As competições sociais em grupos de Callithrix jacchus (Callitrichidae, Primates) são influenciadas pelo parentesco e pela convivência?

The Callitrichidae family is characterized by flexibility in its mating system, being possible to find monogamous, polyandrid and polygynic groups. Its social organization and mating system can be defined by the interaction between ecological and demographic factors plus the degree of relatedness among the individuals in the population. The objective of this work was to demonstrate the influence of relatedness and coexistence on the establishment and maintenance of social relations between Callithrix jacchus adult males. Four pairs of related adult males (CP), 4 pairs with coexistence between the animals in the pair (CC) and 4 pairs with no relatedness (SP) were studied. The pairs in the group CC had been kept in the same cage for at least 8 months before the experiment and the pairs in the group SP were put together at the beginning of the study. Each animal was observed 3 times/week for 2 months, in 15 min. sessions, through focal time sampling with instantaneous record each minute. In the first month, only the pair of males was kept in the cage (Phase I) and in the second month, a female was introduced into the cage (Phase II). The affiliative, agonistic and sexual interactions were registered. Affiliative interactions showed similar frequencies for all groups in phases. There was also no significant difference in the agonistic interactions of the CP, CC and SP males in Pase I, even considering that group SP exhibited higher levels of agonism. In Phase II, there was a statistically significant increase comparing to the others. The results demonstrate that relatedness and coexistence are of great importance for maintaining reprodutive and social stability inside the group. Nonetheless, in this study, only one of the males in the pair had sexual interations with the females, except for 2 pairs. This was assured through mate guarding and agonism directed to the potencial competitor. The most probable mating system would be functional monogamy, where the males would present low levels of competition, if there is relatedness and coexistence among them; on the other hand, a strong competition if there is no relatedness between the individuals. Even so, a polyandric system would also have to be considered

A Zona Incerta no sagüi (Callithrix jacchus): Análise Citoarquitetônica, Neuroquímica e Projeção Retiniana

The retinal projections in mammals usually reach, classically, three major functional systems: the primary visual system, the accessory optic system, and the circadian timing system. But the retinal projections also reach areas classically considered non-visual, one of which groups the neurons of the zona incerta (ZI), target this study. The primary visual system includes thalamic lateral geniculate complex is formed by the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus, intergeniculate leaflet and the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus and other Components. The accessory optic system is composed of the small nuclei: nuclei terminal dorsal, lateral, medial and the interstitial nucleus of the superior posterior fasciculus. These nuclei are involved in visuo-motor activities. The circadian timing system is comprised of the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus, that act as master circadian pacemaker, entraining pathways and efferents pathways to the efectors, and the intergeniculate leaflet, that seems to act as a modulator of the pacemaker. The retinal projections too reach classically considered non-visual areas, including the zona incerta. This region is localized in the ventral thalamus and has been implicated in various functional properties including nociceptive and somatosensory processing, motor response, sociosexual behaviour, feeding and drinking, in symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases, arousal and attention. It also displays connection with several areas of central nervous system. The aim of this study was characterize the retinal projection in the zona incerta of Callithrix jacchus (sagüi), a primate of the New World through the anterograde axonal transport of the cholera toxin subunit b and analyze the citoarchicteture using Nissl and NeuN, and neurochemical substances such as serotonin, GABA, VIP, VP, GFAP and binding-calcium proteins. The zona incerta showed a different division of the literature in citoarquitetura, both by means of Nissl as neurochemical by NeuN, with a subdivision ventrolateral and dorsomedial. The neurochemical to the other substances corroborate with this subdivision. The GFAP was almost completely negative for the zona incerta, result non evidenced in previous studies yet. The 16 retinal projection in sagüi, unlike other primates and rodents, reached the caudal portion only. This work helps to make further studies are conducted based on this subdivision and the localization of the neurochemical substances associated with possible behaviors that the zona incerta is involved

Seleção conjugal e as mulheres re-casadas no mercado de casamentos em uma comunidade de baixa renda no nordeste brasileiro

