Paleoamerican Morphology in the Context of European and East Asian Late Pleistocene Variation: Implications for Human Dispersion Into the New World

Early American crania show a different morphological pattern from the one shared by late Native Americans. Although the origin of the diachronic morphological diversity seen on the continents is still debated, the distinct morphology of early Americans is well documented and widely dispersed. This morphology has been described extensively for South America, where larger samples are available. Here we test the hypotheses that the morphology of Early Americans results from retention of the morphological pattern of Late Pleistocene modern humans and that the occupation of the New World precedes the morphological differentiation that gave rise to recent Eurasian and American morphology. We compare Early American samples with European Upper Paleolithic skulls, the East Asian Zhoukoudian Upper Cave specimens and a series of 20 modern human reference crania. Canonical Analysis and Minimum Spanning Tree were used to assess the morphological affinities among the series, while Mantel and Dow-Cheverud tests based on Mahalanobis Squared Distances were used to test different evolutionary scenarios. Our results show strong morphological affinities among the early series irrespective of geographical origin, which together with the matrix analyses results favor the scenario of a late morphological differentiation of modern humans. We conclude that the geographic differentiation of modern human morphology is a late phenomenon that occurred after the initial settlement of the Americas. Am J Phys Anthropol 144:442-453, 2011. (c) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Dietary predictors of serum total carotene in low-income women living in Sao Paulo, south-east Brazil

Objective Dietary intake and nutritional status of antioxidant vitamins have been reported to protect against some cancers The objective of the present study was to assess the correlations between serum levels of carotenoids (including beta-, alpha- and gamma-carotene), lycopene, retinol, alpha- and gamma-tocopherols, and dietary intakes estimated by an FFQ, among low-income women in the Brazilian Investigation into Nutrition and Cervical Cancer Prevention (BRINCA) study. Design Cross-sectional study of data for 918 women aged 21-65 years participating in the BRINCA study in Sao Paulo city. Multiple linear regression models were used with serum nutrient levels as the dependent variable and dietary intake levels as the independent variable, adjusted for confounding factors. Results In energy-adjusted analyses, the intakes of dark green and deep yellow vegetables and fruits (partial R(2) = 4.8%), total fruits and juices (partial R(2) = 1.8%), vegetables and fruits (partial R(2) = 1.8%), carrots (partial R(2) = 1.4%) and citrus fruits and juices only (partial R(2) = 0.8%) were positively correlated only with serum total carotene levels, after adjusting for serum total cholesterol concentration, age, hospital attended, smoking status. BMI and presence of cervical lesions Multiple-adjusted serum levels of carotenoids were positively correlated with intake quartiles of dark green and deep yellow vegetables and fruits and total fruits and juices independent of smoking status. Conclusions The intake of specific fruits and vegetables was an independent predictor of serum total carotene levels in low-income women living in Sao Paulo

Relative effect of litter quality, forest type and their interaction on leaf decomposition in south-east Brazilian forests

Decomposition was studied in a reciprocal litter transplant experiment to examine the effects of forest type, litter quality and their interaction on leaf decomposition in four tropical forests in south-east Brazil. Litterbags were used to measure decomposition of leaves of one tree species from each forest type: Calophyllum brasiliense from restinga forest; Guapira opposita from Atlantic forest; Esenbeckia leiocarpa from semi-deciduous forest; and Copaifera langsdorffii from cerradao. Decomposition rates in rain forests (Atlantic and restinga) were twice as fast as those in seasonal forests (semi-deciduous and cerradao), suggesting that intensity and distribution of precipitation are important predictors of decomposition rates at regional scales. Decomposition rates varied by species, in the following order: E. leiocarpa > C. langsdorffii > G. opposita > C. brasiliense. However, there was no correlation between decomposition rates and chemical litter quality parameters: C:N, C:P, lignin concentration and lignin:N. The interaction between forest type and litter quality was positive mainly because C. langsdorffii decomposed faster than expected in its native forest. This is a potential indication of a decomposer`s adaptation to specific substrates in a tropical forest. These findings suggest that besides climate, interactions between decomposers and plants might play an essential role in decomposition processes and it must be better understood.

One, two or no record of late neoproterozoic glaciation in South-East Cameroon?

