Divergence Between Sympatric Rice- and Soybean-Infecting Populations of Rhizoctonia solani Anastomosis Group-1 IA

Rhizoctonia solani anastomosis group (AG)-1 IA causes soybean foliar blighting (aerial blight) and rice sheath blight diseases. Although taxonomically related within the AG-1 complex, sister populations of R. solani AG-1 IA infecting Poaceae (rice) and Fabaceae (soybean) are genetically distinct based on internal transcribed spacer rDNA. However, there is Currently no information available regarding the extent of genetic differentiation and host specialization between rice- and soybean-infecting populations of R. solani AG-1 IA. We used 10 microsatellite loci to compare sympatric R. solani AG-1 IA populations infecting rice and soybeans in Louisiana and one allopatric rice-infecting population from Texas. None of the 154 multilocus genotypes found among the 223 isolates were shared among the three populations. Partitioning of genetic diversity showed significant differentiation among sympatric populations from different host Species (Phi(ST) = 0.39 to 0.41). Historical migration patterns between sympatric rice- and soybean-infecting populations from Louisiana were asymmetrical. Rice- and soybean-derived isolates of R. solani AG-1 IA were able to infect both rice and soybean, but were significantly more aggressive on their host of on-in, consistent with host specialization. The soybean-infecting Population from Louisiana was more clonal than the sympatric rice-infecting population. Most of the loci in the soybean-infecting populations were Out of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE.), but the sympatric rice-infecting population from Louisiana was mainly in HWE. All populations presented evidence for a mixed reproductive system.

The cetacean offal connection: Feces and vomits of spinner dolphins as a food source for reef fishes

At Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, southwest Atlantic, reef fishes associated with spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) were recorded when the cetaceans congregated in a shallow inlet. In the reef waters the dolphins engaged in several behaviors such as resting, aerial displays and other social interactions, as well as eliminative behaviors such as defecating and vomiting. Twelve fish species in seven families were recorded feeding on dolphin offal. The black durgon (Melichthys niger) was the most ubiquitous waste-eater, and its group size was positively and significantly correlated with dolphin group size. The durgons recognized the postures a dolphin adopts prior to defecating or vomiting, and began to converge to an individual shortly before it actually voided. Offal was quickly fed upon, and the fishes concentrated in the area occupied by the dolphins until the latter left the shallows. Since all the recorded offal-feeding species feed on plankton or drifting algae, feeding on cetacean droppings may be regarded as a switch from foraging on drifting organisms to foraging on drifting offal, a predictable food source in the inlet. Further instances of this cetacean-fish association are predicted to occur at sites where these mammals congregate over reefs with clear water and plankton-eating fishes.

Multi-criteria spatial decision analysis for demarcation of greenway: A case study of the city of Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil

Concern regarding hydrological resources has been a theme of growing importance in Brazil, associating the development of new management policies and maintenance of natural areas related to rivers. An efficient way to maintain natural areas around rivers has been the development of greenways, and some cites have already adopted specific legislation in this respect. Following this growing evolution in the treatment of hydrological resources, this study was carried out to demarcate a greenway along the Corumbatai River in the state of São Paulo, Using multi-criteria analysis in a GIS environment. First, thematic maps were elaborated based on Landsat 7 satellite, aerial photographs and digital topographic base, Supported by field activities. With the use of multi-criteria analysis, for which ad hoe consultations were conducted to attribute weights to the thematic maps, a suitability map was elaborated for the allocation of the greenway. Sites that should be included in the greenway were also selected, such as areas appropriate for leisure activities, and ecologically important areas. Based on the suitability map, a pathway analysis was done, connecting the relevant points of interest, thus generating a greenway that runs along the Corumbatai River, with the aim of contributing to the conservation of this important hydrological resource. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Análise de risco da ocorrência de Sigatoka-negra baseada em modelos polinomiais: um estudo de caso

A Sigatoka-negra (Mycosphaerella fijiensis) ameaça os bananais comerciais em todas as áreas produtoras do mundo e provoca danos quantitativos e qualitativos na produção, acarretando sérios prejuízos financeiros. Faz-se necessário o estudo da vulnerabilidade das plantas em diversos estádios de desenvolvimento e das condições climáticas favoráveis à ocorrência da doença. Objetivou-se com este trabalho desenvolver um modelo probabilístico baseado em funções polinomiais que represente o risco de ocorrência da Sigatokanegra em função da vulnerabilidade decorrente de fatores intrínsecos à planta e ao ambiente. Realizou-se um estudo de caso, em bananal comercial localizado em Jacupiranga, Vale do Ribeira, SP, considerando o monitoramento semanal do estado da evolução da doença, séries temporais de dados meteorológicos e dados de sensoriamento remoto. Foram gerados mapas georreferenciados do risco da Sigatoka-negra em diferentes épocas do ano. Um modelo para estimar a evolução da doença a partir de imagens de satélite foi obtido com coeficiente de determinação R² igual a 0,9. A metodologia foi desenvolvida para a detecção de épocas e locais que reúnem condições favoráveis à ocorrência da Sigatoka-negra e pode ser aplicada, com os devidos ajustes, em diferentes localidades, para avaliar o risco da ocorrência da doença em polos produtores de banana.

