Towards the prediction of essential genes by integration of network topology, cellular localization and biological process information

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

Analysis of plant LTR-retrotransposons at the fine-scale family level reveals individual molecular patterns

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

The size of excavators within a polymorphic termite species governs tunnel topology

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

Fine structure of Mytella falcata (Bivalvia) gill filaments

Bivalve filter feeders are sessile animals that live in constant contact with water and its pollutants. Their gill is an organ highly exposed to these conditions due to its large surface and its involvement in gas exchanges and feeding. The bivalve Mytella falcata is found in estuaries of Latin America, on the Atlantic as well as the Pacific Coast. It is commonly consumed, and sometimes is the only source of protein of low-income communities. In this study, gill filaments of M. falcata were characterized using histology, histochemistry and transmission electron microscopy for future comparative studies among animals exposed to environmental pollutants. Gill filaments may be divided into abfrontal, intermediate and frontal zones. Filaments are interconnected by ciliary discs. In the center of filaments, haemocytes circulate through a haemolymph vessel internally lined by an endothelium and supported by an acellular connective tissue rich in polysaccharides and collagen. The abfrontal zone contains cuboidal cells, while the intermediate zone consists of a simple squamous epithelium. The frontal zone is composed of five columnar cell types: one absorptive, mainly characterized by the presence of pinocytic vesicles in the apical region of the cell; one secretory, rarely observed and three ciliated with abundant mitochondria. All cells lining the filament exhibit numerous microvilli and seem to absorb substances from the environment. PAS staining was observed in mucous cells in the frontal and abfrontal zones. Bromophenol blue allowed the distinction of haemocytes and detection of a glycoprotein secretion in the secretory cells of the frontal region. The characteristics of M. falcata gill filaments observed in this study were very similar to those of other bivalves, especially other Mytilidae, and are suitable for histopathological studies on the effect of water-soluble pollutants. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structure of the posthepatic septum and its influence on visceral topology in the tegu lizard, Tupinambis merianae (Teiidae : Reptilia)

The posthepatic septum (PHS) divides the body cavity of Tupinambis merianae into two parts: the cranial one containing the lungs and liver and the caudal one containing the remaining viscera. The PHS is composed of layers of collagenous fibers and bundles of smooth muscle, neither of which show systematic orientation, as well as isolated blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, and nerves. Striated muscle of the abdominal wall does not invade the PHS. The contractions of the smooth muscles may stabilize the pleurohepatic cavity under conditions of elevated aerobic needs rather than supporting breathing on a breath-by-breath basis. Surgical removal of the PHS changes the anatomical arrangement of the viscera significantly, with stomach and intestine invading the former pleurohepatic cavity and reducing the space for the lungs, Thus, the PHS is essential to maintain the visceral topography in Tupitionibis. J. Morphol. 258:151-157, 2003. (C) 2003 Wiley-Liss. Inc.

Fine-scale microhabitat selection in a bromeliad-dwelling jumping spider (Salticidae)

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

Age constraints and fine tuning in variable-mass particle models

VAMP (variable-mass particle) scenarios, in which the mass of the cold dark matter particles is a function of the scalar field responsible for the present acceleration of the Universe, have been proposed as a solution to the cosmic coincidence problem, since in the attractor regime both dark energy and dark matter scale in the same way. We find that only a narrow region in parameter space leads to models with viable values for the Hubble constant and dark energy density today. In the allowed region, the dark energy density starts to dominate around the present epoch and consequently such models cannot solve the coincidence problem. We show that the age of the Universe in this scenario is considerably higher than the age for noncoupled dark energy models, and conclude that more precise independent measurements of the age of the Universe would be useful in distinguishing between coupled and noncoupled dark energy models.

QCD vacuum topology and glueballs

We outline a comprehensive study of spin-0 glueball properties which, in particular, keeps track of the topological gluon structure. Specifically, we implement (semi-hard) topological instanton physics as well as topological charge screening in the QCD vacuum into the operator product expansion (OPE) of the glueball correlators. A realistic instanton size distribution and the (gauge-invariant) renormalization of the instanton contributions are also implemented. Predictions for 0(++) and 0(-+) glueball properties are presented.

Cosmic topology: a brief overview

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

Exploring the global topology of the universe

We review the work done by our group on cosmic topology. It ranges from early atempts to solve a famous controversy about quasars thought the multiplicity of images, to quantum cosmology in this context and an application to QED renormalization.

Search for scalar leptoquarks and T-odd quarks in the acoplanar jet topology using 2.5 fb(-1) of p(p)over-bar collision data at root s=1.96 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Search for neutral Higgs bosons in the multi-b-jet topology in 5.2 fb(-1) of p(p)over-bar collisions at root s=1.96 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Measurement of t(t)over-bar production in the tau plus jets topology using p(p)over-bar collisions root s=1.96 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Search for the Standard Model Higgs Boson in the Missing Energy and Acoplanar b-Jet Topology at root s=1.96 TeV

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