SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DISTRIBUTION OF FISH IN PALMAS BAY, UBATUBA, BRAZIL

The aim of this study was to analyze the distribution and abundance of the fish fauna of Palmas bay on Anchieta Island in southeastern Brazil. Specimens were caught in the summer and winter of 1992, using an otter trawl at three locations in the bay. The specimens were caught in both the nighttime and daytime. Data on the water temperature and salinity were recorded for the characterization of the predominant water mass in the region, and sediment samples were taken for granulometric analysis. A total of 7 656 specimens (79 species), with a total weight of approximately 300 kg, were recorded. The most abundant species were Eucinostomus argenteus, Ctenosciaena gracilicirrhus, Haemulon steindachneri, Eucinostomus gula and Diapterus rhombeus, which together accounted for more than 73% of the sample. In general, the ecological indices showed no differences in the composition of species for the abiotic variables analyzed. The multivariate analysis showed that the variations in the distribution of the fish fauna were mainly associated with intra-annual differences in temperature and salinity, resulting from the presence of South Atlantic Central Water (SACW) in the area during the summer. The analysis also showed an association with the type of bottom and a lesser association with respect to the night/day periods.

Playing to Create New Ways of Playing: A Child with Prader-Willi Syndrome

This investigation evaluates the possibility of constructing new ways of playing for a child with Prader-Willi syndrome, by means of occupational therapy. It is a qualitative study which makes use of the case study methodology, whose starting point is the clinical intervention as data collect field. It also presents a short revision of the literature to subside discussions and reflections. It was observed that through the playing experience the occupational therapist led the child to know his own limitations and possibilities, by making him discover new ways of doing activities. Observing the therapist and learning with her, the patient experienced different situations throughout the therapeutic relationship, what enabled him to experiment them in his everyday life. Finally, this study aims at showing the clinical reasoning of an occupational therapist with a view to demonstrate Brazilian therapeutical conduct.

Spatial and Temporal Variation of Archaeal, Bacterial and Fungal Communities in Agricultural Soils

Background: Soil microbial communities are in constant change at many different temporal and spatial scales. However, the importance of these changes to the turnover of the soil microbial communities has been rarely studied simultaneously in space and time. Methodology/Principal Findings: In this study, we explored the temporal and spatial responses of soil bacterial, archaeal and fungal beta-diversities to abiotic parameters. Taking into account data from a 3-year sampling period, we analyzed the abundances and community structures of Archaea, Bacteria and Fungi along with key soil chemical parameters. We questioned how these abiotic variables influence the turnover of bacterial, archaeal and fungal communities and how they impact the long-term patterns of changes of the aforementioned soil communities. Interestingly, we found that the bacterial and fungal b-diversities are quite stable over time, whereas archaeal diversity showed significantly higher fluctuations. These fluctuations were reflected in temporal turnover caused by soil management through addition of N-fertilizers. Conclusions: Our study showed that management practices applied to agricultural soils might not significantly affect the bacterial and fungal communities, but cause slow and long-term changes in the abundance and structure of the archaeal community. Moreover, the results suggest that, to different extents, abiotic and biotic factors determine the community assembly of archaeal, bacterial and fungal communities.

On abstract differential equations with nonlocal conditions involving the temporal derivative of the solution

In this paper we discuss the existence of solutions for a class of abstract differential equations with nonlocal conditions for which the nonlocal term involves the temporal derivative of the solution. Some concrete applications to parabolic differential equations with nonlocal conditions are considered. (C) 2012 Royal Dutch Mathematical Society (KWG). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Structural synaptic elements are differentially regulated in superior temporal cortex of schizophrenia patients

Inaccurate wiring and synaptic pathology appear to be major hallmarks of schizophrenia. A variety of gene products involved in synaptic neurotransmission and receptor signaling are differentially expressed in brains of schizophrenia patients. However, synaptic pathology may also develop by improper expression of intra- and extra-cellular structural elements weakening synaptic stability. Therefore, we have investigated transcription of these elements in the left superior temporal gyrus of 10 schizophrenia patients and 10 healthy controls by genome-wide microarrays (Illumina). Fourteen up-regulated and 22 downregulated genes encoding structural elements were chosen from the lists of differentially regulated genes for further qRT-PCR analysis. Almost all genes confirmed by this method were downregulated. Their gene products belonged to vesicle-associated proteins, that is, synaptotagmin 6 and syntaxin 12, to cytoskeletal proteins, like myosin 6, pleckstrin, or to proteins of the extracellular matrix, such as collagens, or laminin C3. Our results underline the pivotal roles of structural genes that control formation and stabilization of pre- and post-synaptic elements or influence axon guidance in schizophrenia. The glial origin of collagen or laminin highlights the close interrelationship between neurons and glial cells in establishment and maintenance of synaptic strength and plasticity. It is hypothesized that abnormal expression of these and related genes has a major impact on the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.