Estimating the aboveground biomass and wood volume of savanna woodlands in Brazil's Pantanal wetlands based on allometric correlations

The quantity and distribution of vegetal biomass are important aspects to consider in ecosystem studies. However, little information is available about Brazil's Pantanal woodland savannas. This work involved the development of regression equations of the aerial biomass and wood volume of native tree species in a region of woodland savanna on Rio Negro farm in the Pantanal of Nhecolandia, Brazil. Samples were taken from 10 trees of each of five species: Protium heptaphyllum (Aub1.) Marchand, Magonia pubescens A. St.-Hil., Diptychandra aurantiaca Tul., Terminalia argentea Mart. and Zucc. and Licania minutiflora (Sagot) Fritsch and from a miscellaneous group of I I different species. Linear and nonlinear regression analyses were developed relating the diameter at breast height to the dry weight of wood, branches and leaves, wood volume and total aerial biomass. All the regressions showed a significance of P < 0.05 and an R-2 close to or above 0.8. The biomass curve predicted by linear regression analysis of the studied species was similar to the nonlinear regression, with the exception of L. minutiflora and the miscellaneous group. The breast height diameter proved a good choice for estimating biomass and wood volume. The estimated wood volume and biomass of the Pantanal woodland savanna is crucial information for understanding the carbon cycle and for ensuring the region's conservation and sustainable use. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Variaveis da ocupacao do solo e analise multivariada

Photointerpretative and multivariate statistical techniques were applied to variants of soil use measured in 4 hydrological basins of third order ramification, belonging to Tiete basin municipal district of Botucatu, Sao Paulo State. The aim was the grouping of basins of second degree of similarity, as well as to infer spatial distribution representativeness. The hydrological basins were located in 3 physiographic regions, with peripheric depression, cuesta front and cuesta backslope, embracing the following soil units: Regosol intergrade to Red Yellow Podzolic and intergrade to Red Yellow Latosol, Red Yellow Latosol-sandy phase, Litosol basaltic substract phase and Purple Latosol. The results obtained allow the conclusion that soil use not always reflects its fertility. -after English summary

Effect of five substrates and three seed types on Calendula officinalis (Asteraceae) germination and seedling development

The investigation was carried out during May - June 1996 in Agronomical Sciences College - UNESP, Campus de Botucatu. The objective was to study the effect of seed types (carenate, alate and orbicular) and different substrates (vermiculite, sand, soil, commercial mixture and producer's mixture) on Calendula officinalis germination and seedling development. The design was in randomized blocks, with 4 replications. The germination index of the seeds was evaluated, as well as the development of aerial part and root system of the seedlings. Results showed that seed types have no relation with seedling development, therefore, germination was better on alate and orbicular seeds in C. officinalis. With reference to the substrates, the producer's mixture and the commercial mixture gave better germination and seedling development.

Dinâmica da ocupação do solo bacia do Rio Itiquira, Mato Grosso, Brasil

The study area corresponds to the basin of the Itiquira river high course, totalling 5,361km2. In this area a study of the environmental dynamics was made, applying SIG techniques and satellite images of the years 1966, 1985 and 1996. In 1966 the areas of natural vegetation (forests and groves) occupied 90.64% of the total of the area, which was diminished to 60.57% in 1985 and to only 36.66% in 1996. In this process, 289,382ha of a total of 485,928ha of natural vegetal covering had been lost. At the same time, the agrarian surfaces (agriculture and pasture) that occupied only 0.52% of the total area in 1966, increased to 34.89% in 1985 and to 59.04% in 1996. In 30 years there was an increase of 313,725ha of cultivated lands, corresponding to about 113 times the land occupation of the year of 1966 (2,798ha). The areas classified as urban show a gradual increase since 1966, from 39ha in 1996 to 58ha in 1985, and to 178ha in 1996. The other classes of soil use and occupation (reforestement areas, uncovered and affected by fire and humid areas) added were smaller than 4,27% in 1996.

Bud source, asepsis and benzylaminopurine (BAP) effect on yacon (Polymnia sonchifolia) micropropagation

The yacon (Polymnia sonchifolia) is used largely for the high fructan content of its tubers; consequently, it is a good alternative for diabetics. One of the more important restricting factors of the commercial production of yacon is its susceptibility to nematode attack. This, as well as germplasm bank maintenance, justifies the importance of in vitro propagation of this species. In this way, our work aimed to verify the best asepsis method for yacon for the in vitro establishment from the rhizophore and the axillary buds of the aerial parts, and the effect of benzylaminopurine (BAP) addition to the culture medium. The number of contaminated cultures, the occurrence of phenolic oxidation and the occurrence of a vitreous aspect, showed differences with bud source, immersion time for asepsis, and BAP use. The results contribute to establishing a yacon micro propagation procedure.