A presente pesquisa partiu de uma revisão teórica dos assuntos relacionados à seleção sexual proposta por Charles Darwin, passando para evolução dos sistemas e da psicologia do acasalamento humano. Os estudos práticos, divididos em dois momentos, foram coletados numa comunidade litorânea de baixa renda no nordeste brasileiro, na qual as mulheres tiveram pelo menos duas uniões estáveis até a data da coleta, no ano de 2008. Nas primeiras análises, foram contempladas as expectativas dessas mulheres em relação aos atributos dos parceiros. E posteriormente, o perfil e valor das mesmas entraram em perspectiva. De uma forma geral, foi constatado que as mulheres, no primeiro casamento, de fato realizam matrimônios com parceiros mais parecidos com o que consideram ideal do que os posteriores. Assim como as segundas e subseqüentes uniões apresentam uma ligeira queda no valor (no mercado de casamentos) desses homens quando comparados aos primeiros companheiros levando em consideração indicadores biosocioeconômicos como idade, escolaridade e renda (status socioeconômico).

Efeito da coesão semântica sobre a discriminação de itens emocionais em testes de memória de reconhecimento de palavras

Highly emotional itens are best remembered in emotional memory tasks than neutral items. An example of emotional item that benefits declarative memory processes are the taboo words. These words undergo from a conventional prohibition, imposed by tradition or custom. Literature suggests that the strongest recollection these words is due to emotional arousal, as well as, the fact that they form a cohesive semantic group, which is a positive additive effect. However, studies with semantic lists show that cohesion can have a negative effect of interference, impairing memory. We analyzed, in two experiments, the effect of arousal and semantic cohesion of taboo words on recognition tests, comparing with into two other word categories: semantically related and without emotional arousal (semantic category) and neutral, with low semantic relation (objects). Our results indicate that cohesion has interfered whith the performance of the test by increasing the number of false alarms. This effect was strongly observed in the semantic category of words in both experiments, but also in the neutral and taboo words, when both were explicitly considered as semantic categories through the instruction of the test in Experiment 2. Despite the impairment induced by semantic cohesion in both experiments, the taboo words were more discriminated than others, and this result agrees with the indication of the emotional arousal as the main factor for the best recollection of emotional items in memory tests

A influência do feedback verbal na cooperação em crianças

Human cooperation is a hallmark of this species due to its wide extension to genetically unrelated individuals and complex division of labor. It is considered an evolutionary puzzle, because the theory of evolution by natural selection predicts that self-interested individuals tend to be selected. Different theories have been proposed to explain the evolution of cooperation, which the most important are kin selection and reciprocal altruism. Considering the evolutionary continuity between species, humans and other primates have several common traits that help to promote cooperation between individuals of these species. Two features, however, seem to be particularly humans: inequality aversion and preferences in relation to others. Although human cooperation is not necessarily related to morality, cooperative traits are the basis for moral tendencies. The development of human morality is a combination of early prosocial tendencies, cooperative skills displayed at different ages, social learning and cultural transmission of norms. The social stimulus seems to be particularly important in promoting cooperative behavior in children and adults. In order to study the influence of social stimuli, as verbal feedback, on children cooperation, a study was conducted with children in a public goods game. 407 children from public schools in Natal / RN, divided into 21 groups, between six and nine years, participated in eight rounds of this game. After each round, seven groups received praise for larger donations, seven groups have been criticized by smaller donations, and the other seven received no comment. Children cooperated more when criticized, without significant differences between sexes, although young children have cooperated more negative than older children. The results are likely related to the anticipation and avoidance of punishment associated with the feedback (although this did not occur), and greater sensitivity to the authority in younger children. Nevertheless, the cooperation decreased in all groups until the last day of play. The results suggest an early sensitivity to moral punishment, whose role in the maintenance of social relations must have been important in the evolution of cooperation in humans

Relações sociais de callithrix jacchus machos: competição ou cooperação?