Disentangling social networks from spatiotemporal dynamics: the temporal structure of a dolphin society

Social networks are static illustrations of dynamic societies, within which social interactions are constantly changing. Fundamental sources of variation include ranging behaviour and temporal demographic changes. Spatiotemporal dynamics can favour or limit opportunities for individuals to interact, and then a network may not essentially represent social processes. We examined whether a social network can embed such nonsocial effects in its topology, whereby emerging modules depict spatially or temporally segregated individuals. To this end, we applied a combination of spatial, temporal and demographic analyses to a long-term study of the association patterns of Guiana dolphins, Sotalia guianensis. We found that association patterns are organized into a modular social network. Space use was unlikely to reflect these modules, since dolphins' ranging behaviour clearly overlapped. However, a temporal demographic turnover, caused by the exit/entrance of individuals (most likely emigration/immigration), defined three modules of associations occurring at different times. Although this factor could mask real social processes, we identified the temporal scale that allowed us to account for these demographic effects. By looking within this turnover period (32 months), we assessed fission-fusion dynamics of the poorly known social organization of Guiana dolphins. We highlight that spatiotemporal dynamics can strongly influence the structure of social networks. Our findings show that hypothetical social units can emerge due to the temporal opportunities for individuals to interact. Therefore, a thorough search for a satisfactory spatiotemporal scale that removes such nonsocial noise is critical when analysing a social system. (C) 2012 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spatial-temporal variation of Paralonchurus brasiliensis (Actinopterygii: Sciaenidae) density in relation to some environmental factors on the inner shelf of south-eastern Brazilian coast

The temporal and spatial variation of Paralonchurus brasiliensis density (fish per m(2)) in relation to environmental factors was studied on the coasts of Ubatuba and Caraguatatuba, south-eastern Brazil. The fish were collected by shrimp fishery trawl on a monthly basis from January to December, 2002. Seven depths were previously established and for each one the temperature, salinity, organic matter content and grain size of the sediment (phi) was measured. The seasonal analysis of temperature and salinity indicated the presence of the water masses South Atlantic Central Water (SACW) and Coastal Waters (CW) acting in the study area. A total of 29,808 fish were collected during the study period. The highest densities were registered during the summer and autumn indicating an association with CW. The fish population moved to shallow depths during the intrusion of the cold water mass, SACW. The highest densities were registered in depths where the sediment composition ranged from fine sand to silt-clay. Thus, the temperature and type of the sediment are the main environmental factors which affect the spatial-temporal variation of P. brasiliensis density in south-eastern Brazil.

Temporal memory of emotional experience

The few studies that have investigated judgments of time have suggested that the memory of duration is distorted more for emotional events than for neutral events, while in contrast there is abundant evidence that other aspects of memories of emotional events are more accurate. To reconcile this apparent discrepancy, we used a procedure in which the participants learned a standard duration over several trials under three emotional conditions: a threatening, a nonthreatening, and a neutral control condition. They were then tested either immediately or 24 h after learning. In this test phase, they had to indicate whether presented comparison durations were or were not the same as the previously learned standard duration. We found that durations were recalled better in the emotional than in the neutral condition, and that this occurred to a greater extent in the threatening than in the nonthreatening condition. Arousing emotions thus enhanced temporal memory, just as they enhance memory for other aspects of emotional events.

Quality Metric to Assess Video Streaming Service over TCP considering Temporal Location of Pauses

There is a wide range of video services over complex transmission networks, and in some cases end users fail to receive an acceptable quality level. In this paper, the different factors that degrade users' quality of experience (QoE) in video streaming service that use TCP as transmission protocol are studied. In this specific service, impairment factors are: number of pauses, their duration and temporal location. In order to measure the effect that each temporal segment has in the overall video quality, subjective tests. Because current subjective test methodologies are not adequate to assess video streaming over TCP, some recommendations are provided here. At the application layer, a customized player is used to evaluate the behavior of player buffer, and consequently, the end user QoE. Video subjective test results demonstrate that there is a close correlation between application parameters and subjective scores. Based on this fact, a new metrics named VsQM is defined, which considers the importance of temporal location of pauses to assess the user QoE of video streaming service. A useful application scenario is also presented, in which the metrics proposed herein is used to improve video services(1).

