Bryophytes in fragments of Terra Firme forest on the great curve of the Xingu River, Pará state, Brazil.

Microclimatic conditions of tropical forest favour the high richness of bryophytes, which by being sensitive to environmental changes, are important indicators of habitat conditions. The aim of this study was to determine the richness and species composition of the bryophyte flora in fragments of terra firme forest on the great curve of the Xingu River, Pará state, Brazil. The collections were made in August and September 2012 in 14 fragments, in which were installed two plots per fragment, one at the edge and one inside, measuring 10 × 10 m each. The results showed 77 species in 45 genera and 18 families. Lejeunea setiloba Spruce and Marchesinia brachiata (Sw.) Schiffn. are new records for Pará state. The richness families in this study were the ones typically found in tropical forest surveys. A high richness of rare species in comparison to common ones, a pattern usually observed for plants in tropical forests was not reported in this study, probably due to historical fragmentation and disturbance in the area. The richness and species composition were determined mainly by the physiognomic characteristics of the studied forest fragments.

Bryophytes in fragments of Terra Firme forest on the great curve of the Xingu River, Pará state, Brazil 1 Part of Master's Dissertation of the first author / Briófitas em fragmentos florestais de terra firme na região da Volta Grande do Xingu, Pará, Brasil

Microclimatic conditions of tropical forest favour the high richness of bryophytes, which by being sensitive to environmental changes, are important indicators of habitat conditions. The aim of this study was to determine the richness and species composition of the bryophyte flora in fragments of terra firme forest on the great curve of the Xingu River, Pará state, Brazil. The collections were made in August and September 2012 in 14 fragments, in which were installed two plots per fragment, one at the edge and one inside, measuring 10 × 10 m each. The results showed 77 species in 45 genera and 18 families. Lejeunea setiloba Spruce and Marchesinia brachiata (Sw.) Schiffn. are new records for Pará state. The richness families in this study were the ones typically found in tropical forest surveys. A high richness of rare species in comparison to common ones, a pattern usually observed for plants in tropical forests was not reported in this study, probably due to historical fragmentation and disturbance in the area. The richness and species composition were determined mainly by the physiognomic characteristics of the studied forest fragments.

As condições microclimáticas das florestas tropicais favorecem elevada riqueza de briófitas, que por serem sensíveis às alterações ambientais, são importantes indicadoras das condições dos habitats. O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a riqueza e a composição florística da brioflora de fragmentos florestais de terra firme na região da Volta Grande do Xingu, Pará, Brasil. As coletas foram realizadas em Agosto e Setembro de 2012, em 14 fragmentos e em cada um destes foram plotadas duas parcelas, uma na borda e outra no interior, medindo 10 × 10 m (cada). Foram registradas 77 espécies, distribuídas em 45 gêneros e 18 famílias. Lejeunea setiloba Spruce e Marchesinia brachiata (Sw.) Schiffn. são novos registros para o Pará. As famílias mais ricas neste estudo foram aquelas tipicamente encontradas em levantamentos em florestas tropicais. A elevada riqueza de espécies raras em comparação às comuns, padrão comumente reportado para plantas em florestas tropicais, não foi observada, provavelmente devido ao histórico de fragmentação e distúrbios na área de estudo. A riqueza e a composição de espécies foram determinadas principalmente pelas características fisionômicas dos fragmentos estudados.

Bryophytes in fragments of Terra Firme forest on the great curve of the Xingu River, Pará state, Brazil 1 Part of Master's Dissertation of the first author / Briófitas em fragmentos florestais de terra firme na região da Volta Grande do Xingu, Pará, Brasil

Microclimatic conditions of tropical forest favour the high richness of bryophytes, which by being sensitive to environmental changes, are important indicators of habitat conditions. The aim of this study was to determine the richness and species composition of the bryophyte flora in fragments of terra firme forest on the great curve of the Xingu River, Pará state, Brazil. The collections were made in August and September 2012 in 14 fragments, in which were installed two plots per fragment, one at the edge and one inside, measuring 10 × 10 m each. The results showed 77 species in 45 genera and 18 families. Lejeunea setiloba Spruce and Marchesinia brachiata (Sw.) Schiffn. are new records for Pará state. The richness families in this study were the ones typically found in tropical forest surveys. A high richness of rare species in comparison to common ones, a pattern usually observed for plants in tropical forests was not reported in this study, probably due to historical fragmentation and disturbance in the area. The richness and species composition were determined mainly by the physiognomic characteristics of the studied forest fragments.(AU)

As condições microclimáticas das florestas tropicais favorecem elevada riqueza de briófitas, que por serem sensíveis às alterações ambientais, são importantes indicadoras das condições dos habitats. O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a riqueza e a composição florística da brioflora de fragmentos florestais de terra firme na região da Volta Grande do Xingu, Pará, Brasil. As coletas foram realizadas em Agosto e Setembro de 2012, em 14 fragmentos e em cada um destes foram plotadas duas parcelas, uma na borda e outra no interior, medindo 10 × 10 m (cada). Foram registradas 77 espécies, distribuídas em 45 gêneros e 18 famílias. Lejeunea setiloba Spruce e Marchesinia brachiata (Sw.) Schiffn. são novos registros para o Pará. As famílias mais ricas neste estudo foram aquelas tipicamente encontradas em levantamentos em florestas tropicais. A elevada riqueza de espécies raras em comparação às comuns, padrão comumente reportado para plantas em florestas tropicais, não foi observada, provavelmente devido ao histórico de fragmentação e distúrbios na área de estudo. A riqueza e a composição de espécies foram determinadas principalmente pelas características fisionômicas dos fragmentos estudados.(AU)

Efficacy of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in the diagnosis of and serologic distinction between acute and chronic Schistosoma mansoni infection.

To determine the efficacy of an ELISA to diagnose and differentiate the clinical phases of schistosomiasis, serum from patients with acute (11) and chronic schistosomiasis (58), from individuals infected with other parasites (53), and from uninfected individuals (40) was analyzed for the presence of anti-schistosomal of IgG, IgM, and IgA antibodies. Immunofluorescence for IgM and IgA antibodies was also performed on serum from all patients and controls. The IgG antibodies against worm antigen (ELISA-w) were detected in all schistosomiasis patients, with only one false-positive result. The IgA antibodies were detected by ELISA-w in 81.8% of patients with acute disease and in only 5.9% of patients with chronic disease. In addition, the mean optical density values for IgM and IgA antibodies was statistically higher in the patients with acute disease than in those with chronic disease. The results of this study show that the use of a crude adult worm extract as an ELISA antigen can provide a serologic method with high sensitivity and specificity for 1) the diagnosis of acute and chronic schistosomiasis and (2) the serologic distinction between the two forms of the disease.