Circadian pattern of Bothrops moojeni in captivity (Serpentes: Viperidae)

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

Gene and species trees of a Neotropical group of treefrogs: Genetic diversification in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and the origin of a polyploid species

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

Delimiting genetic units in Neotropical toads under incomplete lineage sorting and hybridization

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

Uranium distribution and radon exhalation from Brazilian dimension stones

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Dimorphic cypsela germination and plant growth in Synedrella nodiflora (L.) Gaertn. (Asteraceae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Tectonic history and the biogeography of the freshwater fishes from the coastal drainages of eastern Brazil: an example of faunal evolution associated with a divergent continental margin

As drenagens costeiras do leste do Brasil correspondem a áreas de grande significado biogeográfico, apresentando um alto grau de endemismo em sua fauna de peixes. Padrões filogenéticos sugerem uma relação próxima entre os rios que correm para o Atlântico a os adjacentes das terras altas do escudo cristalino. Entretanto, pouco tem sido dito sobre a dinâmica dos processos geológicos relacionados aos eventos cladogenéticos entre estas áreas. Padrões de distribuição e filogenéticos sugerem uma íntima associação com a história geológica da margem continental passiva da América do Sul, desde o Cretáceo aos dias atuais. Soerguimentos macrodômicos, rifteamento, movimentos verticais entre blocos falhados e o recuo erosivo da margem leste sul-americana são considerados como as principais forças geológicas atuando sobre a distribuição da ictiofauna de água doce nestas áreas. A atividade tectônica associada à ruptura do Gondwana e separação da América do Sul e África criou seis megadomos que são responsáveis por configurar a maior parte do atual curso das principais bacias hidrográficas do escudo cristalino. Com exceção das bacias localizadas às margens de tais megadomos, estes rios desenvolveram longos e sinuosos circuitos sobre o antigo escudo cristalino brasileiro antes de desaguarem no então recentemente aberto Oceano Atlântico. Eventos cladogenéticos iniciais entre drenagens de terras altas do escudo cristalino e tributários do Atlântico podem estar associados com processos vicariantes desta fase inicial, e alguns táxons antigos, basais, grupos-irmão de táxons muito inclusivos e de ampla distribuição são encontrados nestas bacias hidrográficas. Mais tarde, a denudação erosiva generalizada resultou em um ajuste isostático da margem leste da plataforma. Tal ajuste, concomitantemente a reativações de antigas zonas de falha, resultou em movimentos verticais entre blocos falhados, dando origem, no sudeste do Brasil, a bacias tafrogênicas. Tais bacias, como a de Taubaté, São Paulo, Curitiba e Volta Redonda, entre outras, capturaram drenagens e fauna de terras altas adjacentes. Os peixes fósseis da Formação Tremembé (Eoceno-Oligoceno da Bacia de Taubaté) exemplificam este processo. Outros sistemas tafrogênicos de idade Terciária foram também identificados em outros segmentos da margem continental Atlântica, como na Província Borborema, no NE do Brasil, com marcada influência sobre o padrão de drenagem. Ao mesmo tempo, o recuo erosivo da margem leste da plataforma capturou sucessivamente rios de planalto, os quais se tornaram tributários atlânticos, evoluindo associados aos principais sistemas de falha. A natureza continuada destes processos explica os padrões filogenéticos e de distribuição miscigenados entre os tributários atlânticos e as terras altas do escudo cristalino adjacente, especialmente na margem sudeste do continente, representados por sucessivos, cada vez menos inclusivos, grupos irmãos, associados a eventos cladogenéticos desde o final do Cretáceo ao presente.

Leishmanial antigens in the diagnosis of active lesions and ancient scars of American tegumentary leishmaniasis patients

