Monitoring the mean vector and the covariance ­matrix of multivariate processes with sample means and sample ranges

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

Heat budgets, thermal structure and dissolved oxygen in Brazilian reservoirs

A comparison of the thermal regime and oxygen distribution patterns of some Brazilian reservoirs was made. A strong latitudinal dependence of surface temperature, annual mean and annual range was found. Except for Tucurui Reservoir, a reservoir of the Equatorial zone, the lowest surface temperature of the year in the other compared reservoirs was observed from June to August while the highest extended from October to February. The decreasing trend of annual mean temperatures and thermal ranges was due to the increasing seasonal variability of insolation with the latitude. A positive relationship between the increase on thermal surface-bottom differences and the depth of water column was found for reservoirs of similar latitudes. A long thermal stratification (around four months) was evidenced in the lacustrine zone of reservoirs with a residence time higher than 40 days. Low fluctuation (<2%) of the annual variability of heat contents was observed for the Tucurui Reservoir, while in das Garcas Reservoir a manmade lake located in the frontier between tropical and temperate regions, the annual coefficient of variation attained 13%. Concerning the heat budgets, the value for the Tucurui Reservoir was two times higher than in das Garcas Reservoir. Both the morphometric and climatological factors affected the heat contents of the two compared reservoirs. In deep eutrophic reservoirs, a significant reduction on the oxygen concentrations in the hypolimnetic zone was frequently observed. In some oligotrophic stratified reservoirs, a decrease on oxygen with depth occurred when the temperature of the hypolimnion was higher than 20 degrees C and caused a biochemical oxygen demand. In das Garcas Reservoir, the actual oxygen deficits ranged from 0.40 to 1.52 mg.O-2.cm(-2) and appear to be linked to oxygen consumption after the senescence of Microcystis aeruginosa populations in the spring. But, other factors such as the allochthonous loads of organic matter also had an important role on the oxygen balance of das Garcas Reservoir.

Geographical variation in the golden-striped salamander, Chioglossa lusitanica Bocage, 1864 and the description of a newly recognized subspecies

Morphological and genetic data for the Iberian golden- striped salamander, Chioglossa lusitanica, demonstrate the existence of two groups with southern and northern ranges, connected by a zone of intergradation in central Portugal. Because reproductive isolation between them is incomplete we consider the groups to be subspecies. The type locality of C. lusitanica ( Bucaco near Lousa) is situated inside the mixed zone. This necessitates identification of the nominotypical subspecies. We sequenced a fragment of mitochondrial DNA from one of the species' syntypes and we determined what position over a latitudinal transect maximizes the morphological discrimination between the groups. Both approaches indicate that C. lusitanica from Bucaco represents the southern subspecies. A new subspecies of C. lusitanica is described from a northern locality ( Valongo near Porto in northwestern Portugal). A lectotype is designated for Chioglossa lusitanica.

Ageing behavior in the Cu-10 wt.%Al and Cu-10 wt.%Al-4 wt.%Ag alloys

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

1.5 mu m and visible up-conversion emissions in Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped tellurite glasses and optical fibers for photonic applications

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Mechanical and electrical driving field induced high-frequency dielectric anomalies in ferroelectric systems

Polycrystalline or single-crystal ferroelectric materials present dielectric dispersion in the frequency range 100 MHz-1 GHz that has been attributed to a dispersive ( relaxation-like) mechanism as well as a resonant mechanism. Particularly in 'normal' ferroelectric materials, a dielectric response that is indistinguishable from dispersion or a resonance has been reported. Nevertheless, the reported results are not conclusive enough to distinguish each mechanism clearly. A detailed study of the dielectric dispersion phenomenon has been carried out in PbTiO3-based ferroelectric ceramics, with the composition Pb1-xLaxTiO3 (x = 0.15), over a wide range of temperatures and frequencies, including microwave frequencies. The dielectric response of La-modified lead titanate ferroelectric ceramics, in 'virgin' and poled states, has been investigated in the temperature and frequency ranges 300-450 K and 1 kHz-2 GHz, respectively. The results revealed that the frequency dependence of the dielectric anomalies, depending on the measuring direction with respect to the orientation of the macroscopic polarization, may be described as a general mechanism related to an 'over-damped' resonant process. Applying either a uniaxial stress along the measurement field direction or a poling electric field parallel and/or perpendicular to the measuring direction, a resonant response of the real and imaginary components of the dielectric constant is observed, in contrast to the dispersion behavior obtained in the absence of the stress, for the 'virgin' samples. Both results, resonance and/or dispersion, can be explained by considering a common mechanism involving a resonant response (damped and/or over-damped) which is strongly affected by a ferroelastic-ferroelectric coupling, contributing to the low-field dielectric constant.

