Finding the way home: movement of butterflies in non-familiar habitats

Paisagens naturais tem sido afetadas dramaticamente pela perda de habitat e fragmentação, os quais transformam paisagens contínuas em manchas de habitat circundadas por áreas de não-habitat (matrizes). Essas matrizes, inóspitas ou não, afetam incontáveis processos ecológicos, como a dispersão. Uma das formas de compreender o efeito da matriz no processo de dispersão é estudando o alcance da percepção do habitat dos animais, o qual é definido como o alcance (distância) em que um animal pode perceber elementos da paisagem. Essa percepção está diretamente relacionada ao sucesso de chegada à um novo habitat, enquanto o animal navega por uma matriz. Nós avaliamos a percepção do habitat em Heliconius erato, uma borboleta tropical. Entretanto nós também estávamos interessados em avaliar o efeito da idade das borboletas e do tipo de matriz na percepção do habitat. Consequentemente, nós criamos borboletas em laboratório e pareamos com borboletas coletadas na floresta durante um experimento de soltura. Para determinar o alcance da percepção, nós realizamos solturas em duas diferentes matrizes (coqueiral e campo em regeneração) à três distâncias da floresta (0,30 e 100 metros) e medimos o ângulo final alcançado pelas borboletas. Nós encontramos que (I) borboletas soltas na borda se orientaram fortemente para a floresta; (II) quanto maior a distância de soltura, menor a habilidade de perceber o habitat e (III) há interação entre matriz e idade da borboleta. Borboletas inexperientes se orientaram melhor no campo aberto (alcance da percepção: 30-100 metros) e experientes se orientaram melhor no coqueiral (alcance da percepção entre 30-100 metros).

Circadian variation with a diurnal bimodal profile on scent-marking behavior in captive common marmosets (callitrhix jacchus)

Scent-marking behavior is associated with different behavioral contexts in callitrichids, including signalizing a territory, location of feeding resources, and social rank. In marmosets and tamarins it is also associated with intersexual communication. Though it appears very important for the daily routine of the individuals, very few researchers have investigated distribution through the 24-h cycle. In a preliminary report, we described a preferential incidence of this behavior 2 h before nocturnal rest in families of common marmosets. We expand the data using 8 family groups (28 subjects), 8 fathers, 6 mothers, 8 nonreproductive adults (4 sons and 4 daughters), and 6 juvenile (3 sons and 3 daughters) offspring that we kept in outdoor cages under natural environmental conditions. We recorded the frequency of anogenital scent marking for each group during the light phase, twice a wk, for 4 consecutive wks, from March 1998 to September 1999. Cosinor test detected 24- and 8-h variations in 89.3% and 85.7% of the subjects, respectively, regardless of sex or reproductive status. The 8-h component is a consequence of the 2 peaks for the behavior, at the beginning and end of the light phase. Daily distribution of scent marking is similar to that others described previously for motor activity in marmosets. The coincident rhythmical patterns for both behaviors seem to be associated with feeding behavior, as described for callitrichids in free-ranging conditions, involving an increase in foraging activities early in the morning and shortly before nocturnal rest

Local Field Potentials in the Gustatory Cortex Carry Taste Information

It has been recently shownthat localfield potentials (LFPs)fromthe auditory and visual cortices carry information about sensory stimuli, but whether this is a universal property of sensory cortices remains to be determined. Moreover, little is known about the temporal dynamics of sensory information contained in LFPs following stimulus onset. Here we investigated the time course of the amount of stimulus information in LFPs and spikes from the gustatory cortex of awake rats subjected to tastants and water delivery on the tongue. We found that the phase and amplitude of multiple LFP frequencies carry information about stimuli, which have specific time courses after stimulus delivery. The information carried by LFP phase and amplitude was independent within frequency bands, since the joint information exhibited neither synergy nor redundancy. Tastant information in LFPs was also independent and had a different time course from the information carried by spikes. These findings support the hypothesis that the brain uses different frequency channels to dynamically code for multiple features of a stimulus.

Religião e cultura local: estudo de dois grupos espíritas potiguares

The subject of this research is the spiritual religious field, connected with the local cultural perspectives. Its basis is the analysis of two spiritual groups settled in Natal/RN: The Spiritual Group Evangelho no Lar and the Spiritual Center Garimpeiros da Luz . These two groups represent a point of convergence of several sectors of this religion, either through its insertion in the local sphere or in contact to nationally influent leaders, like the mediums Francisco Cândido Xavier and Divaldo Pereira Franco. Then, it aims to reach the potiguar singularities in their spiritualism approaches, looking for an analyses to possible connections between local values and themes from the spiritualism largely developed in Brazil. So, its objective is to act in the scope of influence, references, representations and adaptive practices in a local context, and they signalize special practices . The approaches until now developed refer only to the living of a Brazilian spiritualism, perfectly developed in contact with the catholic substrate, but there s still a gap about the local observation, with its peculiarities, which its research aims to disclosure. The option for a qualitative approach, in perfect relationship with the nature of the questions which were made was considered as an appropriate way to guide the study. To reach this, it will be made an ethnography of the studied groups, not only in the use of open interviews with its members but also in the contact and observation of its religious behavior, for example: meeting for studies of the doctrine, mediunic meetings, public lectures, helping the public in general. As results of this research we can point to the delimitation of local cultural references, which are undeniable, in relation to the identification of RN personalities who are considered coordinators or active spirits in the work performed by the groups. Thus, Auta de Souza, poetess and woman of great religiosity, Augusto Severo de Albuquerque Maranhão, martyr of the aeronautics, Father João Maria, object of popular devotion and Abdias Antônio de Oliveira, ex president of the Spiritual Federation of RN, present themselves as spiritual beings who lead the adaptability to the local context. In such a context, we have to point out the work of mediums, who, having a specific charisma, interacted with the groups in the establishment of these cultural bridges already made in their own contexts (national level), through the work equally possible to be locally reproduced. This and other facts, point out to perspectives of cultural circularity , including referring to a greater linking to sub layers in a true zone that converges and has circulation between an erudite spiritualism with another one, turned to the incorporation of local and popular elements

Gestão ambiental na educação: um estudo sobre fatores que afetam o comportamento ambiental de professores do ensino médio, na cidade de Floriano-PI

The present work sets out environmental issues in educational field. The aim of this research was to investigate the factors capable to influence the environmental behavior of the teachers in High school of the public school in Floriano, state of Piaui. For this, the methodology utilized an explanatory and descriptive search like a survey; questionnaires were applied with open and close questions establishing shifts that made up the following aspects; knowledge, behavior, responsibility, participation and trait of the teachers. The statistic techniques to analyze the data were descriptive analysis and analysis of multiple regression. The results reveal that teachers care about the real surrounding problems and believe that the school must develop ambient activities to stir the consciousness, it is important to the environmental improvement of the city. However, the results point out that are developed little activities related to theme concerned, besides the level of ambient consciousness given to the students are median. It was observed that teachers have little knowledge about theme like Agenda 21 and ISO14000. After identifying some factors of environmental knowledge, it was showed recommendations. The Agenda 21 recognizes in the educational field a mean of popular consciousness; the school should develop an education according to national policy of the environmental education

Dinâmica Costeira dos Campos petrolíferos Macau/Serra, litoral setentrional do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte

This thesis describes the general behavior of the northern shore of the State of Rio Grande do Norte relating beach profile morphology with hydrodynamic and sedimentological parameters. The Macau and Serra Oil Field are inserted on this area and are under accelerated coastal erosion. At these oil fields are installed oil wells from PETROBRAS, nowadays located directly in the shoreline, under constant attacks of coastal processes (e.g. waves, tides and currents), which promote an intense morphodynamic variability of this sandy coast. The area was monitored for 24 months in three different stations (P01, P02 and P03). The methodology applied involved current techniques of beach profiles, hydrodynamical processes, remote sensing and geophysics. A synthesis of results obtained through the use of different time scales (monthly, lunar cycle, seasonal, annual) from a coastal dynamics study is presented. The average wind direction corresponded to 77ºAz (NE). The steepness of the berm and of the shoreface, as well as coastal current direction, do not present major changes, with an average of 36º for the steepness of the berm, 15º for the shoreface and 15º for the coastal current direction. This data set allows us to infer that the months of larger coastal erosion were November/2000 and April/2001, because of the largest wave parameter during this time. The months of worse coastal erosion in this area are related with the increasing wavy energy. This in turn, seems to be related to seasonal climatic variations, with the wave energy and tide currents speed increasing during months of minor precipitations (June to January). The months of worse coastal erosion were September and November, when the largest wave parameters and speed currents are measured in the area. Since these months are included on the period of minor precipitations, we related the coastal erosion to seasonal climatic variations. The results obtained during these 24 months of monitoring confirms a situation of accentuated erosion, mainly in Profile 03 (Barra do Corta-Cachorro), where the wave height, period, and coastal current speed are always larger than the values found in Profile 02 (Macau5). Probably these values are more expressive in Profile 03, because it does not present any natural structure of protection against the wave impacts, as the barrier island located at Ponta do Tubarão, or the sand banks in front of Macau5. The transport of the sediments occurs from East to West, and the sand accumulation is more pronounced on Profile 03 intertidal zone, where there are embrionary dunes in dryer months. The tidal currents speed, on the other hand, is more accentuated in the Macau5 area (Profile 02). At Ponta do Tubarão, the tidal currents presented a preferential direction for NE, at times of flood, currents and for NW, at times of ebb current; at Barra do Corta-Cachorro the direction of the currents were predominantly for NW, independent of the tide phase, coinciding with the preferential direction of the longshore current. This currents inversion at Ponta do Tubarão is attributed to the presence of the Ponta do Tubarão island barrier and by the communication channel of the lagoon with the sea. The tide currents are better observed in protected areas, as in the Ponta do Tubarão, when they present inversion in their direction accordingly to the flood and ebb tide. In open areas, as in Barra do Corta-Cachorro, the tide currents are overprinted by the longshore currents. Sediment analysis does not show important modifications in grain size related to seasonality (dry- and rainy seasons). On the foreshore and backshore zones, the sediments vary from fine to medium sand, while in the shoreface they very from fine to very sands. The grains are mostly spheres, varying from sub rounded to sub angled. Quartz is the main component alongside Feldspat and heavy minerals as accessory components. Biogenic content is also present and mainly represented by mollusks fragments. The calculated sediment transport show values around 100 m3/day. The morphodynamic studies indicated that this is a reflexive area from October to April, and intermediate from May to September. The Relative Tide Range-RTR for this area is 4 < RTR < 15, and so classified in the mixed wave-tide group. Having this exposed we can affirm that the more active natural factors in this area are the currents, followed by the tides and the winds. The anthropic factors are exclusively local and punctual (Macau and Serra Oil Field). Taking in account the economic importance of the area, as well as the intensity of coastal processes acting on this shore, it is important a continuity of the monthly environmental monitoring looking for variations on longer-period cycles. These data have been stored on the geo-referenced database of the projects MARPETRO and PETRORISCO (REDE 05), aiming to model the coastal and sea environment, susceptible to oil spills and their derivatives

