Genetic structure in a tropical lek-breeding bird, the blue manakin (Chiroxiphia caudata) in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Determining the genetic structure of tropical bird populations is important for assessing potential genetic effects of future habitat fragmentation and for testing hypotheses about evolutionary mechanisms promoting diversification. Here we used 10 microsatellite DNA loci to describe levels of genetic differentiation for five populations of the lek-mating blue manakin (Chiroxiphia caudata), sampled along a 414-km transect within the largest remaining continuous tract of the highly endangered Atlantic Forest habitat in southeast Brazil. We found small but significant levels of differentiation between most populations. F-ST values varied from 0.0 to 0.023 (overall F-ST = 0.012) that conformed to a strong isolation by distance relationship, suggesting that observed levels of differentiation are a result of migration-drift equilibrium. N(e)m values estimated using a coalescent-based method were small (<= 2 migrants per generation) and close to the minimum level required to maintain genetic similarity between populations. An implication of these results is that if future habitat fragmentation reduces dispersal between populations to even a small extent, then individual populations may undergo a loss of genetic diversity due to an increase in the relative importance of drift, since inbreeding effective population sizes are relatively small (N-e similar to 1000). Our findings also demonstrate that population structuring can occur in a tropical bird in continuous habitat in the absence of geographical barriers possibly due to behavioural features of the species.

Comparison of the photodynamic fungicidal efficacy of methylene blue, toluidine blue, malachite green and low-power laser irradiation alone against Candida albicans

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

Intense violet-blue photoluminescence in BaZrO3 powders: A theoretical and experimental investigation of structural order-disorder

Intense violet-blue photoluminescence (PL) emission at room temperature was verified in BaZrO3 (BZO) powders with structural order-disorder. Ab-initio calculations, ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy and PL were performed. Theoretical results showed that the local disorder in the network-formed Zr clusters present an important role in the formation of hole-electron pair. The experimental data and theoretical results are in agreement, indicating that the PL emission in BZO powders can be related to the structural order-disorder degree in the lattice. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Intense blue and green photoluminescence emissions at room temperature in barium zirconate powders

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Morphology and Blue Photoluminescence Emission of PbMoO4 Processed in Conventional Hydrothermal

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Colorimetric enzymatic assay of L-malic acid using dehydrogenase from baker's yeast

A colorimetric method has been developed and optimized to measure L-malic acid in samples of fruit juices and wine. This method is based on oxidation of the analyte, catalyzed by malate dehydrogenase (MDH) from dry baker's yeast, and in combination with the reduction of a tetrazolium salt (MTT: 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide). In the present study, the method exhibited sensitivity in the range of 500-4000 mu M of L-malic acid in the reaction cuvette, with the lower detection limit of 6.7-10(-2) g/L, the upper limit of 53.6.10(-2) g/L and a maximum standard deviation of only 2.5 % for the analyzed samples. The MDH activity from baker's yeast was also optimized, the enzyme showed a high stability at pH=8.0-9.0 and the activity was maintained completely at temperatures up to 40 degrees C for 1 hour. The results show that the colorimetric method using enzymatic preparations from dry baker's yeast is a simple and low-cost method with possibility of wide application.

Photocatalyst TiO2-Co: the effect of doping depth profile on methylene blue degradation

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

Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue by TiO2-Cu thin films: Theoretical and experimental study

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

Very Intense Distinct Blue and Red Photoluminescence Emission in MgTiO3 Thin Films Prepared by the Polymeric Precursor Method: An Experimental and Theoretical Approach

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Development of a rapid one-step immunochromatographic assay for HCV core antigen detection

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Voltammetric sensing of the fuel dye marker Solvent Blue 14 by screen-printed electrodes

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

Differential Toxicity of Disperse Red 1 and Disperse Red 13 in the Ames Test, HepG2 Cytotoxicity Assay, and Daphnia Acute Toxicity Test

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

Photoelectrocatalytical degradation of basic blue 41 dye using nanoporous semiconductor of Ti/TiO2

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

Study of Salmonella typhimurium mutagenicity assay of (E)-piplartine by the Ames test

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)