Combining methods to conduct a systematic review and propose a conceptual and theoretical framework in socio-environmental research.

This study aims to present a combination of methods and propose robust theoretical and conceptual frameworks for solving socio-environmental issues. This proposal included the Problem, Intervention, Context, and Outcome (PICO) framework and Protocol and Reporting result with Search, Appraisal, Synthesis, and Analysis framework, and develop (PSALSAR) method through SODIP steps: (i) Systematic review and meta-analysis defining the study from guiding questions; (ii) Open-source related to software and data; (iii) Data visualization and design information; (iv) Identification of gaps, challenges and trends through automation and lexicometric analysis; and (v) Proposal of theoretical and conceptual frameworks. This proposal defines the steps as support to combine and systematize information necessary to facilitate the production of this type of document using open-access software in the visualization and design of information. All these steps are replicable and essential to propose a conceptual and theoretical framework to contribute to the construction of knowledge in socio-environmental research and to propose solutions by filling in the gaps. In summary, this combination of methods shows:•The use of SODIP steps provides robustness and efficiency in carrying out review studies, facilitating the way to propose theoretical or conceptual frameworks.•Choosing to use open-source tools is essential for better evaluation and visualization of qualitative and quantitative data in review studies.•The combination of methods and data in the systematic review (scientific, political documents. and databases) supports the proposal of robust theoretical and conceptual frameworks.

Use of the gonadal structures of the mangrove crab Ucides cordatus as a biomarker for environmental contamination by metals.

This study investigates the concentration of metals in the different developmental phases of the gonads of Ucides cordatus from mangrove areas of Vila do Bacuriteua on the Bragança Peninsula, Caeté-Taperaçu Marine Extractive Reserve, state of Pará, on the Brazilian Amazon coast. Elemental analysis was determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ECP-OES). Metal concentration in males ranged from Cd = 0.04 to Cu = 2.27 mg kg-1 ww in the Developing and Developed gonadal stages, respectively. In females it was from Cd = 0.11 to Cu = 8.43 mg kg-1 ww only in the Developed stage). The elements Cr and Pb, for both sexes, presented concentrations above the limits allowed by the Brazilian regulatory body and only Pb by the international agencies, revealing a higher degree of contamination of these metals in the gonads of the mangrove crabs. Increasing mangrove crab consumption amplifies the risks of metal contamination among the human population and may cause public health problems.

Status of mangroves land use on the Brazilian Amazon coast from RapidEye imagery and GEOBIA approach.

Given the ecological and socioeconomic importance of the mangroves of the Brazilian Amazon coast, RapidEye satellite images were analyzed to recognize mangrove forest and salt flat changes to different land use through human activities. Results show that mangroves are still very well preserved, with less than 1% of the total converted to other uses, primarily urban areas and roads. These human activities have been the principal causes of use in the mangrove forest, driven by local anthropogenic pressures resulting from human settlements in the transition zone between the mainland and tidal flats. In contrast, aquaculture, the principal driver of the loss of mangroves in other regions of South America and in Asian countries, plays only a secondary role in habitat conversion on the Amazon coast. However, these human activities demand more attention and policies need to be supported by Brazilian legislation.

First known occurrence of the alpheid shrimps Leptalpheus forceps Williams, 1965 and L. marginalis Anker, 2011 (Decapoda: Caridea) in the state of Pará, Amazon region, Brazil.

In the present study, we report for the first time the occurrence of the alpheid shrimps Leptalpheus forceps Williams, 1965 and Leptalpheus marginalis Anker, 2011 in the state of Pará, in northern Brazil. Both Leptalpheus species (males, non-ovigerous females, and females carrying eggs) were collected from the burrows of the callichirid  "ghost" shrimp, Lepidophthalmus siriboia Felder Rodrigues, 1993, in a muddy-sandy intertidal zone of the Ajuruteua Peninsula, in the Bragança region. These records update the known geographical distribution of the two species, with L. forceps extending its Brazilian occurrence from the state of Bahia to state of Pará, and L. marginalis which was exclusively found on the Caribbean coast of Colombia is now recorded in Brazil.

The effect of anthropogenic drivers on spatial patterns of mangrove land use on the Amazon coast.

