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The production of beef cattle in the Atlantic Forest biome mostly takes place in pastoral production systems. There are millions of hectares covered with pastures in this biome, including degraded pasture (DP), and only small area of the original Atlantic Forest has been preserved in tropics, implying that actions must be taken by the livestock sector to improve sustainability. Intensification makes it possible to produce the same amount, or more beef, in a smaller area; however, the environmental impacts must be assessed. Regarding climate change, the C dynamics is essential to define which beef cattle systems are sustainable. The objectives of this study were to investigate the C balance (t CO2e./ha per year), the intensity of C emission (kg CO2e./kg BW or carcass) and the C footprint (t CO2e./ha per year) of pasture-based beef cattle production systems, inside the farm gate and considering the inputs. The results were used to calculate the number of trees to be planted in beef cattle production systems to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The GHG emission and C balance, for 2 years, were calculated based on the global warming potential (GWP) of AR4 and GWP of AR5. Forty-eight steers were allotted to four grazing systems: DP, irrigated high stocking rate pasture (IHS), rainfed high stocking rate pasture (RHS) and rainfed medium stocking rate pasture (RMS). The rainfed systems (RHS and RMS) presented the lowest C footprints (−1.22 and 0.45 t CO2e./ha per year, respectively), with C credits to RMS when using the GWP of AR4. The IHS system showed less favorable results for C footprint (−15.71 t CO2e./ha per year), but results were better when emissions were expressed in relation to the annual BW gain (−10.21 kg CO2e./kg BW) because of its higher yield. Although the DP system had an intermediate result for C footprint (−6.23 t CO2e./ha per year), the result was the worst (−30.21 CO2e./kg BW) when the index was expressed in relation to the annual BW gain, because in addition to GHG emissions from the animals in the system there were also losses in the annual rate of C sequestration. Notably, the intensification in pasture management had a land-saving effect (3.63 ha for IHS, 1.90 for RHS and 1.19 for RMS), contributing to the preservation of the tropical forest.
We use direct numerical simulation data to study interscale and interspace energy exchanges in the near field of a turbulent wake of a square prism in terms of a Kármán–Howarth–Monin–Hill (KHMH) equation written for a triple decomposition of the velocity field which takes into account the presence of quasi-periodic vortex shedding coherent structures. Concentrating attention on the plane of the mean flow and on the geometric centreline, we calculate orientation averages of every term in the KHMH equation. The near field considered here ranges between two and eight times the width
$d$
of the square prism and is very inhomogeneous and out of equilibrium so that non-stationarity and inhomogeneity contributions to the KHMH balance are dominant. The mean flow produces kinetic energy which feeds the vortex shedding coherent structures. In turn, these coherent structures transfer their energy to the stochastic turbulent fluctuations over all length scales
$r$
from the Taylor length
$\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}$
to
$d$
and dominate spatial turbulent transport of small-scale two-point stochastic turbulent fluctuations. The orientation-averaged nonlinear interscale transfer rate
$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6F1}^{a}$
which was found to be approximately independent of
$r$
by Alves Portela et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 825, 2017, pp. 315–352) in the range
$\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}\leqslant r\leqslant 0.3d$
at a distance
$x_{1}=2d$
from the square prism requires an interscale transfer contribution of coherent structures for this approximate constancy. However, the near constancy of
$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6F1}^{a}$
in the range
$\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}\leqslant r\leqslant d$
at
$x_{1}=8d$
which was also found by Alves Portela et al. (2017) is mostly attributable to stochastic fluctuations. Even so, the proximity of
$-\unicode[STIX]{x1D6F1}^{a}$
to the turbulence dissipation rate
$\unicode[STIX]{x1D700}$
in the range
$\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}\leqslant r\leqslant d$
at
$x_{1}=8d$
does require interscale transfer contributions of the coherent structures. Spatial inhomogeneity also makes a direct and distinct contribution to
$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6F1}^{a}$
, and the constancy of
$-\unicode[STIX]{x1D6F1}^{a}/\unicode[STIX]{x1D700}$
close to
$1$
would not have been possible without it either in this near-field flow. Finally, the pressure-velocity term is also an important contributor to the KHMH balance in this near field, particularly at scales
$r$
larger than approximately
$0.4d$
, and appears to correlate with the purely stochastic nonlinear interscale transfer rate when the orientation average is lifted.