The group Callithrichidae is characterized by the flexibility in its mating system. This fact generates questions about the mechanisms that Callithrix jacchus males reach the breeding position in a group and how they prevent the subordinates reproduction, since the competition apparently happens with less intensity when compared to the females. Studies have shown the importance of social interactions and kinship among individuals in the distribution of mating opportunities in a group. This work aimed to evaluate if dyads of Callithrix jacchus males acted socially different due to kinship. We observed the agonistic and affiliative behaviours made by the males when associated in dyads (Phase 1) and when these dyads received a female (Phase 2), which was introduced in the pair`s cage for 45 minutes. In the phase 2, we also accounted for the sexual interactions between males and female in each trio. We used 16 males, 8 related (brothers-R) and 8 nonrelated (NR), as well as 8 females. Each phase lasted 4 weeks, with 3 observations/week, during 15 min/male in phase 1 and 2. In the first phase, two pairs of R males had a contested dominance and the other two, just like in the NR males, had an uncontested dominance. The NR dominant males were more aggressive than the subordinates. With the female`s entrance in the cage, all male pairs began to have an uncontested dominance. The NR males aggression frequency rose along with the subordinates` submission. In the R males, the frequency of grooming and physical contact was higher than in the NR males. So, we conclude that the low levels of agonism presented by the R males, along with the higher tolerance shown amongst them, lead us to believe that kinship attenuate the competition among these males

Álcool e comportamento: efeitos na aprendizagem e memória

Excessive alcohol consumption is responsible for many harmful effects on individuals and society. Despite years of research, the mechanisms by which alcohol affects neurological functions and the exact causes of cognitive impairment related to long-term use are unknown. In this sense, this master study proposed to observe how different doses of alcohol affect the addiction response and the learning ability of two fish species: Betta splendens and Danio rerio, the latter a commonly model due to organizational and functional characteristics shared with mammals. For this, different concentrations of ethanol (0%, 0.1%, 0.25%, 1% and 1.5%) were used in acute, chronic and withdrawal treatments. We tested the fish in three experimental protocols: 1) alcohol addiction potential using conditioned place preference, 2) associative conditioning using light as unconditioned stimulus and food as conditioned stimulus and 3) spatial learning using a maze without cues. For the alcohol addiction potential, preference between two different places in a shuttle box was tested before and after alcohol exposure (chronic and acute). In this test, the animals intoxicated by 0.1% did not change behavior, while animals receiving 1% and 1.5% alcohol changed the initial preference to the side where they received alcohol For the associative conditioning, the results show that the groups undergoing low dose (0.1%), both in chronic and withdrawal treatment, learned the task faster than control; groups under 0.25 and 1% alcohol withdrawal learned the task after control; groups chronically intoxicated with these doses did not learn the task. For the spatial learning test, fish submitted to acute and chronic treatments decreased the time to exit the maze; there were significant differences in the animal s performance in a dose-dependent pattern. This difference was not observed for the withdrawal treatment. Given these results, we conclude that the effects of alcohol on learning are dependent on the dosage. Furthermore, low doses of alcohol seem to maximize animal performance on learning tasks and do not alter their seeking behavior, while higher doses induced addition and hinder learning

Crianças no pátio escolar :a utilização dos espaços e o comportamento infantil no recreio

The interest for understanding the relationship of the child with its environment has increased in the whole world during the last few years. Several researchers, using Environmental Psychology as basis, have analyzed the implications of this relation for the child development and the organization of playful spaces. Being a place where children spend a great part of their time and develop many intellectual and social abilities, the school becomes one of the main focus of this research. This study investigated different sectors of the outdoor area of NEI -UFRN, during the recreation time, in which the use of space and the interaction between children were analyzed, through the observation of the child behavior (place-centered and individual-centered mapping). The results had disclosed that the school s outdoor area and its equipments presents a great range of choices possible to the children, however its occupation is not uniform: there are areas very used and others almost without use. Generally, this heterogeneity happens again in relation to the distribution of the interaction states in the sectors, the friendly associative behavior being the most present. The observation of children behaviors favored a better understanding of the use of the spaces, and contributed for discussion about the environment what these users really need for a healthy development, including differences in related to gender, age and daytime. In spite of the studied outdoor areas being vast, pleasant and varied, it needs a better distribution of its equipments and a plan that allows greater children participation in the place organization