Severe climate changes culminating in at least three major glacial events have been recognized in the Neoproterozoic sedimentary record from many parts of the world Supportive to the global nature of these climatic shifts a considerable amount of data have been acquired from deposits exposed in Pan-African orogenic belts in southwestern and western Africa By comparison published data from the Pan-African belts in Central Africa are scarce We report here evidence of possibly two glacial events recorded in the Mintom Formation that is located on the margin of the Pan-African orogenic Yaounde belt in South-East Cameroon In the absence of reliable radiometric data only maximum and minimum age limits of 640 and 580 Ma respectively can at present be applied to the Mintom Formation The formation consists of two lithostratigraphic ensembles each subdivided in two members (i e in ascending stratigraphic order the Kol Metou Momibole and Atog Adjap Members) The basal ensemble exhibits a typical glacial to post-glacial succession It includes diamictites comprising cobbles and boulders in a massive argillaceous siltstone matrix and laminated siltstones followed by in sharp contact a 2 m-thick massive dolostone that yielded negative delta(13)C values (<-3 parts per thousand. V-PDB) similar to those reported for Marinoan cap carbonates elsewhere However uncertainty remains regarding the glacial influence on the siliciclastic facies because the diamictite is better explained as a mass-flow deposit and diagnostic features such as dropstones have not been seen in the overlying siltstones The Mintom Formation may thus provide an example of an unusual succession of non-glacial diamictite overlain by a truly glacial melt-related cap-carbonate We also report the recent discovery of ice-striated pavements on the structural surface cut in the Mintom Formation suggesting that glaciers developed after the latter had been deposited and deformed during the Pan-African orogeny Striations which consistently exhibit two principal orientations (N60 and N110) were identified in two different localities in the west of the study area on siltstones of the Kol Member and in the east on limestones of the Atog Adjap Member respectively N60-oriented striae indicate ice flow towards the WSW Assigning an age to these features remains problematical because they were not found associated with glaciogenic deposits Two hypotheses can equally be envisaged e either the striated surfaces are correlated (1) to the Gaskiers (or Neoproterozoic post-Gaskiers) glaciation and represent the youngest Ediacaran glacial event documented in the southern Yaounde belt or (2) to the Late Ordovician Hirnantian (Saharan) glaciation thereby providing new data about Hirnantian ice flows in Central Africa (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved

The Neotropical genus Stibadocerina Alexander and its phylogenetic relationship to other Stibadocerinae genera: further evidence of an ancestral trans-Pacific biota (Diptera: Cylindrotomidae)

Stibadocerina Alexander, a monotypic genus, includes the only known Neotropical species of the family Cylindrotomidae, S. chilensis Alexander, 1929, from South Central Chile (ca. 36 degrees 50`S-42 degrees 17`S). In this paper, Stibadocerina chilensis is redescribed and illustrated in detail. A study of wing-vein homology in the subfamily Stibadocerinae is provided, to identify the components of the reduced radial sector in Stibadocerina and related taxa. The proposed hypotheses of wing-vein homology are tested, and the systematic position of Stibadocerina is assessed through a cladistic analysis of 13 characters of the male imago, scored for exemplar species of the four genera included in the Stibadocerinae. A single most parsimonious tree supports the monophyly of the Stibadocerinae and the following relationships among its included genera: Stibadocerodes [Stibadocera (Stibadocerella + Stibadocerina)]. The subfamily includes one example of a vicariant distribution with a sister-group relationship between South Central Chilean and East Asian taxa, and supports a biogeographical interpretation of an ancestral trans-Pacific biota.

Análise de um ciclone semi-estacionário na costa sul do Brasil associado a bloqueio atmosférico