Since Bell's original description delirious mania (DM) has been repeatedly rediscovered and renamed, resulting in much confusion as to its meaning.Definitions range from mania with self-limited temporal-spatial disorientation to a fatal, delirious catatonic syndrome with euphoric mood, high fever and autonomic instability. Moreover, it remains unclear whether DM is a specific clinical entity or an unspecific, unpredictable complication of mania, and whether it is a useful diagnostic category.
Objective
To identify the frequency and clinical features of DM and mania with delirium.
Methods
We reviewed all admissions to our acute inpatient unit with mania, hypomania or mixed affective state, in 2006 and 2007. Cases with delirious features and cases with a working diagnosis of DM, were reviewed in detail. The three groups (no delirium, delirious features and DM) were compared for general demographic and clinical variables, as well as features specifically associated with DM (e.g., catatonia; nakedness; inappropriate toileting; unexplained fever, etc).
Results
We found 100 patients with mania, hippomania or mixed affective state. 14 had medically unexplained delirium, 4 of them with a final diagnosis of DM. DM cases (but not non-DM mania cases with delirious features) had extremely long durations of stay, acute onset, hypertermia, catatonia, autonomic instability, anarchic sleep, shouting/coprolalia, delirium persisting for over a week, and were more likely to receive ECT. Moreover, in three of them DM occurred in most manic/mixed affective episodes.
Conclusion
DM is a rare occurrence in bipolar disorder. It has typical clinical features and may be recurrent.
In meridional European countries such as Portugal, informal caregivers are almost always close relatives, either key-relatives (those more involved) or not. There are few systematic comparisons between the experience of key-relatives/primary caregivers (PC) and other/secondary caregivers (SC) in psychogeriatrics. We present some preliminary data from the FAMIDEM (Families of People with Dementia) survey.
Methods:
Non-randomised cross-sectional study comparing two related samples of caregivers (PC versus SC) of 41 patients with DSM-IV dementia from outpatient practices in Lisbon (Portugal). Caregivers’ assessments included: Zarit Burden Interview, Caregiver Activity Survey (CAS), Positive Aspects of Caregiving, GHQ-12, Social Network Questionnaire and Dementia Knowledge Questionnaire.
Results:
Patients’ mean age was 78,7 years (SD 7,9). 24 (58,5%) were women and 58,5% had Alzheimer disease.PC were older than SC (p=0,000) and tended to live with the patient (p=0,000). They reported less emocional support (p=0,021) but higher objective burden-CAS (p=0,002). Regarding all other outcome variables, significant differences between groups were not found. Within the global sample, comparing spousals (n=23) and adult children/other relatives (n=59) yielded interestingly different preliminary results, eg higher GHQ-12 levels (p=0,010).
Conclusions:
The experience of caregiving is possibly different regarding PC and SC, but further research is warranted in order to define who really is at risk. Being a spouse may be much more determinant, although most spouses are PC as well. for the moment, it seems prudent not to exclude SC from risk assessments. the final FAMIDEM results, even lacking generalizability, will probably provide interesting clues.
Prevalence of depression and other common psychiatric disorders in autoimmune diseases has been extensively documented. The association between subclinical autoimmunity and behavioural or psychiatric syndromes remains less studied. The best known example is raised titres of autoantibodies with high affinity for the basal ganglia in some obsessive compulsive spectrum syndromes (e.g. Paediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections). The possible role of autoimmunity in impulse control disorders remains understudied.
We proposed to study the relation between autoimmunity, affective bipolarity and impulsive psicopathology.
Methods:
14 bipolar, 10 cluster B personality disorder inpatients. Titres for rheumatoid factor (RA), antithyroglobulin (ATG), antiperoxidase (APO) antinuclear (ANA), anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic (ANCA) and antistreptolysin (ASO) antibodies were measured in all subjects. Psychiatric assessment: non-structured psychiatric interview, MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview and Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-II.
Results:
21,4% of bipolar patients had positive ATG titre vs 11,1% in the cluster B personality group. 28,6% of bipolar patients had positive APO titre vs 22,2% in the cluster B personality group. 16,7% of bipolar patients had positive ASO titre vs 30,0% in the cluster B personality group. None of this differences reached significance.
ASO titre correlated significantly with antisocial (rho=0,435, p=0,043) and autodestructive (rho=0,461, p=0,031) ratings and almost significantly with borderline (rho=0,420, p=0,052) ratings.
Conclusions:
The results obtained partly agree with the existing studies. As far as we know a possible correlation between ASOs and impulsive behaviour has not been previously described. The results obtained call for further investigation in the subject.
Factitious disorders (FD) are characterized by intentional production of either physical, psychological or mixed symptoms that mimic various clinical syndromes, with no apparent advantage for the individual concerned other than allowing him to assume the sick role. Large body of work has been accumulated on FD, but the majority of published data deal with the physical variant of the disease, with comparable few reports on psychiatric FD. Although there are many different presentations for psychiatric FD, the factitious psychosis subset justifies particular attention. Factitious psychosis may be prodromic of a genuine chronic psychosis, usually in the context of a personality disorder. Published data shows Munchausen psychosis, a severe subset of FD psychosis, with a prevalence of 0.25% of all inpatient admissions and global FD psychosis attaining 4.1% of all diagnosed psychoses, generally with a poor prognosis.
The scantiness of studies on the subject of psychiatric FD and factitious psychosis in particular, despite its significant prevalence, coupled with the fact that its recognition embarks on a radically different approach compared with the physical variant, stresses the need for case reporting.
We present four clinical cases with discussion of the underlying pathology and outcome, and a systematic review of the literature of FD psychosis case reports. This is followed by further discussion addressing the recognition of factitious psychosis, its etiological contributing factors, management, effects on staff and diagnostic criteria.
Somatic comorbidities are common among elderly patients with mental health problems, namely dementia and depression. Quite often, somatic problems are associated with a substantial impairment in daily routines, as well as to a worse outcome of the neuropsychiatric condition.
Objectives:
to investigate the level of impairment due to comorbid somatic problems in the elderly, as part of the implementation of the 10/66- Dementia Research Group Population-based Research Protocol in Portuguese settings.
Methods:
A cross-sectional survey was implemented of all residents aged 65 in a semi-rural area in Southern Portugal. Evaluation included a cognitive module and the Geriatric Mental State-AGECAT (GDS). Training of the field researchers was conducted with the supervision of the 10/66-DRG coordinators (CF, MP).
Results:
703 elderly participants were evaluated. Interference with daily activities was present in every area assessed, with moderate to severe impact in the following areas: Arthritis or rheumatism (36,9%), eyesight problems (19,8%), hypertension (10,5%) and gastro-intestinal conditions (10,4%). 48,9% of the participants had at least one contact with a primary care health centre in the last three months, and 22,5% had at least one contact with a doctor in a general hospital.
Conclusions:
Results showed a relevant degree of impairment due to somatic conditions, and a high use of services, namely at primary care level. The significant prevalence of comorbid somatic conditions should be taken into account regarding the organization of services directed to older patients with mental health problems, that has been considered a priority in the Portuguese Mental Health Plan 2007–2016.
Executive functions (EF) are associated to frontal lobes and cognitive decline (CD) with worse results on EF tests.
Objectives/aims
Analyze if the Frontal Assessment Battery/FAB assessing EF discriminates elders with CD (vs. with no CD; Montreal Cognitive Assessment/MoCA), and if the results obtained with the Rey Osterreith Complex Figure Test/ROCF (copy's quality, immediate, and delayed memory) are associated with the CD presence/absence. Moreover, we wanted to assess if copy's quality and 3 minutes memory test are associated with FAB results, since these two tests are supposedly associated with EF and with frontal lobes assessed by the FAB, contrarily to the 20 minutes memory (supposedly related to the temporal area).
Methodology
556 institutionalized elders (age: M ± SD =80.2 ± 5.23; range=60-100) filled in voluntarily a sociodemographic questionnaire, ROCF, MoCA and FAB.
Results
FAB and all ROCF tests were associated with the absence/presence of CD. Regarding variables stratified by age and education, FAB was associated with immediate memory but not with copy's quality nor with delayed memory. With no stratified ROCF and FAB, correlations confirmed the previous associations, but also between FAB and copy's quality.