Cutaneous biopsies (n = 94) obtained from 88 patients with American tegumentary leishmaniasis were studied by conventional and immunohistochemical techniques. Specimens were distributed as active lesions of cutaneous leishmaniasis (n = 53) (Group I), cicatricial lesions of cutaneous leishmaniasis (n = 35) (Group II) and suggestive scars of healed mucosal leishmaniasis patients (n = 6) (Group III). In addition, active cutaneous lesions of other etiology (n = 24) (Group C1) and cutaneous scars not related to leishmaniasis (n = 10) (Group C2) were also included in the protocol. Amastigotes in Group I biopsies were detected by routine histopathological exam (30.2%), imprint (28.2%), culture (43.4%), immunofluorescence (41.4%) and immunoperoxidase (58.5%) techniques; and by the five methods together (79.3%). In Group II, 5.7% of cultures were positive. Leishmanial antigen was also seen in the cytoplasm of macrophages and giant cells (cellular pattern), vessel walls (vascular pattern) and dermal nerves (neural pattern). Positive reaction was detected in 49 (92.5%), 20 (57%) and 4 (67%) biopsies of Groups I, II and III, respectively. Antigen persistency in cicatricial tissue may be related to immunoprotection or, on the contrary, to the development of late lesions. We suggest that the cellular, vascular and neural patterns could be applied in the immunodiagnosis of active and cicatricial lesions in which leishmaniasis is suspected.

Isoenzymatic polymorphism in Citrus spp. and Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf. (Rutaceae)

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

Effects of caffeine and used coffee grounds on biological features of Aedes aegypti (Diptera, Culicidae) and their possible use in alternative control

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Níveis de feno de alfafa e forma física da ração no desempenho de cordeiros em creep feeding

Com o objetivo de avaliar o desempenho de cordeiros em creep feeding e confinados, foram realizados dois experimentos. No primeiro, 32 cordeiros ¾ mestiços Suffolk foram criados em creep feeding, desmamados aos 56 dias de idade e, em seguida, confinados. Os cordeiros receberam os seguintes tratamentos: 1. sem suplementação; 2. suplementação com ração à base de milho e soja; 3. ração à base de milho e soja com 15% de feno de alfafa; 4. ração à base de milho e soja com 30% de feno de alfafa. Após o desmame, os cordeiros suplementados foram confinados, recebendo a mesma ração do creep feeding até atingirem de 30 a 32 kg de peso vivo. No segundo experimento, foram utilizados 32 cordeiros ¾ mestiços Suffolk, alimentados em creep feeding, recebendo ração farelada ou peletizada até os pesos de abate: 26 e 28 kg. As dietas eram isoprotéicas (21% PB) e isoenergéticas (2,9 Mcal EM/kg MS). Os animais suplementados na fase de aleitamento obtiveram ganho de peso de 147,4g/dia a mais, quando comparados aos não suplementados. Não houve efeito dos níveis de feno de alfafa na ração sobre o desempenho dos animais. Entretanto, no confinamento, a máxima eficiência de ganho de peso esperada para os machos, conforme a análise de regressão, situou-se em 18,7% de inclusão de feno de alfafa na ração. A ração peletizada propiciou maior desenvolvimento dos animais, quando comparada à ração farelada. Os machos que receberam ração peletizada atingiram os pesos de abate de 26 e 28 kg aos 55 e 60 dias de idade, respectivamente.

Colonization of a 'Lost World': Encrustation patterns in modern subtropical brachiopod assemblages.

The encrustation of Paleozoic rhynchonelliform brachiopods has been studied for decades, but modern brachiopods have not received similar scrutiny. The discovery of abundant subtropical brachiopods from the Southeast Brazilian Bight provides an unprecedented opportunity to assess epibiont abundance, diversity, and encrustation patterns in modern brachiopod assemblages. Across the outer shelf, encrustation frequencies vary among taxa, from mean values of 0.45% for Platidia to 9.3% for Argyrotheca. Encrustation frequencies for Bouchardia increase from 1.6% on the outer shelf to 84% on the inner shelf Larger valves are encrusted more frequently, and epibionts preferentially colonize valve interiors. Increased encrustation on the inner shelf may reflect the greater surface area of larger hosts, longer exposure of dead shells, water-mass characteristics, sedimentation rates, productivity, or other factors that vary with depth. Inner-shelf brachiopods exhibit encrustation frequencies comparable to those reported for epifaunal bivalves. The epibiont fauna is dominated by bryozoans and serpulids, with minor roles played by spirorbids, bivalves, barnacles, foraminifera, algae, and other taxa. Epibiont abundance at each site is highly variable, but sites are similar in rank importance of epibiont taxa. A different suite of epibionts colonized Paleozoic brachiopods, but similar patterns of encrustation have been observed, including preferential settlement according to valve morphology. These results provide a baseline for evaluating the encrustation of modern bivalves and ancient brachiopods, and may elucidate the macroevolutionary history of epibionts and their relationship to their hosts.