De vilarejo a cidade: identidade de lugar de moradores nativos de Tibau do Sul-RN

This study aimed to analyze some indicators of the restructuring process of place identity of natives resident in Tibau do Sul, a coastal town in the state of Rio Grande do Norte state, in relation to changes occurring in this locale in the last few decades. The concept of place identity a complex psychological structure in constant process of restructuring stresses the focus of this analysis on the aspects referring to the relationships of people with their physical and social environment throughout the transition process from the former village of fishermen and peasant farmers to the current growing town. Interviews with insider informants on local history were carried out as a preliminary step to getting in touch with the native participants. In total, 29 native local residents were interviewed, according to a wide range of personal and professional roles, focusing on their cognitions in regard to their past and present relationships with this context, as well as those related to expectancy for the future. The analysis focused both on the elements of distinctiveness, continuity, self-esteem and self-efficacy, and on how each of them have been valued (positive or negative). The participants evaluations of themselves and of the locale, as well as their distinctions in relation to others (people and places) were, in general, very positive. Many elements of group and place continuity, and the possibility of the satisfaction of their needs were highlighted positively, especially comparing to similar situations in the past. The development of the town, related to tourism as well as to other former economic activities, seemed to contribute to the restructuring process of place identity in a way of achieving desirable states for its structure. The broadening of the analysis to consider a wider spatial and temporal context, however, shows that such positive evaluation can be said to hinder some coping strategies of local residents faced with unsustainable economic activities, oftentimes handled to favor a minority of the population

Otimização de metodologias para determinação de hidrocarbonetos policíclicos aromáticos:aplicação em água do Rio Potengi

This work aims to detect polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) through optimized analytical techniques, such as gas chromatography with flame-ionisation detector (CGFID), gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (CGMS), Fluorescence Spectroscopy of Molecular and Purpot of oils and greases (POG). Apply to chemometrics, Factorial Planning 23, in the preparation of samples by liquid-liquid extraction. The sample preparation was used for liquid-liquid extraction and factors in this sample was used for the application of factorial planning 23, such as the use of ultrasound, solvents (dichloromethane, hexane and chloroform) and ratio of solvent / synthetic sample. These factors were assigned two types of levels: positive and negative. It was used to form the cube to better analyze the answers. The responses of the eight combinations were obtained in reading the spectrofluorimetric. The optimization of equipment were used, and they served in the HPA's identification of the samples collected in Rio Potengi. The optimization of the equipment was observed every 16's and PAH in the samples was found that the HPA's came from contamination of the Rio Potengi. The contamination comes through organic household waste, hospital waste, and among other contamination that comes from industries that are installed around the River The factorial design of high validity, it was observed a more effective sample preparation. The factorial design of liquid-liquid extraction showed a way to spend less solvent in less time using an ideal solvent, but also a way to extract more analyte from the matrix itself is water. In planning a smaller form factor extraction was the use of ultrasound, the ratio 1:3 corresponding to a solvent and sample 3 and the best solvent was dichloromethane who presented a viable extraction, not discarding the possibility of using also the hexane. The chloroform and may be toxic not had a good extraction

Impacto da cárie precoce severa na infância na qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde bucal de pré-escolares sob privação social

Early childhood caries, especially in its severe form, which is characterized by an acute and aggressive nature, can have negative impacts on thequality of life of a child, due to effects such as difficulty in chewing, decreased appetite, weight loss, insomnia, changes in behavior and a decreased performance in school, among others. Moreover, the quality of life of the child`s family can also be affected, as the pain and discomfort caused by this type of caries result in loss of working days of parents, spending on dental treatments, changes in sleep patterns and stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of severe early childhood caries in the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) of public daycares`s preschool children through the Escala de Impacto da Saúde Bucal na Primeira Infância, a Brazilian version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS). A single calibrated examiner (kappa=1.0) evaluated, through the dmfs index, the oral health of 116 children aged between 3 and 5, which were included in one of three study groups: "caries-free", "not-severe early childhood caries" and "severe early childhood caries". The parents responded to ECOHIS, to assess their perception regarding the OHRQoL of their children, and a questionnaire on socioeconomic conditions. The OHRQoL was measured through the total scores and domains of ECOHIS. Descriptive analysis, Mann-Whitney test, Kruskal-Wallis test, chi-square test and Poisson multiple regression with robust variance were used. Among the children observed, 38.8% were caries-free, 27.6% showed not-severe early childhood caries and 33.6% showed severe early childhood caries. Regarding the total score of ECOHIS, severe early childhood caries had a greater negative impact on OHRQoL, compared to caries-free and not-severe early childhood caries groups (p <0.001). Regarding the child subscale, there was significant difference between the "severe early childhood caries" group and the other groups in all domains, except for theone of self-image / social interaction. In the family subscale domains, there was statistical significance between the severe early childhood caries and the caries-free groups in all domains (p <0.001), whereas between the "severe early childhood caries and not-severe early childhood caries groups there was a statistically significant difference only in the domain of parental anguish (p <0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that early childhood caries and the parent`s age were significantly associated to OHRQoL (p <0.05), independently of the other variables in the model. The presence of severe early childhood caries resulted in greater negative impact on OHRQoL (AdjPR= 6.016; 95%CI = 3.12 11.56; p<0.001), while older parents reported better OHRQoL (AdjPR = 0.603; 95%CI = 0.428 - 0.850; p = 0.004). The presence of severe early childhood caries had a negative impact on OHRQoL of preschool children and their families.

Eficiência mastigatória e impacto da saúde oral na qualidade de vida em pacientes reabilitados com próteses totais removíveis implanto-suportadas

Edentulous patients with complaint about mandibular conventional denture might experience poor masticatory function and negative impact of oral health on quality of life. The aim of this controlled clinical trial was to evaluate the effect of mandibular overdenture on oral health-related quality of life and masticatory efficacy in patients wearing mandibular complete dentures. The edentulous patients (n=16) were rehabilitated with new maxillary and mandibular complete dentures and, after 3 months, mandibular overdentures retained by 2 implants (bar-clip system) were fabricated. The Brazilian version of OHIP-Edent questionnaire was used to assess the oral healthrelated quality of life. Masticatory efficacy was evaluated through a colorimetric method with chewing capsules. The mean OHIP-Edent score was 8.5 with conventional dentures and 2.0 with mandibular overdenture, which means a positive impact of oral health on quality of life with overdentures (p=0.001). The mean absorbance for masticatory efficacy was 0.025 for conventional dentures and 0.073 for overdentures. There was statistically significant difference for masticatory efficacy before and after implants rehabilitation (p=0.003). However, there was no correlation between masticatory efficacy and OHIP (p>0.05). So, mandibular overdenture retained by 2 implants improved the quality of life and masticatory efficacy of edentulous patients with complaint about mandibular conventional complete dentures

Uso de confiabilidade na rotulação de exemplos em problemas de classificação multirrótulo com aprendizado semissupervisionado

The techniques of Machine Learning are applied in classification tasks to acquire knowledge through a set of data or information. Some learning methods proposed in literature are methods based on semissupervised learning; this is represented by small percentage of labeled data (supervised learning) combined with a quantity of label and non-labeled examples (unsupervised learning) during the training phase, which reduces, therefore, the need for a large quantity of labeled instances when only small dataset of labeled instances is available for training. A commom problem in semi-supervised learning is as random selection of instances, since most of paper use a random selection technique which can cause a negative impact. Much of machine learning methods treat single-label problems, in other words, problems where a given set of data are associated with a single class; however, through the requirement existent to classify data in a lot of domain, or more than one class, this classification as called multi-label classification. This work presents an experimental analysis of the results obtained using semissupervised learning in troubles of multi-label classification using reliability parameter as an aid in the classification data. Thus, the use of techniques of semissupervised learning and besides methods of multi-label classification, were essential to show the results

Agroindústria canavieira e unidade de conservação: Impactos Sociais na comunidade de pescadores de Baía Formosa (RN)

The conservation unities emerged in response to the environmental damages. In the Atlantic Forest of the Brazilian Northeast, the most of the damages come from the sugar-cane agro-industry, especially by the deforestation for the introduction of sugar-cane fields and installation of the industry structure. Besides the damages over the biodiversity, there are critical social problems that affect the communities which survive using directly or indirectly the biome from the Atlantic Forest. The objective of this research is to analyze the social impacts on the fishermen of Baía Formosa/RN generated by the changes and socio-environmental transformations occurred starting the installation of a sugar-cane factory and the creation of a conservation area in the municipality of Baía Formosa/RN community. The research is based on a qualitative and diachronic perspective, for both approach, it was used the method of oral history in conjunction with the literature search and some technical and research tools such as direct observation, interview, records images and recordings . The results show that social and symbolic practices of the community in the conservation unit Mata Estrela last more strongly presented. Today fewer natural resources are used, due to factors such as limit access to forest and disappearance of some natural resources by deforestation. It is believed that the loss of free access to space for the community is the most significant negative impact, as promoted changes in the relationship of the community with the Star Forest that contributed to the fading of their social and symbolic practices. The loss of free access caused the decline in the practice of agriculture, which resulted in the loss of one of the means of social reproduction of the community

Arcabouço geofísico, isostasia e causas do magmatismo cenozóico da província Borborema e de sua margem continental (Nordeste do Brasil)