Conclusions
Results follow the literature regarding the association between immediate memory and EF (associated to frontal lobes), in contrast to the long-term memory which is associated with the temporal area and that was not associated with FAB. Results concerning copy's quality (ROCF) are not consensual.
Above 60 years, prevalence rates of neuropsychiatric disorders double with every 5.1 years of age (from 0.7% at 60-65 years to 23.6% for those aged 85 or older). As aged people are dramatically increasing in Portugal, a Country under a serious financial crisis, it is important to understand whether health services are being used appropriately.
Objectives:
to characterize the use of health services among the elderly, as part of the implementation of the 10/66-Dementia Research Group Population-based Research Protocol in Portugal.
Methods:
A cross-sectional survey was implemented of all residents aged 65 or more in a semi-rural area in Southern Portugal. Core evaluation included a cognitive module and the Geriatric Mental State-AGECAT (GDS). A structured questionnaire assessed the use of services, including health care providers (public, private), inpatient episodes, medication and costs.
Results:
703 participants were evaluated. Almost half of the participants (48,9%) were in contact with public primary care facilities, but only 22,5% had a contact with a hospital service. In both settings, nurses and other non-doctor professionals were rarely involved (6,4%) as principal care providers. 11,8% had at least one contact with a private doctor. Inpatient episodes in the last 3 months were very infrequent (3%). The National Health Service covered most costs.
Conclusions:
Previous research strongly suggests that health services are not provided equitably to people with mental disorders, namely the elderly. Reliable and cross-culturally comparable information about patterns of care may guide the implementation of adequate management in this area in Portugal.
The burden of neuropsychiatric disorders in the elderly is high, considering patients, their families, and close or extended networks. In Portugal, the 10/66-Dementia Research Group population-based research programmes are running since 2011, with the community prevalence study. The protocol allows for valid diagnoses of dementia and depression, using comprehensive assessments which include the Geriatric Mental State- AGECAT.
Objectives and aims:
We aimed to analyse informal caregiving arrangements and the psychological experience of caregiving in a subsample drawn from the ongoing 10/66 studies.
Methods:
We report on 580 residents aged 65 + years of a defined catchment area in Portugal (Mora). Assessments included questionnaires on demographic and caregiving issues, the Self-Report Questionnaire (SRQ) on psychological distress and the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) on the caregiving experience.
Results:
In this subsample, 94 participants were in need of informal caregiving (dementia accounted for 28 cases, depression for 31, and other chronic physical/psychiatric conditions for the remainder). Most primary caregivers were family relatives (mostly wives and daughters) and were living with the patient. A large number were elderly people themselves (mean age 64.1±16.3years). Median scores were 3 on the SRQ (range 0-16) and 8 on the ZBI (range 0-66). Those who were caring for participants with more severe disabilities scored significantly higher on both measures.
Conclusions:
These preliminary results of the 10/66 epidemiological community studies support previous suggestions that caregiver strain is also high in subgroups of community samples. Most overburdened families (and individual caregivers) lacked appropriate, tailored interventions. Final results will be available soon.
Delusional parasitosis (Ekbom Syndrome) was firstly described by Thirbierge in 1894 as acarophobia. Nowadays this syndrome is not considered an independent diagnostic category and is defined in DSM-IV-TR as a delusional disorder, somatic subtype. Folie à Deux is characterized by the “transmission” of delirious thoughts from a “primary patient”, the inductor to a “secondary patient”, the induced one. The association between delusional parasitosis and Folie ... Deux is an uncommon syndrome that was described by Skott in 1978.
Objectives
To describe a case of Ekbom Syndrome with Folie à Deux, between mother and daughter, that has the mother as the “primary patient” even with borderline intelligence and the daughter as the induced patient, but without any cognitive deficits.
Aims
To highlight that some cases of Folie à Deux can occur in a strictly affective dominance fashion relationship.
Methods
Case report.
Results
MRC, 46 years old, illiterate, was referred to the outpatient psychiatric clinic of the University Hospital of the Federal University of Alagoas-Brazil, by a dermatologist of the same hospital because of hyperchromic scaly pruritic skin lesions in legs and back with no findings at skin biopsy that the patient attributed to “bugs” under her skin and that her daughter also believed that existed even when her mother showed her desquamative skin as being the bug.