Extração semi-automática de rodovias em um par de imagens aéreas digitais utilizando geometria epipolar e programação dinâmica

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a methodology for semi-automatic road extraction from aerial digital image pairs by using dynamic programming and epipolar geometry. The method uses both images from where each road feature pair is extracted. The operator identifies the corresponding road featuresand s/he selects sparse seed points along them. After all road pairs have been extracted, epipolar geometry is applied to determine the automatic point-to-point correspondence between each correspondent feature. Finally, each correspondent road pair is georeferenced by photogrammetric intersection. Experiments were made with rural aerial images. The results led to the conclusion that the methodology is robust and efficient, even in the presence of shadows of trees and buildings or other irregularities.

Avaliação do uso da terra em micro̧bacia utilizando uma matriz de partição fuzzy

Informatics evolution presently offers the possibility of new technique and methodology development for studies in all human knowledge areas. In addition, the present personal computer capacity of handling a large volume of data makes the creation and application of new analysis tools easy. This paper aimed the application of a fuzzy partition matrix to analyze data obtained from the Landsat 5 TMN sensor, in order to elaborate the supervised classification of land use in Arroio das Pombas microbasin in Botucatu, SP, Brazil. It was possible that one single training area present input in more than one covering class due to weight attribution at the signature creation moment. A change in the classification result was also observed when compared to maximum likelihood classification, mainly when related to bigger uniformity and better class edges classification.

Analise da relação entre escorregamento e formas de vertentes no município de cubatão (SP) e seus arredores

The city of Cubatão is a densely populated area with high industrial activity. In the area there are also important linear works as roads, railways, pipelines, aqueducts and lines of transmission of energy. The geological and geomorphological features of the municipality, combined with the human activities, make the site an area heavily prone to the landslides, so a region at high risk. In this work, landslide scars were extracted in aerial photos from 1985 and 1994, years that recorded a high incidence of landslides. Quantitative analysis of the relationship between the occurrence of scars and the forms of tracks were conducted, based on an intensive survey of scars in the region, represented by 2595 extracted scars, with the aim of contributing to a better understanding of the slipping processes in the Serra do Mar paulista and thus to the reduction of risks in the region. Achievements have concluded that the greatest percentage of slides in the region is linked to the strands straitght, followed by convex, which confirms previous studies conducted in the region, in a qualitative way or with a much lower number of scars.

Análise temporal do uso e ocupação do solo na microbacia hidrográfica do córrego da Fazenda Glória, Município de Taquaritinga, SP

The role of environmental concern is important due to the disorganized land occupation and intense exploitation of natural resources which lead to the degradation and exhaustion of the environment. Remonte sensing techniques allow identifying, recognizing and mapping areas modifiers besides estimating the extension of alterations made by man. Thus, the objective of this study was to map land use and occupation in order to evaluate the development of the Gloria Farm Stream watershed in Taquaritinga, SP, Brazil, from 1983 to 2000. The drainage network and agricultural and natural vegetation areas were identified by stereoscopic analyses of 2000 aerial photographs and by data analyses of the field and cartographic documents. The results verified that sugarcane became predominat in 2000 and it is distributed in relatively large areas with detriment to citrus orchards and other crops. The presence of dams, which is not noted in 1983 data, and the increase of forest and natural vegetal fragment areas in the analyzed period was observed. Recovered areas dur to reforestation with native species were identified along the streams and springs of Jabuticabal Mountain Range.

Compensatory canine angulation in angle class II and III patients

Abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurence of compensation in mesiodistal axial inclinations of canines in skeletal malocclusions patients. The sample consisted of 25 Angle Class II, division 1 malocclusion (group 1) and 19 Angle Class III malocclusion patients (group 2). After measurement of dental angulations through a method that associates plaster model photography and AutoCad software, comparisons between the groups were performed by T-test for independent samples. Results showed that there was no statistically significant difference (p ≤ 0.05) between groups, when maxillary canine angulations were compared. Regarding the mandibular canines, there was a statistically significant difference in dental angulation, expressed by 3.2° for group 1 and 0.15° for group 2. An upright position tendency for mandibular canines was observed in the Angle Class III sample. This configures a pattern of compensatory coronary positioning, since the angulation of these teeth makes them occupy less space in the dental arch and consequently mandibular incisors can be in a more retracted position in the sagittal plane.

Microstructure, crystalline phase, and dielectric property analyses of TiO2 composition with ZrO2 addition

For microwave applications, including mobile and satellite communications, ceramic resonators should have a high dielectric constant, low dielectric losses, and high frequency stability. In this sense, TiO2-ZrO 2 ceramics have been investigated as a function of sintering behavior, phase composition, and microstructure. The ceramics were densified reaching a value of about 86% of theoretical density at 1400°C sintering temperature. The ceramics are prepared by mixing raw materials with the following TiO2-ZrO2 weight % ratio: 100 to 0, 90 to 10, and 80 to 20, respectively. The measured dielectric constants are between 79 and 88 values, while the quality factor due to dielectric losses are between 2820 and 5170. These results point out the influence of Ti/Zr ratio on controlling the dielectric properties. © (2010) Trans Tech Publications.