Size distributions and temporal variations of biological aerosol particles in the Amazon rainforest characterized by microscopy and real-time UV-APS fluorescence techniques during AMAZE-08

As a part of the AMAZE-08 campaign during the wet season in the rainforest of central Amazonia, an ultraviolet aerodynamic particle sizer (UV-APS) was operated for continuous measurements of fluorescent biological aerosol particles (FBAP). In the coarse particle size range (> 1 mu m) the campaign median and quartiles of FBAP number and mass concentration were 7.3x10(4) m(-3) (4.0-13.2x10(4) m(-3)) and 0.72 mu g m(-3) (0.42-1.19 mu g m(-3)), respectively, accounting for 24% (11-41%) of total particle number and 47% (25-65%) of total particle mass. During the five-week campaign in February-March 2008 the concentration of coarse-mode Saharan dust particles was highly variable. In contrast, FBAP concentrations remained fairly constant over the course of weeks and had a consistent daily pattern, peaking several hours before sunrise, suggesting observed FBAP was dominated by nocturnal spore emission. This conclusion was supported by the consistent FBAP number size distribution peaking at 2.3 mu m, also attributed to fungal spores and mixed biological particles by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), light microscopy and biochemical staining. A second primary biological aerosol particle (PBAP) mode between 0.5 and 1.0 mu m was also observed by SEM, but exhibited little fluorescence and no true fungal staining. This mode may have consisted of single bacterial cells, brochosomes, various fragments of biological material, and small Chromalveolata (Chromista) spores. Particles liquid-coated with mixed organic-inorganic material constituted a large fraction of observations, and these coatings contained salts likely from primary biological origin. We provide key support for the suggestion that real-time laser-induce fluorescence (LIF) techniques using 355 nm excitation provide size-resolved concentrations of FBAP as a lower limit for the atmospheric abundance of biological particles in a pristine environment. We also show some limitations of using the instrument for ambient monitoring of weakly fluorescent particles < 2 mu m. Our measurements confirm that primary biological particles, fungal spores in particular, are an important fraction of supermicron aerosol in the Amazon and that may contribute significantly to hydrological cycling, especially when coated by mixed inorganic material.

Spatio-temporal patterns of tuberculosis incidence in Ribeirao Preto, State of Sao Paulo, southeast Brazil, and their relationship with social vulnerability: a Bayesian analysis

Introduction: The purpose of this ecological study was to evaluate the urban spatial and temporal distribution of tuberculosis (TB) in Ribeirao Preto, State of Sao Paulo, southeast Brazil, between 2006 and 2009 and to evaluate its relationship with factors of social vulnerability such as income and education level. Methods: We evaluated data from TBWeb, an electronic notification system for TB cases. Measures of social vulnerability were obtained from the SEADE Foundation, and information about the number of inhabitants, education and income of the households were obtained from Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. Statistical analyses were conducted by a Bayesian regression model assuming a Poisson distribution for the observed new cases of TB in each area. A conditional autoregressive structure was used for the spatial covariance structure. Results: The Bayesian model confirmed the spatial heterogeneity of TB distribution in Ribeirao Preto, identifying areas with elevated risk and the effects of social vulnerability on the disease. We demonstrated that the rate of TB was correlated with the measures of income, education and social vulnerability. However, we observed areas with low vulnerability and high education and income, but with high estimated TB rates. Conclusions: The study identified areas with different risks for TB, given that the public health system deals with the characteristics of each region individually and prioritizes those that present a higher propensity to risk of TB. Complex relationships may exist between TB incidence and a wide range of environmental and intrinsic factors, which need to be studied in future research.

Spatio-temporal variability of sugarcane yield efficiency in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil

The objective of this work was to assess the spatial and temporal variability of sugarcane yield efficiency and yield gap in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, throughout 16 growing seasons, considering climate and soil as main effects, and socioeconomic factors as complementary. An empirical model was used to assess potential and attainable yields, using climate data series from 37 weather stations. Soil effects were analyzed using the concept of production environments associated with a soil aptitude map for sugarcane. Crop yield efficiency increased from 0.42 to 0.58 in the analyzed period (1990/1991 to 2005/2006 crop seasons), and yield gap consequently decreased from 58 to 42%. Climatic factors explained 43% of the variability of sugarcane yield efficiency, in the following order of importance: solar radiation, water deficit, maximum air temperature, precipitation, and minimum air temperature. Soil explained 15% of the variability, considering the average of all seasons. There was a change in the correlation pattern of climate and soil with yield efficiency after the 2001/2002 season, probably due to the crop expansion to the west of the state during the subsequent period. Socioeconomic, biotic and crop management factors together explain 42% of sugarcane yield efficiency in the state of Sao Paulo.