Hematological, hepatic, and renal evaluation in Aotus azarai infulatus

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

A single chart with supplementary runs rules for monitoring the mean vector and the covariance matrix of multivariate processes

The MRMAX chart is a single chart based on the standardized sample means and sample ranges for monitoring the mean vector and the covariance matrix of multivariate processes. User's familiarity with the computation of these statistics is a point in favor of the MRMAX chart. As a single chart, the recently proposed MRMAX chart is very appropriate for supplementary runs rules. In this article, we compare the supplemented MRMAX chart and the synthetic MRMAX chart with the standard MRMAX chart. The supplementary and the synthetic runs rules enhance the performance of the MRMAX chart. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Characterization of the co-purified invertase and beta-glucosidase of a multifunctional extract from Aspergillus terreus

The filamentous fungus Aspergillus terreus secretes both invertase and beta-glucosidase when grown under submerged fermentation containing rye flour as the carbon source. The aim of this study was to characterize the co-purified fraction, especially the invertase activity. An invertase and a beta-glucosidase were co-purified by two chromatographic steps, and the isolated enzymatic fraction was 139-fold enriched in invertase activity. SDS-PAGE analysis of the co-purified enzymes suggests that the protein fraction with invertase activity was heterodimeric, with subunits of 47 and 27 kDa. Maximal invertase activity, which was determined by response surface methodology, occurred in pH and temperature ranges of 4.0-6.0 and 55-65 A degrees C, respectively. The invertase in co-purified enzymes was stable for 1 h at pH 3.0-10.0 and maintained full activity for up to 1 h at 55 A degrees C when diluted in water. Invertase activity was stimulated by 1 mM concentrations of Mn2+ (161 %), Co2+ (68 %) and Mg2+ (61 %) and was inhibited by Al3+, Ag+, Fe2+ and Fe3+. In addition to sucrose, the co-purified enzymes hydrolyzed cellobiose, inulin and raffinose, and the apparent affinities for sucrose and cellobiose were quite similar (K-M = 22 mM). However, in the presence of Mn2+, the apparent affinity and V-max for sucrose hydrolysis increased approximately 2- and 2.9-fold, respectively, while for cellobiose, a 2.6-fold increase in V-max was observed, but the apparent affinity decreased 5.5-fold. Thus, it is possible to propose an application of this multifunctional extract containing both invertase and beta-glucosidase to degrade plant biomass, thus increasing the concentration of monosaccharides obtained from sucrose and cellobiose.

Molecular properties of the PCO radical: heat of formation and the isomerization pathways

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Taxonomic review of the species of Mugil (Teleostei: Perciformes: Mugilidae) from the Atlantic South Caribbean and South America, with integration of morphological, cytogenetic and molecular data

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Fingerprints of short-range and long-range structure in BaZr1-xHfxO3 solid solutions: an experimental and theoretical study

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

A relationship between structural and electronic order-disorder effects and optical properties in crystalline TiO2 nanomaterials

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

Comparison of the genomes of two Xanthomonas pathogens with differing host specificities

The genus Xanthomonas is a diverse and economically important group of bacterial phytopathogens, belonging to the gamma-subdivision of the Proteobacteria. Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri (Xac) causes citrus canker, which affects most commercial citrus cultivars, resulting in significant losses worldwide. Symptoms include canker lesions, leading to abscission of fruit and leaves and general tree decline(1). Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) causes black rot, which affects crucifers such as Brassica and Arabidopsis. Symptoms include marginal leaf chlorosis and darkening of vascular tissue, accompanied by extensive wilting and necrosis(2). Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris is grown commercially to produce the exopolysaccharide xanthan gum, which is used as a viscosifying and stabilizing agent in many industries(3). Here we report and compare the complete genome sequences of Xac and Xcc. Their distinct disease phenotypes and host ranges belie a high degree of similarity at the genomic level. More than 80% of genes are shared, and gene order is conserved along most of their respective chromosomes. We identified several groups of strain-specific genes, and on the basis of these groups we propose mechanisms that may explain the differing host specificities and pathogenic processes.

Normas preliminares dris e faixas de suficiência para goiabeira 'Paluma'

O diagnóstico nutricional a partir da análise do tecido foliar é um instrumento eficiente para detectar desequilíbrios e auxiliar no processo de recomendação de adubação. Assim, objetivou-se avaliar a relação entre os índices DRIS e os teores foliares de nutrientes, estabelecer teores foliares adequados de nutrientes com o DRIS e validar normas DRIS para a goiabeira 'Paluma'. Avaliou-se um pomar comercial nas condições de cultivo do Estado de São Paulo, durante seis safras de produção de frutos, provenientes de ensaios de adubação orgânica e mineral, totalizando 168 amostras. A ordem dos nutrientes limitantes por falta em ordem decrescente foram: Fe>K>Mn>Ca>B>N>P>Cu>S>Mg>Zn, e limitantes por excesso em ordem decrescente foram: Cu>Fe>P>Mn=Mg>Zn>Ca>B>K>S>N. As faixas adequadas, provenientes dos índices DRIS, são: 18-21; 1,5-1,7; 15-17; 8-11; 1,8-2,5 e 2,5-2,9 (g kg-1) para os macronutrientes N, P, K, Ca, Mg e S, respectivamente, e 26-38; 5-57; 54-112; 53-101 e 13-126 (mg kg-1) para os micronutrientes B, Cu, Fe, Mn e Zn, respectivamente. A produtividade das goiabeiras esteve associada ao estado nutricional.