Universidade Federal do Cariri

Abstract Insects, belonging to the phylum Arthropoda, play essential roles in ecosystems, play essential roles in ecosystems, such as pollination, pest control, and decomposition. However, some species are vectors of diseases, which makes the development of control methods crucial. The use of synthetic insecticides, although effective, causes serious environmental and health problems. As an alternative, plant essential oils, which are biodegradable and can have repellent and toxic effects on insects, have gained prominence. This study focuses on the species Calyptranthes concinna DC., belonging to the Myrtaceae family, whose repellent and toxicological properties were evaluated using Drosophila melanogaster Meigan (1830) as an experimental model. The botanical material of Calyptranthes concinna was collected from the Private Natural Heritage Reserve in Palmeira-PR, and the essential oil was extracted from the dried leaves by hydrodistillation. The oil, with a yield of 0.26%, was stored for later analysis. The species Drosophila melanogaster was used as a model for toxicity and repellent activity tests. The tests involved fumigation of flies with different doses of oil, evaluation of damage to locomotor capacity and repellency test using filter paper. Data were analyzed statistically using two-way ANOVA. Calyptranthes concinna essential oil demonstrated low toxicity to Drosophila melanogaster , with 100% survival at all concentrations tested over 48 h and deaths that were not statistically significant compared to the water control. Impairment of locomotor capacity was observed only at the highest concentrations (40 µg/mL) after 3 h, and at intermediate concentrations (20 µg/mL) after 6 h, but these effects were equal to the control after 12 h. The repellency test revealed that the essential oil has a significant efficacy, especially at higher concentrations (39 µg/cm 2 ), comparable to the commercial repellent DEET, indicating that C. concinna essential oil is a promising alternative to synthetic repellents. Calyptranthes concinna essential oil has demonstrated potential as a natural repellent, with low toxicity and efficacy comparable to commercial DEET. Compared to studies with other essential oils and similar compounds, C. concinna oil has shown consistent results, suggesting that it may be an effective and environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic repellents. The presence of terpenes in the essential oil may be related to its repellent effect. These results support the use of C. concinna essential oil as a promising natural repellent.

While revising Amphisbaena specimens deposited in the herpetological collection of the Núcleo Regional de Ofiologia da Universidade Federal do Ceará (NUROF—UFC), we identified specimens belonging to an undescribed species. After a detailed comparison with their congeners, we describe a new species collected in the municipalities of Aracati and Icapuí in the coastal zone of the state of Ceará, Brazil. The new species is characterized by the presence of six pre-cloacal pores arranged in sequence, absence of shields forming the parietal region and three supralabial shields, in addition to having 257–272 body annuli and 31–34 caudal annuli. Amphisbaena eleutheria sp. nov. inhabits coastal plains, an area affected by environmental degradation and various activities related to energy generation, including at least five wind farms currently in operation.

A Mediação da Informação, compreendida como um processo sociointeracional que envolve produção, circulação, apropriação e ressignificação da informação, constitui um referencial teórico relevante para a análise das práticas educativas no ensino superior. Este estudo tem como objetivo analisar como as dimensões da Mediação da Informação, a saber, dialógica, estética, formativa, ética e política, manifestam-se nas práticas docentes do curso de Licenciatura em Música da Universidade Estadual do Ceará (UECE), a partir da análise documental dos currículos Lattes do corpo docente, no período de 2019 a 2023. A pesquisa caracteriza-se como qualitativa, descritiva e documental, utilizando a análise de conteúdo proposta por Bardin (2016), aplicada aos registros acadêmicos relacionados aos eixos de ensino, pesquisa, extensão, pós-graduação e participação em eventos. Os resultados evidenciam que as dimensões dialógica e formativa se destacam recorrentemente nas práticas analisadas, sem desconsiderar a presença das dimensões estética, ética e política, compreendidas interdependentemente e não hierárquica. Conclui-se que as práticas docentes registradas nos currículos revelam tendências mediadoras que reafirmam o compromisso institucional da universidade com a formação crítica, a articulação entre teoria e prática e a função social da educação superior na formação de educadores musicais.