Conclusions
The dominance between the primary patient and the induced one can be of affective nature only but not cognitive nature in Folie ... Deux with Ekbom Syndrome.
When cognitive decline (CD) is present, attention is one of the impaired mental functions. CD is also associated with anxious/depressive symptoms and with some demographic variables, particularly, age.
Objectives
Investigate the associations between selective attention (Stroop Test: Stroop_Word, Stroop_Color, Difference between Stroop_Word and Stroop_Color, Stroop Ratio_Word, Stroop Ratio_Color and Difference between Stroop Ratio_Word and Stroop Ratio_ Color) and CD (Montreal Cognitive Assessment/MoCA) in institutionalized elders; explore the predictive value of Stroop variables for CD, controlling anxious/depressive symptoms and sociodemographic variables.
Methods
140 institutionalized elders (mean age, M = 78.4, SD = 7.48, range = 60-97) voluntarily answered to sociodemographic questions, the MoCA, the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory/GAI, the Geriatric Depression Scale/GDS and Stroop test.
Results
73 elders (52, 1%) had CD. Dichotomized MoCA was associated with Stroop_Word, Stroop_Color, Stroop Ratio_Word, Stroop Ratio_Color, GDS and the sociodemographic variable schooling × profession. Age and education were not tested, since MoCA was stratified according to those variables. GDS, Stroop Ratio_Word and Stroop Ratio_Color showed to predict CD.
Conclusions
There was an association between Stroop_Word, Stroop_Color, Stroop Ratio_Word and Stroop Ratio_Color and CD, confirming that selective attention is smaller when the elderly reveal CD. GDS and CD were, also, associated. However, there was no association between MoCA dichotomized and differences between the correct answers (Stroop_Word and Stroop_Color) and Ratios (Stroop Ratio_Word and Stroop Ratio_Color). Selective attention and depressive symptoms predicted CD. It would be important to intervene through cognitive rehabilitation with the elders to improve their attention.
Neuroleptic malignant syndrome is a rare but potentially life threatening idiosyncratic complication of neuroleptic drugs. Levenson criteria do help guide in diagnosis of NMS and the major manifestations of the syndrome are muscular rigidity, fever, autonomic dysfunction and altered consciousness. NMS mortality is approximately between 10 to 20%.
Objectives:
The authors present and discuss the case of a patient with mental retardation who developed neuroleptic malignant syndrome after receiving haloperidol and zuclopenthixol for agitation.
Methods:
Supportive therapy including rehydratation, electrolyte restoration, paracetamol, dantrolene and biperideno were given to the patient.
Results:
Supportive therapy, dantrolene and biperideno yielded clinical benefits for neuroleptic malignant syndrome. However the patient developed acute hepatic failure probably secondary to dantrolene with need of admission to an intensive gastroenterological care unit, where he stayed for approximately one month.
Conclusions:
Although neuroleptic malignant syndrome and acute liver failure due to dantrolene are rare emergencies, the patient presented in this case developed theses two idiosyncratic, rare and potentially fatal reactions due to haloperidol, zuclopenthixol and dantrolene administration. This report clearly represents a successful clinical outcome only possible due to an early diagnosis and prompt treatment interventions.
The healthcare needs of the elderly are seldom assessed in practice. Research in clinical populations with neuropsychiatric disorders generally unravels high levels of unmet needs. Although there are Portuguese studies in needs assessment, explorations of community or social services’ scenarios have been scarce.
Objectives and aims:
By gathering data from health and social services research, and from an epidemiological survey in the same region, we aimed to better characterize the unmet needs of Portuguese elderly.
Methods:
We report on studies with old age people in Seixal, near Lisbon: 1) the Camberwell Assessment of Need for the Elderly was used for auditing a non-profit organization, with day-centre and home support services (n=95), and in a survey of family carers of dementia outpatients (n=116); 2) the 10/66 DRG community prevalence study (n=670) used comprehensive assessments to provide psychiatric diagnoses, data on health and psychosocial needs, and the use of services.
Results:
In the social service audit, unmet needs were mainly related to food, company, physical health and daytime activities. Domiciliary care users had more unmet needs than day centre users (p<0.001). Informal caregivers of dementia patients reported information and psychological distress needs. Finally, these 10/66 DRG study partial results highlighted a high prevalence of depression (20.4%; 95%CI 17.4-23.7) and huge health services’ utilization needs.
Conclusions:
Systematic assessments of needs for care generally unravel high proportions of health and psychosocial problems lacking adequate interventions, in clinical and community populations. This may provide a more consistent basis for health services planning.
The research about the benefits of early diagnosis and treatment of first-episode psychosis had significantly increased in last decades. There have been several early intervention programs in psychotic disease, implemented worldwide, in order to improve the prognosis of these psychotic patients.
Objectives
To present a brief description of the first-episode psychosis intervention team of Tondela-Viseu Hospital Centre–Portugal and its model. We aim to further characterize our population and describe its evolution since 2008.
Aims
We aim to clarify the benefits of an early intervention in psychosis.
Methods
We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients being followed by our team from November 2008 to September 2016. Demographic and medical data were collected (such as diagnosis, duration of untreated psychosis, treatments and its clinical effectiveness, relapse rate and hospital admissions) in patient's clinical records. The intervention model protocol of this team was also described and analyzed.
Results
This multidisciplinary team consists of three psychiatrists, one child Psychiatrist, one psychologist and five reference therapists (areas of nursing, social service and occupational therapy). It includes patients diagnosed with first-episode psychosis, aged 16 to 42 years old, followed for five years. The team followed, since its foundation, 123 patients, mostly male. The most prevalent diagnosis are schizophrenia and schizophreniform psychosis. The team is currently following 51 patients.
Conclusions
This team's intervention have progressively assumed a more relevant importance in the prognosis of patients with first-episode psychosis, by reducing the duration of untreated psychosis, the relapse rate and by promoting social reintegration.
Disclosure of interest
The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
With still limited information on vitamin requirements and considering that many commercial practices adopt dietary vitamin levels above the values suggested by nutritional tables, this study aimed to assess the effect of administering vitamin supplementation to sows in gestation and lactation and to their litters on the reproductive performance and body condition of the sows and on the performance and immune profile of the litters until slaughter. The trial was split into two phases. The first phase used 104 sows, assigned to be randomized to blocks according to parity, submitted until 21 days of lactation to two treatments: control–standard (standard levels of vitamins) and test–elevated (elevated levels of vitamins). Each sow and its respective farrow were considered an experimental unit. The sows underwent evaluations of body condition score, back fat thickness and reproductive performance. In the second phase, 60 barrows and 60 gilts at 21 days of age and mean initial weight of 5.33 ± 1.5 kg until slaughter at 164 days of age. The piglets were assigned to randomized blocks according to the weight and sex of the animals in a 2 × 2 factorial model, with 10 replicates per treatment, where a pen with three animals represented the experimental unit. Following the same treatments of the first phase, the piglets were evaluated for daily weight gain, daily feed intake, feed conversion, mortality rate and humoral immune response. Vitamin supplementation had no positive effects on the reproductive parameters or body composition of sows. However, it positively impacted the performance of the litters in the early nursery stage, but did not lead to superior effects on the immune responses to vaccination against circovirus or mycoplasma.
The fraction of organic matter present affects the fragmentation behavior of sialoliths; thus, pretherapeutic information on the degree of mineralization is relevant for a correct selection of lithotripsy procedures. This work proposes a methodology for in vivo characterization of salivary calculi in the pretherapeutic context. Sialoliths were characterized in detail by X-ray computed microtomography (μCT) in combination with atomic emission spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Correlative analysis of the same specimens was performed by in vivo and ex vivo helical computed tomography (HCT) and ex vivo μCT. The mineral matter in the sialoliths consisted essentially of apatite (89 vol%) and whitlockite (11 vol%) with average density of 1.8 g/cm3. In hydrated conditions, the mineral mass prevailed with 53 ± 13 wt%, whereas the organic matter, with a density of 1.2 g/cm3, occupied 65 ± 10% of the sialoliths’ volume. A quantitative relation between sialoliths mineral density and X-ray attenuation is proposed for both HCT and μCT.
Three new species of the Neotropical genus Barbacenia (Velloziaceae, Pandanales) from Tocantins, Brazil, are described and illustrated, based on morphology and leaf anatomy. The known species richness of the genus is mapped within the countries of South America and the states of Brazil.