The Borborema Province (BP) is a geologic domain located in Northeastern Brazil. The BP is limited at the south by the São Francisco craton, at the west by the Parnaíba basin, and both at the north and east by coastal sedimentary basins. Nonetheless the BP surface geology is well known, several key aspects of its evolution are still open, notably: i)its tectonic compartmentalization established after the Brasiliano orogenesis, ii) the architecture of its cretaceous continental margin, iii) the elastic properties of its lithosphere, and iv) the causes of magmatism and uplifting which occurred in the Cenozoic. In this thesis, a regional coverage of geophysical data (elevation, gravity, magnetic, geoid height, and surface wave global tomography) were integrated with surface geologic information aiming to attain a better understanding of the above questions. In the Riacho do Pontal belt and in the western sector of the Sergipano belt, the neoproterozoic suture of the collision of the Sul domain of the BP with the Sanfranciscana plate (SFP) is correlated with an expressive dipolar gravity anomaly. The positive lobule of this anomaly is due to the BP lower continental crust uplifting whilst the negative lobule is due to the supracrustal nappes overthrusting the SFP. In the eastern sector of the Sergipano belt, this dipolar gravity anomaly does not exist. However the suture still can be identified at the southern sector of the Marancó complex arc, alongside of the Porto da Folha shear zone, where the SFP N-S geophysical alignments are truncated. The boundary associated to the collision of the Ceará domain of the BP with the West African craton is also correlated with a dipolar gravity anomaly. The positive lobule of this anomaly coincides with the Sobral-Pedro II shear zone whilst the negative lobule is associated with the Santa Quitéria magmatic arc. Judging by their geophysical signatures, the major BP internal boundaries are: i)the western sector of the Pernambuco shear zone and the eastern continuation of this shear zone as the Congo shear zone, ii) the Patos shear zone, and iii) the Jaguaribe shear zone and its southwestern continuation as the Tatajuba shear zone. These boundaries divide the BP in five tectonic domains in the geophysical criteria: Sul, Transversal, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará, and Médio Coreaú. The Sul domain is characterized by geophysical signatures associated with the BP and SFP collision. The fact that Congo shear zone is now proposed as part of the Transversal domain boundary implies an important change in the original definition of this domain. The Rio Grande do Norte domain presents a highly magnetized crust resulted from the superposition of precambrian and phanerozoic events. The Ceará domain is divided by the Senador Pompeu shear zone in two subdomains: the eastern one corresponds to the Orós-Jaguaribe belt and the western one to the Ceará-Central subdomain. The latter subdomain exhibits a positive ENE-W SW gravity anomaly which was associated to a crustal discontinuity. This discontinuity would have acted as a rampart against to the N-S Brasiliano orogenic nappes. The Médio Coreaú domain also presents a dipolar gravity anomaly. Its positive lobule is due to granulitic rocks whereas the negative one is caused by supracrustal rocks. The boundary between Médio Coreaú and Ceará domains can be traced below the Parnaíba basin sediments by its geophysical signature. The joint analysis of free air anomalies, free air admittances, and effective elastic thickness estimates (Te) revealed that the Brazilian East and Equatorial continental margins have quite different elastic properties. In the first one 10 km < Te < 20 km whereas in the second one Te ≤ 10 km. The weakness of the Equatorial margin lithosphere was caused by the cenozoic magmatism. The BP continental margin presents segmentations; some of them have inheritance from precambrian structures and domains. The segmentations conform markedly with some sedimentary basin features which are below described from south to north. The limit between Sergipe and Alagoas subbasins coincides with the suture between BP and SFP. Te estimates indicates concordantly that in Sergipe subbasin Te is around 20 km while Alagoas subbasin has Te around 10 km, thus revealing that the lithosphere in the Sergipe subbasin has a greater rigidity than the lithosphere in the Alagoas subbasin. Additionally inside the crust beneath Sergipe subbasin occurs a very dense body (underplating or crustal heritage?) which is not present in the crust beneath Alagoas subbasin. The continental margin of the Pernambuco basin (15 < Te < 25 km) presents a very distinct free air edge effect displaying two anomalies. This fact indicates the existence in the Pernambuco plateau of a relatively thick crust. In the Paraíba basin the free air edge effect is quite uniform, Te ≈ 15 km, and the lower crust is abnormally dense probably due to its alteration by a magmatic underplating in the Cenozoic. The Potiguar basin segmentation in three parts was corroborated by the Te estimates: in the Potiguar rift Te ≅ 5 km, in the Aracati platform Te ≅ 25 km, and in the Touros platform Te ≅ 10 km. The observed weakness of the lithosphere in the Potiguar rift segment is due to the high heat flux while the relatively high strength of the lithosphere in the Touros platform may be due to the existence of an archaean crust. The Ceará basin, in the region of Mundaú and Icaraí subbasins, presents a quite uniform free air edge effect and Te ranges from 10 to 15 km. The analysis of the Bouguer admittance revealed that isostasy in BP can be explained with an isostatic model where combined surface and buried loadings are present. The estimated ratio of the buried loading relative to the surface loading is equal to 15. In addition, the lower crust in BP is abnormally dense. These affirmations are particularly adequate to the northern portion of BP where adherence of the observed data to the isostatic model is quite good. Using the same above described isostatic model to calculate the coherence function, it was obtained that a single Te estimate for the entire BP must be lower than 60 km; in addition, the BP north portion has Te around 20 km. Using the conventional elastic flexural model to isostasy, an inversion of crust thickness was performed. It was identified two regions in BP where the crust is thickened: one below the Borborema plateau (associated to an uplifting in the Cenozoic) and the other one in the Ceará domain beneath the Santa Quitéria magmatic arc (a residue associated to the Brasiliano orogenesis). On the other hand, along the Cariri-Potiguar trend, the crust is thinned due to an aborted rifting in the Cretaceous. Based on the interpretation of free air anomalies, it was inferred the existence of a large magmatism in the oceanic crust surrounding the BP, in contrast with the incipient magmatism in the continent as shown by surface geology. In BP a quite important positive geoid anomaly exists. This anomaly is spatially correlated with the Borborema plateau and the Macaú-Queimadas volcanic lineament. The integrated interpretation of geoid height anomaly data, global shear velocity model, and geologic data allow to propose that and Edge Driven Convection (EDC) may have caused the Cenozoic magmatism. The EDC is an instability that presumably occurs at the boundary between thick stable lithosphere and oceanic thin lithosphere. In the BP lithosphere, the EDC mechanism would have dragged the cold lithospheric mantle into the hot asthenospheric mantle thus causing a positive density contrast that would have generated the main component of the geoid height anomaly. In addition, the compatibility of the gravity data with the isostatic model, where combined surface and buried loadings are present, together with the temporal correlation between the Cenozoic magmatism and the Borborema plateau uplifting allow to propose that this uplifting would have been caused by the buoyancy effect of a crustal root generated by a magmatic underplating in the Cenozoic