Este estudio presenta la composición de la comunidad de helmintos y los parámetros de infección parasitaria (abundancia, prevalencia, intensidad media de la infección) de cinco especies de lagartos recogidos en una zona de Carrasco, en la región noreste de Brasil. Las recolecciones se realizaron entre mayo y septiembre de 2021 en un entorno de carrasco situado en Chapada do Araripe, estado de Ceará, Brasil. Los especímenes se capturaron utilizando trampas y también manualmente durante búsquedas activas. Se recolectaron los parásitos encontrados y se estimaron los patrones de infección para cada especie. Se recolectaron un total de 239 parásitos de 21 huéspedes. La comunidad estaba compuesta predominantemente por nematodos. El lagarto Phyllopezus pollicaris (Spix, 1825) presentó la mayor diversidad parasitaria, y la especie de nematodo S. oxkutzcabiensis Chitwood, 1938 fue la más prevalente en la comunidad. La mayoría de las especies de nematodos se encontraron en el tracto gastrointestinal de los huéspedes. Los miembros parásitos de la familia Pharyngodonidae fueron los nematodos más comunes encontrados. Encontramos fuertes similitudes en la composición y distribución de las especies de endoparásitos en los entornos de Carrasco y la Caatinga adyacente. La comunidad de endoparásitos registrada era diversa, y algunas especies de nematodos estaban asociadas a especies hospedadoras específicas. Los lagartos E. bibronii Boulenger, 1885 Boulenger, 1885 y P. pollicaris se registran aquí como nuevos hospedadores de Onchocercidae y P. travassosi Pereira, 1935, respectivamente. Los datos aquí presentados proporcionan nueva información, ampliando el conocimiento sobre la composición de la fauna helmintológica de los lagartos que habitan en la Caatinga.

This research aimed to conduct a bibliometric review on Acrocomia aculeata (Jacq.) Lodd. ex Mart., popularly known as “macaúba”, a palm tree of the Arecaceae family with great potential to promote sustainable practices. The review focused on the applications associated with the oil, pulp, and almonds of the fruit, products that can be used in industries such as food, cosmetics, and bioenergy, contributing to the development of more ecological production chains with less environmental impact. Data were collected from the Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect databases for publications related to phytochemical and bioactive aspects, while only Web of Science was used for data on energy aspects. The documents found were analyzed in the VOSviewer software (version 1.6.20), allowing the creation of bibliometric networks (clusters) and tables on scientific production. The analyses included authors, co-authors, countries, institutions, journal sources, and keywords. For phytochemical and bioactive aspects, the search resulted in 1026 articles, of which 261 were selected after applying the exclusion criteria. For energy aspects, 99 publications were found. Based on the data, it was possible to analyze the existing research on A. aculeata, identifying the state of the research and possible gaps in studies related to this oilseed. The results highlight the importance of macaúba as a sustainable alternative for diversifying agricultural and bioindustrial products, promoting the bioeconomy and contributing to the mitigation of environmental impacts. In addition, the research allowed us to identify the universities and researchers most dedicated to this species, their main results and the areas that still require investment to advance research. Thus, A. aculeata emerges as a relevant option to strengthen sustainable practices in key sectors, integrating economic, social, and environmental benefits.

The study investigates the presence of emerging contaminants in a river within a watershed located in the Brazilian semiarid region, specifically within the Caatinga biome, emphasizing the importance of environmental monitoring in areas that have historically been underrepresented in scientific research. The analysis focused on the associations between microplastics and pharmaceutical compounds, demonstrating that the discharge of untreated domestic effluents and the low efficiency of sanitation systems increase water resource contamination and threaten water security. The interdependence between these variables underscores the need for integrated public policies for waste management, complemented by environmental education strategies and technological innovations. The work makes an unprecedented contribution to expanding knowledge about emerging pollutants in semiarid environments, highlighting the urgency of holistic approaches, continuous monitoring, and strengthening environmental governance to ensure the sustainability and resilience of ecosystems like the Caatinga in the face of the challenges posed by global environmental change, urban growth, and those outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals.