Low biochar rates (5 Mg ha −1 ) increased bacterial richness and diversity in degraded soil. Biochar origin controlled microbial assembly and niche specialization patterns. Sewage-sludge biochar favored stress-tolerant and metal-adapted bacterial taxa. Cashew bagasse biochar enhanced nitrogen cycling and chemoheterotrophic functions. Network complexity peaked at intermediate biochar doses and declined at high rates. Biochar ha...

This study evaluated the effects of providing 3–15 kg of a soluble and biodegradable biopolymer-based enrichment material (blend of biodegradable polymers and natural fibers) to prepartum sows housed in farrowing crates. Fifteen sows were blocked by body weight and backfat thickness and assigned to three treatments: no enrichment material (CONT), 3 kg of enrichment material (BN3), or 15 kg of enrichment material with added nut...

The seasonality of forage production is one of the main challenges in semi-arid regions, where environmental conditions limit agricultural productivity. One promising option is the use of elephant grass ‘BRS Capiaçu’, together with deficit irrigation. This study evaluated the impact of different irrigation depths with brackish water (50%, 75%, 100% and 125% of the reference evapotranspiration – ET 0 ) on the productive, physio...

Commercial LTA-type zeolite was evaluated for the adsorption of Mn 2+ and Zn 2+ from aqueous solutions, with emphasis on the relationship between framework properties and adsorption behavior. Despite its very low BET surface area, the zeolite showed rapid and highly efficient uptake of both metal ions, reaching near-equilibrium within the first minute. Kinetic modeling indicated site-controlled adsorption consistent with pseud...

Theobroma cacao L. genetic transformation still relies predominantly on somatic embryogenesis-based systems, which are often genotype-dependent, labor-intensive, and associated with prolonged culture periods. In this study, we developed an alternative regeneration platform based on mature seed-derived embryonic axes and evaluated its suitability for biolistic DNA delivery. Embryonic axes from the cacao cultivars ‘TSH1188’ and...

Key message Although leaf turgor loss point reflects osmotic potential variation in Eucalyptus, the osmometer method alone does not reliably rank drought tolerance among genotypes in breeding-oriented common-garden trials. Abstract Increasing droughts driven by climate change highlight the need to identify traits associated with drought tolerance in tree breeding programs. However, finding operationalizable traits that effecti...

The definition of ore and waste blocks is typically made using run-of-mine cut-off grades, calculated with Lane’s formula. This approach implicitly considers metallurgical recovery and yield; however, it overlooks one important ore property: the quality of the product concentrate. This problem can be overcome by leveraging extensive geometallurgical knowledge and this paper presents an example of the gains that can be achieved...

This study presented the industrial-scale validation of a two-stage growth strategy for a poorly explored yet industrially relevant chlorophyte microalga, Chlorococcum amblystomatis , addressing the gap between laboratory research and practical application. By using cultures grown heterotrophically as inoculum for industrial-scale photoautotrophic reactors, this approach significantly accelerated scale-up. The proposed strateg...

This paper presents a numerical investigation of the daily cyclic response of the backfill-abutment system of a semi-integral bridge subjected to thermally induced lateral movements. A two-dimensional finite element model was developed to investigate lateral earth pressures on the abutment and deformations in the backfill soil resulting from expansion-contraction cycles of the superstructure over 100 daily cycles. The model wa...

Rotifers play key roles in aquatic ecosystems, yet significant uncertainty remains about their diversity and evolution, and further evidence is needed to determine how reliably their responses to global change and human impacts can inform conservation. To identify major knowledge gaps hindering progress, we carried out a Delphi process both online and during the 17 th International Rotifer Symposium, involving more than 40 exp...

Catfishes of the subfamily Trichomycterinae comprise the most diverse fish group with species adapted to live in Neotropical caves, but past evolutionary scenarios that have driven the origin of these troglobitic species remain unknown. We herein investigate the phylogenetic position of the cave‐restricted Trichomycterus rubbioli , endemic to the semi‐arid Caatinga of northeastern Brazil, through a time‐calibrated molecular ph...

Aim We investigate the distribution of dispersal modes — endozoochory (via animal ingestion), synzoochory (via animal seed accumulation) and anemochory (via wind)—and seed mass of woody plants across Brazilian ecosystems, testing whether their relative abundance in local plant communities could be predicted by climate, edaphic factors and dispersal agents (e.g., the main vectors moving seeds). We expected climate to be the mai...

In social insects, nutrient acquisition can emerge from the integration of processes operating at both individual and colony levels. We hypothesize that food storage in termite mounds enables microbial predigestion of plant material, thereby enhancing nutrient acquisition at the colony level. Here, we investigate how food storage and associated microbial communities contribute to nutrient processing in the Neotropical mound-bu...

An exceptionally large blood O 2 store underlies the remarkable dive performance of elephant seals. However, elevated carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) concentrations in these seals complicate estimations of blood O 2 content and O 2 depletion rates, and may also affect monitoring of brain oxygenation in seals with new non-invasive near-infrared (NIR) recorders. Using hemoximetry analyses of blood samples during sleep apneas of juvenil...

Four new species of the small‐sized armoured catfish genus Pareiorhina are described from mountain ranges in the Grande River drainage, upper Paraná River basin, based on morphological and molecular species delimitation methods. Molecular analyses based on the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) marker recovered Pareiorhina as polyphyletic, with none of the 11 nominal species, including the 4 newly described, forming a clade wi...