Intraspecific evolution of Rhizoctonia solani AG-1 IA associated with soybean and rice in Brazil based on polymorphisms at the ITS-5.8S rDNA operon

Rhizoctonia solani AG-1 IA causes leaf blight on soybean and rice. Despite the fact that R. solani AG-1 IA is a major pathogen affecting soybean and rice in Brazil and elsewhere in the world, little information is available on its genetic diversity and evolution. This study was an attempt to reveal the origin, and the patterns of movement and amplification of epidemiologically significant genotypes of R. solani AG-1 IA from soybean and rice in Brazil. For inferring intraspecific evolution of R. solani AG-1 IA sampled from soybean and rice, networks of ITS-5.8S rDNA sequencing haplotypes were built using the statistical parsimony algorithm from Clement et al. (2000) Molecular Ecology 9: 1657-1660. Higher haplotype diversity (Nei M 1987, Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Columbia University Press, New york: 512p.) was observed for the Brazilian soybean sample of R. solani AG-1 IA (0.827) in comparison with the rest of the world sample (0.431). Within the south-central American clade (3-2), four haplotypes of R. solani AG-1 IA from Mato Grosso, one from Tocantins, one from Maranhao, and one from Cuba occupied the tips of the network, indicating recent origin. The putative ancestral haplotypes had probably originated either from Mato Grosso or Maranhao States. While 16 distinct haplotypes were found in a sample of 32 soybean isolates of the pathogen, the entire rice sample (n=20) was represented by a single haplotype (haplotype 5), with a worldwide distribution. The results from nested-cladistic analysis indicated restricted gene flow with isolation by distance (or restricted dispersal by distance in nonsexual species) for the south-central American clade (3-2), mainly composed by soybean haplotypes.

SEX-CHROMOSOME POLYMORPHISM AND HETEROGAMETIC MALES REVEALED BY 2 CLONED DNA PROBES IN THE ZW ZZ FISH LEPORINUS-ELONGATUS

In order to study the divergence of teleost sex chromosomes, subtractive cloning was carried out between genomic DNA of males and females of the rainbow trout (XX/XY) and of Leporinus elongatus (ZW/ZZ). Inserts cloned in a plasmid vector were individually tested on Southern blots of DNA of males and females for sex specificity. No sex-specific insert was obtained from trout, but two out of ten inserts cloned from L. elongatus showed sex-specific patterns in this species: one corresponds to a sequence present on both Z and W chromosomes, while the other is W specific. Sequences of these two inserts show neither clear homology with other known sequences, nor an open reading frame. They cross-hybridize with the genomic DNA of Leporinus friderici, but without sex-specific patterns. Twenty-four L. elongatus adults were sexed by gonadal observation, chromosomed examination and Southern hybridization with one or the other insert. Ten males and 11 females had chromosomes and hybridization patterns typical of their sex. One ZW female was recognized as a male with the W-specific probe. This was also the case for two unusual ZW males, one having a male hybridization pattern with the other probe. These three atypical individuals may result from single genetic exchanges between four regions of the Z and the W, giving rise to three atypical W chromosomes. Finding males with such atypical heterochromosomes in a female heterogametic species may indicate that a gradual transition occurs between the heterogametic systems.

Melanocytes in the testes of Eupemphix nattereri (Anura, Leiuperidae): Histological, stereological, and ultrastructural aspects

Ectothermic vertebrates have a well-developed system of melanin-containing cells, which localize in several organs and tissues and compose an extracutaneous pigmentary system. This research aimed at characterizing histological and ultrastructural patterns of pigmented cells in the testes of the anura Eupemphix nattereri (Steindachner, 1963), including the stereological and quantitative evaluation of this cell type in the gonads. Ten adult males were collected in Nova Itapirema, São Paulo, Brazil, and submitted to morphological studies with light and transmission electron microscopy. The testis presents a great number of large cells with many brown granules and long cytoplasmic processes. The pigmented cells found in the testis are structurally similar to melanocytes, characterized by large amounts of melanosomes. The cells may be in intimate contact with the same cell type, with myoid cells surrounded by a large amount of collagen fibers, Leydig cells, and next to fibroblasts. The distribution and amount of extracutaneous melanocytes is variable when other organs and membranes are analyzed, allowing the establishment of species-specific patterns for the extracutaneous pigmentary system.

Aging reduces complexity of heart rate variability assessed by conditional entropy and symbolic analysis

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