Mangroves play an essential ecological role in the maintenance of the coastal zone and are extremely important for the socioeconomics of coastal communities. However, mangrove ecosystems are impacted by a range of anthropogenic pressures, and the loss of this habitat can be attributed primarily to the human occupation of the coastal zone. In the present study, we analyzed the spatial patterns of land use in the mangrove of the Brazilian Amazon coast, and evaluated the anthropogenic drivers of this impact, using a remote sensing approach. We mapped the road network using RapidEye images, and human settlements using global data. The results of these analyses indicate that the Brazilian Amazon coast has a low population density and low rates of anthropogenic impact in most of the coastal microregions investigated, factors that contribute to the maintenance and conservation of the region's mangrove. The study also revealed that the paved road network is one of the principal drivers of land use in the mangrove, whereas other factors, such as population density, urban centers, and the number of settlements are much less important. While the region has 2024 km of paved highways, unpaved roads (17,496 km) facilitate access to the mangrove, with approximately 90% of anthropogenic impact being recorded within a 3 km radius of these roads. While the network of paved highways is relatively reduced in extension, preventive measures are urgently required to impede any major shift in the current scenario, caused by the expansion of major development programs. The results of the study indicate that biophysical, economic, and political factors may also contribute to the reduction, stability, and development of one of the world's largest areas of mangrove forest.

Seroprevalence of rabies virus antibodies in bats from high risk areas in Brazilian Amazonia between 2013 and 2015.

Background: The outbreaks of human rabies that occurred between 2004 and 2005 in the Brazilian Amazon highlight the importance of bats in the transmission of this zoonosis. Ten years after, this region is still considered to be a risk area. Methods: Serum and brain tissue samples were obtained from bats captured between 2013 and 2015. The sera were tested for the presence of rabies antibodies, using the rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test, and the brain tissue samples were tested for the presence of the rabies antigen by the direct immunofluorescence method and intracerebral inoculation in mice. Results: A total of 64% (148/230) of the serum samples were seropositive, although none of the brain samples were positive for rabies infection. The seroprevalence was significantly higher in the second year of the study (p<0.001). This figure was detected in all variables (sex, age, season) and in most of the bat species. Conclusions: Our results indicate the possible occurrence of a recent peak in infection by the rabies virus in these bat populations, which represents an important alert, given that attacks by hematophagous bats are a constant threat in the study area, contributing to the probability of the occurrence of new cases of rabies.

Geographical Analysis for Detecting High-Risk Areas for Bovine/Human Rabies Transmitted by the Common Hematophagous Bat in the Amazon Region, Brazil.

BACKGROUND: The common hematophagous bat, Desmodus rotundus, is one of the main wild reservoirs of rabies virus in several regions in Latin America. New production practices and changed land use have provided environmental features that have been very favorable for D. rotundus bat populations, making this species the main transmitter of rabies in the cycle that involves humans and herbivores. In the Amazon region, these features include a mosaic of environmental, social, and economic components, which together creates areas with different levels of risk for human and bovine infections, as presented in this work in the eastern Brazilian Amazon. METHODOLOGY: We geo-referenced a total of 175 cases of rabies, of which 88% occurred in bovines and 12% in humans, respectively, and related these cases to a number of different geographical and biological variables. The spatial distribution was analyzed using the Kernel function, while the association with independent variables was assessed using a multi-criterion Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique. FINDINGS: The spatiotemporal analysis of the occurrence of rabies in bovines and humans found reduction in the number of cases in the eastern state of Pará, where no more cases were recorded in humans, whereas high infection rates were recorded in bovines in the northeastern part of the state, and low rates in the southeast. The areas of highest risk for bovine rabies are found in the proximity of rivers and highways. In the case of human rabies, the highest concentration of high-risk areas was found where the highway network coincides with high densities of rural and indigenous populations. CONCLUSION: The high-risk areas for human and bovine rabies are patchily distributed, and related to extensive deforested areas, large herds of cattle, and the presence of highways. These findings provide an important database for the generation of epidemiological models that could support the development of effective prevention measures and controls.

Serological investigation of rabies virus neutralizing antibodies in bats captured in the eastern Brazilian Amazon.

BACKGROUND: In 2004 and 2005 a total of 38 cases of human rabies transmitted by the hematophagous bat Desmodus rotundus were registered in the Brazilian state of Pará; 23 (60.5%) cases occurred in the northeastern region. Because of this, a serological investigation for the antibodies of rabies virus was performed in municipalities of the northeastern state of Pará, in order to assess whether the virus was circulating among different bat species. METHODS: Bats were collected in 2009 with mist-nets during the rainy and dry seasons and blood samples were collected for the serological survey. RESULTS: A total of 307 serum samples were obtained representing 28 bat species. The number of seropositives was high (50.8%, 156/307) and was significantly higher during the rainy season (67.4%, 95/141). No significant difference in rates was found between male and female or adult and juvenile. Seropositive individuals were recorded in 24 species sampled, the most prominent being Artibeus planirostris, with 52.2% (24/46) positive individuals. CONCLUSION: The serological proportion reported in this paper in a large numbers of individuals indicates that the rabies virus circulates quite actively in the study region, but, because of the production of antibodies, the expression of the disease in these individuals is low.