Na primeira semana de maio de 2008, durante quatro dias, um ciclone em superfície permaneceu semi-estacionário na costa da região sul do Brasil. Este sistema foi responsável por chuvas e ventos fortes no Rio Grande do Sul e Santa Catarina, os quais causaram muitos danos (queda de árvores, enchentes e desabamentos). O objetivo deste trabalho é avaliar o processo de formação e entender os mecanismos responsáveis pelo lento deslocamento do ciclone, já que a maioria dos ciclones nesta região possui deslocamento mais rápido. A equação de desenvolvimento de Sutcliffe mostrou que a advecção de vorticidade absoluta ciclônica na média troposfera e a advecção de ar quente na camada entre 1000-500 hPa foram mecanismos importantes para a ciclogênese. Neste período, o intenso aquecimento diabático também contribuiu para a ciclogênese, à medida que se contrapôs ao intenso resfriamento adiabático devido aos movimentos verticais ascendentes. A advecção de vorticidade absoluta ciclônica que favoreceu a ciclogênese esteve associada a um Vórtice Ciclônico em Altos Níveis (VCAN), que se formou numa região de anomalia de vorticidade potencial. O VCAN se manteve semi-estacionário e compôs o setor norte de um bloqueio do tipo dipolo. Tal bloqueio intensificou um anticiclone em superfície, situado a sul/leste do ciclone, o que contribuiu para o ciclone se manter semi-estacionário. O movimento atípico e lento do ciclone para sul, e em alguns períodos para sudoeste, esteve associado com advecções de vorticidade absoluta ciclônica na média troposfera e de ar quente no seu setor sul. Somente quando o bloqueio em níveis médios e a anomalia de vorticidade potencial em níveis médios/altos se enfraqueceram, o ciclone em superfície se afastou da costa sul do Brasil.

Aves da Estação Ecológica de Itirapina, estado de São Paulo, Brasil

O cerrado é um dos biomas mais ameaçados no mundo, apresentando algumas das maiores taxas de destruição causadas principalmente pela agropecuária. Poucos estudos têm avaliado a diversidade local de aves no cerrado, especialmente em áreas marginais desse bioma. A Estação Ecológica de Itirapina (EEI) contém um dos últimos remanescentes de campos naturais e cerrados do estado de São Paulo. Um levantamento das aves desta unidade de conservação, feito tanto por observações casuais como sistemáticas entre 1998 e 2007, e complementado por revisão de literatura, revelou que 231 espécies apresentaram ocorrência recente na área. Desse total, 38 espécies (16,4%) encontram-se na lista de espécies ameaçadas para o estado de São Paulo e/ou são endêmicas do Cerrado, um alto número quando comparado com outras áreas de cerrados paulistas ou mesmo em relação ao Brasil Central. Tal fato reforça a importância da EEI em relação à conservação da avifauna e demonstra que a mesma está mantendo sua função de conservar a biodiversidade. Adicionalmente, ao longo dos 10 anos de estudo foram detectadas várias ameaças à EEI, e neste sentido são recomendadas aqui algumas sugestões de manejo que consideramos essenciais para essa unidade de conservação manter ou mesmo aumentar sua diversidade de aves.

Frugivory and seed dispersal of golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia (Linnaeus, 1766)) in a forest fragment in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil

The influence of the golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia) as a seed disperser was studied by monitoring two groups of tamarins from December 1998 to December 2000 (871.9 hours of observations) in a forest fragment in south-east Brazil. The tamarins consumed fruits of 57 species from at least 17 families. They ingested the seeds of 39 species, and 23 of these were put to germinate in the laboratory and/or in the field. L. rosalia is a legitimate seed disperser because the seeds of all species tested germinated after ingestion, albeit some in low percentages. These primates do not show a consistent effect in final seed germination, because they benefit some species while damaging others. Feces were examined for seeds that had been preyed upon or digested.

