Static lung compliance and body pressures in Tupinambis merianae with and without post-hepatic septum

The surgical removal of the post-hepatic septum (PHS) in the tegu lizard, Tupinambis merianae, significantly reduces resting lung volume (VLr) and maximal lung volume (VLm) when compared with tegus with intact PHS. Standardised for body mass (MB), static lung compliance was significantly less in tegus without PHS. Pleural and abdominal pressures followed, like ventilation, a biphasic pattern. In general, pressures increased during expiration and decreased during inspiration. However, during expiration pressure changes showed a marked intra- and interindividual variation. The removal of the PHS resulted in a lower cranio-caudal intracoelomic pressure differential, but had no effect on the general pattern of pressure changes accompanying ventilation. These results show that a perforated PHS that lacks striated muscle has significant influence on static breathing mechanics in Tupinambis and by analogy provides valuable insight into similar processes that led to the evolution of the mammalian diaphragm. © 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Post-selection and return of foraged material by Acromyrmex subterraneus brunneus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Two colonies of Acromyrmex subterraneus brunneus Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) were studied regarding their behavior during cultivation of the fungus garden to determine a) the existence of post-selection of foraged material by the workers, and b) if present, the mechanism of this discrimination and how this material is returned. Many studies on plant processing by leaf-cutting ants have been carried out, but none of them has investigated the decision-making process of workers in the case of erroneous food selection. For this purpose, material with different degrees of moisture and hardness (floral sponge, polystyrene, plastic and clay) were individually offered to the colonies and the tasks performed by the different size categories were carefully recorded. Three tasks, i.e., foraging, cultivation of the fungus garden and return of the foraged material, were studied and subdivided into 14 subtasks. Analysis of all inert materials as a whole showed the presence of post-selection of foraged material through the return of material inadequate for the workers and the fungus. Discrimination of the inert material was observed at the time of shredding, probably based on parameters such as physical resistance to cutting and moisture content. A. s. brunneus workers showed flexibility in their activities during substrate processing. The observed post-selection of foraged material provides strong evidence for the cognitive abilities of worker ants and of the colony as a whole. Polymorphism and a complex society represent vital characteristics for the ecological success of this species.

Road segment delineation using active testing principle and an edge-based post-processing strategy

This paper presents a semi-automated method for extracting road segments from medium-resolution images based on active testing and edge analysis. The method is based on two sequential and independent stages. Firstly, an active testing method is used to extract an approximated road centreline which is based on a sequential and local exploitation of the image. Secondly, an iterative strategy based on edge analysis and the approximated centreline is used to measure precisely the road centreline. Based on the results obtained using medium-resolution test images, the method seems to be very promising. In general, the method proved to be very accurate whenever the roads are characterized by two well-defined anti-parallel edges and robust even in the presence of larger obstacles such as trees and shadows.

Abnormal evening vertical plasma drift and effects on ESF and EIA over Brazil-South Atlantic sector during the 30 October 2003 superstorm

Equatorial F region vertical plasma drifts, spread F and anomaly responses, in the south American longitude sector during the superstorm of 30 October 2003, are analyzed using data from an array of instruments consisting of Digisondes, a VHF radar, GPS TEC and scintillation receivers in Brazil, and a Digisonde and a magnetometer in Jicamarca, Peru. Prompt penetrating eastward electric field of abnormally large intensity drove the F layer plasma up at a velocity ∼1200 ms -1 during post dusk hours in the eastern sector over Brazil. The equatorial anomaly was intensified and expanded poleward while the development of spread F/plasma bubble irregularities and GPS signal scintillations were weaker than their quiet time intensity. Significantly weaker F region response over Jicamarca presented a striking difference in the intensity of prompt penetration electric field between Peru and eastern longitudes of Brazil. The enhanced post dusk sector vertical drift over Brazil is attributed to electro-dynamics effects arising energetic particle precipitation in the South Atlantic Magnetic Anomaly (SAMA). These extraordinary results and their longitudinal differences are presented and discussed in this paper. Copyright 2008 by the American Geophysical Union.

A reestruturação das instituições de controle das empresas estatais chinesas (1978-2003)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Aquisição comparada de resistência em cães domésticos ao Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Acari: Ixodidae), linhagens brasileira e argentina, após infestações sucessivas

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Early Permian post-glacial bivalve faunas of the Itarare Group, Parana Basin, Brazil: Paleoecology and biocorrelations with South American intraplate basins

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

O Paraguai na agenda externa brasileira e a temática de Itaipu: 2003-2010

Pós-graduação em Relações Internacionais (UNESP - UNICAMP - PUC-SP) - FFC

A formação de professores de espanhol língua estrangeira (Ele) no Brasil e de português língua estrangeira (Ple) na Argentina: identidade(s) em processo de construção e reconstrução

Bajo la perspectiva discursiva, específicamente francesa y según estudios realizados por Hall (2002), Souza Santos (2005) entre otros, que están analizando el concepto de identidad, como los estudios de Celada (2002, 2009, 2010), Serrani (1997, 2003, 2005) y Zoppi-Fontana (2009), con relación al proceso de enseñanza y aprendizaje de Lengua Extranjera, verificamos que la construcción de la identidad se da en proceso de constante reconfiguración, visto que aprender otra lengua implica entrar en contacto con otros modos de ver y de nombrar el mundo, y de este modo es necesario “desplazarse” de sí mismo y reconfigurarse con relación a otro(s) hablante(s) de esta nueva lengua a ser aprendida. En nuestro caso se trata de aprender y enseñar lenguas próximas: portugués y español, con rasgos lingüístico-discursivos de aproximaciones y de distanciamientos. Para tanto, este estudio preliminar tiene como objetivos: verificar como acontece actualmente la constitución de la(s) identidad(es) en el proceso de enseñanza y aprendizaje de Español Lengua Extranjera (ELE) en Brasil y de Portugués Lengua Extranjera (PLE) en Argentina, en especial en la formación del profesor de estas lenguas; observar contextos de enseñanza y aprendizaje, los que posibilitan la inserción del profesor de Portugués (PLE) en Argentina y del profesor de Español (ELE) en las regiones enfocadas, considerando las Leyes brasileña y argentina que determinan la oferta de la enseñanza de las referidas lenguas: Ley 26.468, de enero de 2009, que determina la oferta obligatoria del Portugués en Argentina y la Ley no. 11.161, de agosto de 2005, sobre la enseñanza de la Lengua Española en Brasil. La metodología, de tipo interpretativista, presupone como instrumentos la realización de análisis de las Leyes que promueven la enseñanza de ELE en Brasil y de PLE en Argentina, así como de entrevistas, preguntas e análisis de los datos levantados.

Post-Scriptum. Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Alberto Fujimori y la solución del conflicto con Ecuador

PACARINA DEL SUR - REVISTA DEL PENSAMIENTO CRITICO LATINOAMERICANO é uma publicação eletrônica publicada em Mexico, D.F. É publicada 4 vezes por ano. É uma publicação muito aceita e prestigiada internacionalmente.

Lack of acquired resistance in dogs to successive infestations of Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks from Brazil and Argentina

Comparative studies between brown dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus populations from Brazil (Jaboticabal, São Paulo) and Argentina (Rafaela, Santa Fé) showed significant biological, morphological and genetic differences between them. This work aimed to study, in a comparative way, the acquisition of resistance in domestic dogs to R. sanguineus from Jaboticabal and Rafaela, after successive and controlled infestations. Ticks were kept in a BOD incubator under controlled conditions (27 °C, 80 % relative humidity, 12-h photoperiod). Ten dogs, Dachshund breed, males and females, 6 months old, short- or long-haired, without prior contact with ticks, were used as hosts. They were distributed into two experimental groups composed of five animals each: G1 infested with ten adult couples of R. sanguineus (Jaboticabal) per animal, and G2 infested with ten adult couples of R. sanguineus (Rafaela) per animal. Ticks' biological parameters and titration of antibodies from the dogs' sera by ELISA test were used for comparison between the strains. Results of the biological parameters showed that the dogs did not acquire immunity to either of the R. sanguineus strains after repeated infestations. The ELISA test showed low antibody titers in sera of dogs from G2, in successive infestations, and higher antibody responses post second and third infestations in G1. It also demonstrated cross-reactivity between sera of dogs infested with R. sanguineus (Jaboticabal) and antigens from R. sanguineus (Rafaela) and vice versa. We conclude that Dachshund dogs did not develop resistance against neither Jaboticabal nor Rafaela strains of R. sanguineus.

Identidade e cooperação: os governos Kirchner e Lula e a construção de uma identidade coletiva em defesa (2003-2010)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

A história da disciplina de didática no Curso Normal do Instituto Superior de Educação da cidade de Garça-SP (2003-2006)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)