Condutividade térmica de rochas: uma aplicação para granitos ornamentais

This dissertation focuses on rock thermal conductivity and its correlations with petrographic, textural, and geochemical aspects, especially in granite rocks. It aims at demonstrating the relations of these variables in an attempt to enlighten the behavior of thermal effect on rocks. Results can be useful for several applications, such as understanding and conferring regional thermal flow results, predicting the behavior of thermal effect on rocks based upon macroscopic evaluation (texture and mineralogy), in the building construction field in order to provide more precise information on data refinement on thermal properties emphasizing a rocky material thermal conductivity, and especially in the dimension stone industry in order to open a discussion on the use of these variables as a new technological parameter directly related to thermal comfort. Thermal conductivity data were obtained by using Anter Corporation s QuicklineTM -30 a thermal property measuring equipment. Measurements were conducted at temperatures ranging between 25 to 38 OC in samples with 2cm in length and an area of at least 6cm of diameter. As to petrography data, results demonstrated good correlations with quartz and mafics. Linear correlation between mineralogy and thermal conductivity revealed a positive relation of a quartz percentage increase in relation to a thermal conductivity increase and its decrease with mafic minerals increase. As to feldspates (K-feldspate and plagioclase) they show dispersion. Quartz relation gets more evident when compared to sample sets with >20% and <20%. Sets with more than 20% quartz (sienogranites, monzogranites, granodiorites, etc.), exhibit to a great extent conductivity values which vary from 2,5 W/mK and the set with less than 20% (sienites, monzonites, gabbros, diorites, etc.) have an average thermal conductivity below 2,5 W/mK. As to textures it has been verified that rocks considered thick/porphyry demonstrated in general better correlations when compared to rocks considered thin/medium. In the case of quartz, thick rocks/porphyry showed greater correlation factors when compared to the thin/medium ones. As to feldspates (K-feldspate and plagioclase) again there was dispersion. As to mafics, both thick/porphyry and thin/medium showed negative correlations with correlation factor smaller than those obtained in relation to the quartz. As to rocks related to the Streckeisen s QAP diagram (1976), they tend to fall from alcali-feldspates granites to tonalites, and from sienites to gabbros, diorites, etc. Thermal conductivity data correlation with geochemistry confirmed to a great extent mineralogy results. It has been seen that correlation is linear if there is any. Such behavior could be seen especially with the SiO2. In this case similar correlation can be observed with the quartz, that is, thermal conductivity increases as SiO2 is incremented. Another aspect observed is that basic to intermediate rocks presented values always below 2,5 W/mK, a similar behavior to that observed in rocks with quartz <20%. Acid rocks presented values above 2,5 W/mK, a similar behavior to that observed in rocks with quartz >20% (granites). For all the other cases, correlation factors are always low and present opposite behavior to Fe2O3, CaO, MgO, and TiO2. As to Al2O3, K2O, and Na2O results are not conclusive and are statistically disperse. Thermal property knowledge especially thermal conductivity and its application in the building construction field appeared to be very satisfactory for it involves both technological and thermal comfort aspects, which favored in all cases fast, cheap, and precise results. The relation between thermal conductivity and linear thermal dilatation have also shown satisfactory results especially when it comes to the quartz role as a common, determining phase between the two variables. Thermal conductivity studies together with rocky material density can function as an additional tool for choosing materials when considering structural calculation aspects and thermal comfort, for in the dimension stone case there is a small density variation in relation to a thermal conductivity considerable variation