Risk optimization of a steel frame communications tower subject to tornado winds

The structural engineering community in Brazil faces new challenges with the recent occurrence of high intensity tornados. Satellite surveillance data shows that the area covering the south-east of Brazil, Uruguay and some of Argentina is one of the world most tornado-prone areas, second only to the infamous tornado alley in central United States. The design of structures subject to tornado winds is a typical example of decision making in the presence of uncertainty. Structural design involves finding a good balance between the competing goals of safety and economy. This paper presents a methodology to find the optimum balance between these goals in the presence of uncertainty. In this paper, reliability-based risk optimization is used to find the optimal safety coefficient that minimizes the total expected cost of a steel frame communications tower, subject to extreme storm and tornado wind loads. The technique is not new, but it is applied to a practical problem of increasing interest to Brazilian structural engineers. The problem is formulated in the partial safety factor format used in current design codes, with all additional partial factor introduced to serve as optimization variable. The expected cost of failure (or risk) is defined as the product of a. limit state exceedance probability by a limit state exceedance cost. These costs include costs of repairing, rebuilding, and paying compensation for injury and loss of life. The total expected failure cost is the sum of individual expected costs over all failure modes. The steel frame communications, tower subject of this study has become very common in Brazil due to increasing mobile phone coverage. The study shows that optimum reliability is strongly dependent on the cost (or consequences) of failure. Since failure consequences depend oil actual tower location, it turn,,; out that different optimum designs should be used in different locations. Failure consequences are also different for the different parties involved in the design, construction and operation of the tower. Hence, it is important that risk is well understood by the parties involved, so that proper contracts call be made. The investigation shows that when non-structural terms dominate design costs (e.g, in residential or office buildings) it is not too costly to over-design; this observation is in agreement with the observed practice for non-optimized structural systems. In this situation, is much easier to loose money by under-design. When by under-design. When structural material cost is a significant part of design cost (e.g. concrete dam or bridge), one is likely to lose significantmoney by over-design. In this situation, a cost-risk-benefit optimization analysis is highly recommended. Finally, the study also shows that under time-varying loads like tornados, the optimum reliability is strongly dependent on the selected design life.

Crystallization and preliminary structural analysis of the giant haemoglobin from Glossoscolex paulistus at 3.2 angstrom

Glossoscolex paulistus is a free-living earthworm encountered in south-east Brazil. Its oxygen transport requirements are undertaken by a giant extracellular haemoglobin, or erythrocruorin (HbGp), which has an approximate molecular mass of 3.6 MDa and, by analogy with its homologue from Lumbricus terrestris (HbLt), is believed to be composed of a total of 180 polypeptide chains. In the present work the full 3.6 MDa particle in its cyanomet state was purified and crystallized using sodium citrate or PEG8000 as precipitant. The crystals contain one-quarter of the full particle in the asymmetric unit of the I222 cell and have parameters of a = 270.8 angstrom, b = 320.3 angstrom and c = 332.4 angstrom. Diffraction data were collected to 3.15 angstrom using synchrotron radiation on beamline X29A at the Brookhaven National Laboratory and represent the highest resolution data described to date for similar erythrocruorins. The structure was solved by molecular replacement using a search model corresponding to one-twelfth of its homologue from HbLt. This revealed that HbGp belongs to the type I class of erythrocruorins and provided an interpretable initial electron density map in which many features including the haem groups and disulfide bonds could be identified.

Biodeterioration of painted mortar surfaces in tropical urban and coastal situations: Comparison of four paint formulations

Four different architectural acrylic paint formulations were tested by exposure to weathering for 7 years in the urban site of Sao Paulo and the coastal site of Ubatuba, South-East Brazil. Surface discolorations and detachment of coatings were assessed and the components of the biofilms were identified by standard microbiological methods. The painted surfaces of the mortar panels were much more discolored in Ubatuba, where major components of the biofilms were the cyanobacteria Gloeocapsa and Scytonema. In two of the four paint films, a pink coloration on the surface at this coastal site, caused mainly by red-pigmented Gloeocapsa, produced high discoloration ratings, but low degradation (as measured by detachment). Biofilms in Sao Paulo contained the same range of phototrophs, but in lesser quantity. However, fungal numbers, as determined by plating, were higher. Detachment ratings in this urban site were only slightly lower than in Ubatuba. The matt paint performed worst of the four, with silk and semi-gloss finishes giving lowest biodeterioration ratings. The matt elastomeric paint performed well at both sites, apart from becoming almost 100% covered by the pink biofilm in Ubatuba. Unpainted mortar panels became intensely discolored with a black biofilm, showing that all the paints had achieved one of their objectives, that of surface protection of the substrate. The value of PVC (pigment volume content) as an indicator of coatings biosusceptibility, is questioned. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Climate as the most important factor determining anti-fungal biocide performance in paint films

