands, likely also due to higher grazing levels) and in terms of conservation state (low presence of exotic species in highland grasslands). Our results are important for conservation policies, which can now consider the presence of different grassland types in different region, but more data will be necessary for a more detailed classification that considers different abiotic features in more detail. Subtropical mesic to poorly drained grassland communities from South Brazil were classified for the first time based on quantitative data. Three vegetation types and ten subtypes corresponding to the mesic grasslands in the highland region and the mesic and humid grasslands in the Pampa biome were found. Grassland subtypes differ in terms of species dominance pattern and conservation state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollination deficit could cause low yields in cashew (Anacardium occidentale) and it is possible that deforestation surrounding cashew plantations may prevent effective pollinators from visiting cashew flowers and contribute to this deficit. In the present work, we investigated the proximity effect of small and large forest fragments on the abundance and flower visits by feral Apis mellifera and wild native pollinators to cashew flowers and their interactions with yield in cashew plantations. Cashew nut yield was highest when plantations bordered a small forest fragment and were close to the large forest fragment. Yield from plantations that did not border small forest fragments but were close to the large forest fragment did not differ to yield from plantations at a greater distance to the large forest fragment. Flower visits by wild native pollinators, mainly Trigona spinipes, were negatively affected by distance to the large forest remnant and their numbers were directly correlated to nut yield. The number of A. mellifera visiting cashew flowers did not change significantly with distance to forest fragments, nor was it correlated with yield. We conclude that increasing the number of wild pollinator visits may increase yield, and proximity to large forest fragments are important for this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective--To evaluate the intrarenal anatomy of kidneys obtained from cattle and to propose a new classification for the renal collecting system of cattle. Sample Population--37 kidneys from 20 adult male mixed-breed cattle. Procedures--lntrarenal anatomy was evaluated by the use of 3-D endocasts made of the kidneys. The number of renal lobes and minor renal calyces in each kidney and each renal region (cranial pole, caudal pole, and hilus) was quantified. Results--The renal pelvis was evident in all casts and was classified into 2 types (nondilated [28/37 {75.7%}] or dilated [9/37 {24.3%}]). All casts had a major renal calyx associated with the cranial pole and the caudal pole. The number of minor renal calices per kidney ranged from 13 to 64 (mean, 22.7).There was a significant correlation between the number of renal lobes and the number of minor renal calices for the entire kidney, the cranial pole region, and the hilus region; however, there was not a similar significant correlation for the caudal pole region. Major and minor renal calices were extremely narrow, compared with major and minor renal calices in pigs and humans. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance--The renal collecting system of cattle, with a renal pelvis and 2 major renal calices connected to several minor renal calices by an infundibulum, differed substantially from the renal collecting system of pigs and humans. From a morphological standpoint, the kidneys of cattle were not suitable for use as a model in endourologic research and training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this work was to obtain and record detailed and accurate measurements of the bovine kidney and to compare these new data with findings in humans. Thirty-eight bovine kidneys were used. The total number of lobes, along with the number of lobes located in the cranial polar, caudal polar and hilar regions, were recorded. Several measurements of the kidneys were made and evaluated. The hilar region presents the greatest length (mean of 76.87 mm) of the 3 renal regions of the kidney. The large area of the bovine renal hilus could make access to hilar structures easier than in the human kidney. The coefficient of variation for renal length was small (8.14%), while the coefficient of variation for the lobar number was high (26.82%). The number of renal lobes ranged from 13 to 35, with a mean of 20.62. The hilar region presents the highest number of lobes, while the cranial pole presents the lowest. The number of lobes in the cranial and caudal poles increases with the width of these regions. This is different from the hilar region, in which the lobar number increases with the length of the hilus. These data indicate that the adult bovine kidney can be used as a model for certain urologic procedures, but researchers must be aware that there are some major differences between the adult bovine kidney and the human kidney, as indicated by the data reported in this paper. Copyright © 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work proposes the use of the automatic Short Message Service (SMS) of a Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) network to transmit the control information to a Doubly Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) of a wind turbine, according to the Smart Grid (SG) concept. In the proposed strategy, the Control Center (CC) can remotely transmit the required power references (active and reactive) to the DFIG controller, in order to manage the power generation of the wind turbine dynamically. The proposed wireless network was developed in a Software Defined Radio (SDR) transceiver connected to an OpenBTS platform. The control information can be directly inserted in the Open Base Transceiver Station (OpenBTS) server (located at the CC) or sent by a wireless device (e.g., mobile phone) connected to the GSM network, and then transmitted to the wireless receiver at the wind turbine. The receiver on the turbine side was developed in a microcontroller board with a GSM card, and the DFIG controller was implemented in a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) board. The results of the tests showed that the DFIG can be satisfactorily controlled according to the power references, considering that they vary at low rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]