Temporal Trends of Asthma Mortality Rates in Brazil from 1980 to 2010

Objective. Mortality from asthma has varied among countries during the last several decades. This study aimed to identify temporal trends of asthma mortality in Brazil from 1980 to 2010. Method. We analyzed 6840 deaths of patients aged 5-34 years that occurred in Brazil with the underlying cause of asthma. We applied a log-linear model using Poisson regression to verify peaks and trends. We also calculated the point estimation and 95% confidence interval (CI 95%) of the annual percent change (APC) of the mortality rates, and the average annual percent change (AAPC) for 2001-2010. Results. A decline was observed from 1980 to 1992 [APC = -3.4 (-5.0 to -1.8)], followed by a nonsignificant rise until 1996 [APC = 6.8 (-1.4 to 15.6)], and a new downward trend from 1997 to 2010 [APC = -2.7 (-3.9 to -1.6)]. The APCs varied according to age strata: 5-14 years from 1980 to 2010 [-0.3 (-1.1 to 0.5)]; 15-24 years from 1980 to 1991 [-2.1 (-5.0 to 0.9)], from 1992 to 1996 [6.8 (-6.7 to 22.2)], and from 1997 to 2010 [-3.9 (-5.7 to -2.0)]; 24-25 years from 1980 to 1992 [-2.5 (-4.6 to -0.3)], from 1993 to 1995 [12.0 (-21.1 to 59.1)], and from 1996-2010 [-1.7 (-3.0 to -0.4)]. AAPC from 2001 to 2010 was -1.7 (-3.0 to -0.4); the decline for this period was significant for patients over 15 years old, women, and those living in the Southeast region. Conclusion. Asthma mortality rates in Brazil have been declining since the late 1990s.

Temporal relationships of a pulse of prolactin (PRL) to a pulse of a metabolite of PGF2 alpha in mares

Hourly blood samples were collected from 10 mares during 24 h of each of the preluteolytic, luteolytic, and postluteolytic periods. The autocorrelation function of the R program was used to detect pulse rhythmicity, and the intra-assay CV was used to locate and characterize pulses of prolactin (PRL) and a metabolite of prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGFM). Rhythmicity of PRL and PGFM concentrations was detected in 67% and 89% of mares, respectively. Combined for the three periods (no difference among periods), the PRL pulses were 5.2 +/- 0.4 h (mean +/- SEM) at the base, 7.5 +/- 1.5 h between nadirs of adjacent pulses, and 12.3 +/- 1.5 h from peak to peak. The peaks of PRL pulses were greater (P < 0.05) during the luteolytic period (46 +/- 14 ng/mL) and postluteolytic period (52 15 ng/mL) than during the preluteolytic period (17 3 ng/mL). Concentrations of PRL during hours of a PGFM pulse were different (P < 0.003) within the luteolytic period and postluteolytic period and were greatest at the PGFM peak; PRL concentrations during a PGFM pulse were not different during the preluteolytic period. The frequency of the peak of PRL and PGFM pulses occurring at the same hour (synchrony) was greater for the luteolytic period (65%, P < 0.01) and postluteolytic period (50%, P < 0.001) than for the preluteolytic period (17%). This is the first report in mares on characterization and rhythmicity of PRL pulses, synchrony between PRL and PGFM pulses, and greater PRL activity during the luteolytic and postluteolytic periods than during the preluteolytic period. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Temporal evolution of tubular initial conditions and their influence on two-particle correlations in relativistic nuclear collisions

Relativistic nuclear collisions data on two-particle correlations exhibit structures as function of relative azimuthal angle and rapidity. A unified description of these near-side and away-side structures is proposed for low to moderate transverse momentum. It is based on the combined effect of tubular initial conditions and hydrodynamical expansion. Contrary to expectations, the hydrodynamics solution shows that the high-energy density tubes (leftover from the initial particle interactions) give rise to particle emission in two directions and this is what leads to the various structures. This description is sensitive to some of the initial tube parameters and may provide a probe of the strong interaction. This explanation is compared with an alternative one where some triangularity in the initial conditions is assumed. A possible experimental test is suggested. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.