The effect of Pigment Volume Content (PVC) on fungal growth on acrylic paint formulations with and without biocide, exposed to weathering in three different climatic regions in Brazil for four years, was studied Latex paints. with PVC of 30%, 35% and 50%, were applied to autoclaved aerated concrete blocks pre-covered with acrylic sealer and acrylic plaster They were exposed to equatorial, tropical and temperate climates in north, south-east, and south Brazil Cladosporium was the most abundant fungal genus detected in the biofilm on the surfaces of all paint formulations at all sites after four years Heaviest fungal colonization occurred in the tropical south-east and lightest in the temperate south of the country, but more phototrophs, principally cyanobacteria, were detected in the equatorial region PVC and presence of biocides were shown to be of less importance than environmental conditions (irradiance, humidity and temperature) for biofilm formation and consequent discolouration These results have important implications for testing of paint formulations (C) 2010 Elsevier B V All rights reserved

Choice of macroinvertebrate metrics to evaluate stream conditions in Atlantic Forest, Brazil

The development of biomonitoring programs based on the macroinvertebrate community requires the understanding of species distribution patterns, as well as of the responses of the community to anthropogenic stressors. In this study, 49 metrics were tested as potential means of assessing the condition of 29 first- and second-order streams located in areas of differing types of land use in So Paulo State, Brazil. Of the sampled streams, 15 were in well-preserved regions in the Atlantic Forest, 5 were among sugarcane cultivations, 5 were in areas of pasture, and 4 were among eucalyptus plantations. The metrics were assessed against the following criteria: (1) predictable response to the impact of human activity; (2) highest taxonomic resolution, and (3) operational and theoretical simplicity. We found that 18 metrics were correlated with the environmental and spatial predictors used, and seven of these satisfied the selection criteria and are thus candidates for inclusion in a multimetric system to assess low-order streams in So Paulo State. These metrics are family richness; Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT) richness; proportion of Megaloptera and Hirudinea; proportion of EPT; Shannon diversity index for genus; and adapted Biological Monitoring Work Party biotic index.

Constraining the orbital orientation of eta Carinae from H Paschen lines

During the past decade, several observational and theoretical works have provided evidence of the binary nature of eta Carinae. Nevertheless, there is still no direct determination of the orbital parameters, and the different current models give contradictory results. The orbit is, in general, assumed to coincide with the Homunculus equator although the observations are not conclusive. Among all systems, eta Car has the advantage that it is possible to observe both the direct emission of line transitions in the central source and its reflection by the Homunculus, which is dependent on the orbital inclination. In this work, we studied the orbital phase-dependent hydrogen Paschen spectra reflected by the south-east lobe of the Homunculus to constrain the orbital parameters of eta Car and determine its inclination with respect to the Homunculus axis. Assuming that the emission excess originates in the wind-wind shock region, we were able to model the latitude dependence of the spectral line profiles. For the first time, we were able to estimate the orbital inclination of eta Car with respect to the observer and to the Homunculus axis. The best fit occurs for an orbital inclination to the line of sight of i similar to 60 degrees +/- 10 degrees, and i* similar to 35 degrees +/- 10 degrees with respect to the Homunculus axis, indicating that the angular momenta of the central object and the orbit are not aligned. We were also able to fix the phase angle of conjunction as similar to -40 degrees, showing that periastron passage occurs shortly after conjunction.

Germination rate and sporeling development of Chondracanthus chamissoi (Rhodophyta, Gigartinales) varies along a latitudinal gradient on the coast of Chile

Chondracanthus chamissoi (C. Agardh) Kutzing is an economically important red seaweed with an extended latitudinal distribution along the south-east Pacific. Here we report on the seasonal in vitro germination of carpospores and tetraspores from four populations distributed from 27 to 41 degrees S on the Chilean coast. Our results show that both types of spores exhibited a different physiological behavior related to the geographic origin of the specimens. Germination occurred throughout the year for both spore types in the four populations. However, for the northern locations (Calderilla, La Herradura and Puerto Aldea) germination was higher in spring, while for the southern location (Lechagua), germination was higher in summer. The growth rate of carposporelings and tetrasporelings varied seasonally in ail locations studied, with higher growth in spring. Among all, carposporelings from Lechagua specimens reached the highest growth rates (9.3 +/- 0.2% d(-1)). However, spores from Herradura and P. Aldea had a good germination and SGR in all seasons and would be good candidates to start spores-based cultivation of this valuable resource in Chile. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved