Phylogeography of Batrachospermum macrosporum (Batrachospermales, Rhodophyta) from North and South America

Phylogeographic trends in Batrachospermum macrosporum Mont. were investigated using the mitochondrial intergenic spacer between the cytochrome oxidase subunit 2 and 3 genes (cox2-3). A total of 11 stream segments were sampled with seven in the coastal plain of North America and four in tropical areas of South America. Fifteen thalli were sampled from seven streams, 14 thalli from two streams, and eight thalli from two streams. There were 16 haplotypes detected using 149 individuals. of the eight haplotypes from locations in North America, all were 334 base pairs (bp) in length, and of those from South America, five were 344 bp, and three were 348 bp. Two individual networks were produced: one for the haplotypes from North America and another for those from South America, and these could not be joined due to the large number of base pair differences. This split between haplotypes from North and South America was confirmed with sequence data of the rbcL gene. There was very little genetic variation among the haplotypes from the North American locations, leading us to hypothesize that these are fairly recent colonization events along the coastal plain. In contrast, there was high variation among haplotypes from South America, and it would appear that the Amazon serves as a center of diversity. We detected considerable variation in haplotypes among streams, but frequently, a single haplotype in an individual stream segment, which is consistent with data from previous studies of other batrachospermalean taxa, may suggest a single colonization event per stream.

Culturally-sensitive complaints of depressions and anxieties in women

Background: Current classifications of Mental Disorders are centered on Westernized concepts and constructs. Cross-cultural sensitivity emphasizes culturally-appropriate translations of symptoms and questions, assuming that concepts and constructs are applicable.Methods: Groups and individual psychiatrists from various cultures from Asia, Latin America, North Africa and Eastern Europe prepared descriptions of main symptoms and complaints of treatment-seeking women in their cultures, which are interpreted by clinicians as a manifestation of a clinically-relevant dysphoric disorder. They also transliterated the expressions of DSM IV criteria of main dysphoric disorders in their cultures.Results: In many non-western cultures the symptoms and constructs that are interpreted and treated as dysphoric disorders are mostly somatic and are different from the Western-centered DSM or ICD systems. In many cases the DSM and ICD criteria of depression and anxieties are not even acknowledged by patients.Limitations: the descriptive approach reported here is a preliminary step which involved local but Westernized clinicians-investigators following a biomedical thinking. It should be followed by a more systematic-comprehensive surveys in each culture.Conclusions: Westernized concepts and constructs of mental order and disorders are not necessarily universally applicable. Culturallysensitive phenomena, treatments and treatment responses may be diversified. Attempts at their cross-cultural harmonization should take into consideration complex interactional multi-dimensional processes. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Trends in Funding, Internationalization, and Types of Study for Original Articles Published in Five Implant-Related Journals Between 2005 and 2009

Purpose: The aims of this study were to evaluate the trends in funding, geographic origin, and study types of original articles in the dental implant literature and to investigate the relationships among these factors. Materials and Methods: Articles published in Clinical Oral Implants Research, The International Journal of Oral & Maxillofacial Implants, Clinical Implant Dentistry and Related Research, Implant Dentistry, and Journal of Oral Implantology from 2005 to 2009 were reviewed. Nonoriginal articles were excluded. For each article included, extramural funding source, geographic origin, and study type were recorded. Descriptive and analytic analyses (alpha = .05), including a logistic regression analysis, and chi-square test were used where appropriate. Results: of a total of 2,085 articles published, 1,503 met the inclusion criteria. The most common source of funding was from industry (32.4%). The proportion of studies that reported funding increased significantly over time. Europe represented the highest percentage (55.8%) of published articles. Most of the articles reported on clinical studies (49.9%), followed by animal studies (25.9%). Articles from Asia and South America and animal and in vitro studies were significantly more likely to be funded. Conclusion: Almost half of the original dental implant articles were funded. The trend toward internationalization of authorship was evident. A strong association was observed between funding and geographic origin and between funding and study type. Most studies in North America and Europe were clinical studies and supported by industry, whereas a greater proportion of studies in Asia and South America were in vitro or animal studies funded through government resources. INT J ORAL MAXILLOFAC IMPLANTS 2012;27:69-76

Chromosome banding and 18S rDNA in situ hybridization analysis of seven species of the family Achiridae (Teleostei : Pleuronectiformes)

Achiridae is an important family of the order Pleuronectiformes widely distributed in North, Central, and South America with freshwater and marine species. In the present study cytogenetic analyses comprising conventional and molecular techniques were carried out in seven species of this family. The following diploid numbers (2n) and fundamental numbers (FN) were obtained: Achirus declivis 2n = 34, FN = 52; Achirus lineatus 2n = 40, FN = 66; Catathyridium jenynsi 2n = 40 and FN = 50; Gymnachirus nudus 2n = 36 and FN = 50; Hypoclinemus mentalis 2n = 38 and FN = 54; Trinectes paulistanus 2n = 42 and FN = 52; and Trinectes sp. 2n = 38 and FN = 54. All species presented a single nucleolar organizer region (NOR) bearing chromosome pair and C-band positive segments mainly distributed at the pericentromeric position. The wide variation observed in chromosome number and FN suggests the occurrence of larger chromosome rearrangements in the family Achiridae if compared with other families of the same order.

The opportunistic feeding and reproduction strategies of the annual fish Cynopoecilus melanotaenia (Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae) inhabiting ephemeral habitats on southern Brazil

A maioria dos peixes da família Rivulidae são popularmente conhecidos como anuais por completarem todo seu ciclo biológico em pequenos corpos de água temporários que secam obrigatoriamente em determinados períodos do ano causando a morte dos indivíduos adultos. Possuem características biológicas peculiares como pequeno porte, maturação sexual precoce, reprodução contínua, um elaborado padrão de corte e uma grande capacidade reprodutiva entre os peixes. Os rivulídeos se encontram amplamente distribuídos nas Américas do Norte, Central e Sul. Este trabalho analisou a dieta e a biologia reprodutiva de Cynopoecilus melanotaenia. Foram coletados 263 exemplares e a análise de 233 conteúdos gastrointestinais revelou uma dieta invertívora composta principalmente por microcrustáceos (Cladocera, Amphipoda e Ostracoda) e insetos imaturos (Chaoboridae, Culicidae, Syrphidae, mas principalmente larvas de Chironomidae). Foi registrada a lepidofagia na dieta dos machos. A fecundidade foi estimada pela análise de 59 pares de ovários maduros e variou entre 2 a 157 ovócitos (média, 19 ± 26[DP]). A espécie apresentou desova parcelada, uma estratégia para aumentar a chance de sobrevivência a depleções prolongadas. Este trabalho apresenta a primeira investigação sobre a biologia reprodutiva de C. melanotaenia. Os resultados encontrados sugerem a estratégia reprodutiva oportunista de C. melanotaenia e fornecem novas informações biológicas que podem contribuir para pesquisas de conservação e manutenção da espécie em seu ambiente natural.

Effect of doses of fungicides and plant resistance activators on the control of Rhizoctonia foliar blight of soybean, and on Rhizoctonia solani AG1-IA in vitro development

Rhizoctonia foliar blight (RFB) of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] occurs in many tropical and subtropical regions, causing yield reductions of up to 70% and in Brazil, up to 60%. The disease is caused by Rhizoetonia solani AG1-IA and AG1-IB, and by AG2-3 in Japan. RFB occurs in the North, Northeast and Mid-west regions of Brazil. Chemical control remains the only effective method of controlling RFB, but its efficiency depends upon environmental conditions. In this study, 18 fungicides, salicylic acid (SA) and acibenzolar-s-methyl (ASM) were evaluated on R. solani AG1-IA in vitro, by mycelial growth rating and estimating effective concentration for 50% (EC 50) and 90% (EC 90) inhibition of mycelial growth, and in vivo by reduction of disease severity on soybean plants in greenhouse conditions. Mycelial growth was strongly inhibited by the fungicides pyraclostrobin + boscalid and fludioxonil. Preventive fungicide applications were the most effective. Strobilurins were more efficient both in preventive and curative applications. Best results with plant resistance activators were obtained with SA (2.5 mM) sprayed at 20 d before inoculation and with ASM (12.5 mg a.i. l(-1)) 10 d before inoculation. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cranial differentiation and evolution in Thrichomys apereoides (Rodentia: Echimyidae)

Thrichomys apereoides is an echimyid rodent which ranges in distribution from north-eastern and central Brazil into Paraguay, and currently five subspecies are recognized. Recent morphometric analyses of population samples formally assignable to T. a. laurentius and T. a. inermis, which occur in north-eastern Brazil, have shown that a major group of populations including both subspecies differ in cranial shape from a single population allocated to T. a. laurentius. In this study we employed mathematical models of evolutionary quantitative genetics to assess the role that random drift and selection may have played in the evolution of cranial shape differences in T. apereoides. The hypothesis of evolution due to drift was rejected and the selective forces necessary to account for shape differences were estimated. Minimum selective mortalities of the order of 10(-3) per generation were sufficient to explain the observed morphologic differentiation.

Terrane transfer during the Grenville orogeny: tracing the Amazonian ancestry of southern Appalachian basement through Pb and Nd isotopes

Whole rock Pb isotope data can be used to determine the provenance of different blocks within the Rodinia supercontinent, providing a test for paleogeographic reconstructions. Calculated isotopic values for the source region of the Grenville-deformed SW Amazon craton (Rondonia, Brazil), anchored by published U-Pb zircon ages, are compared to those from the Grenville belt of North America and Grenvillian basement inliers in the southern Appalachians. Both the SW Amazon craton and the allochthonous Blue Ridge/Mars Hill terrane are defined by a similar Pb isotopic signature, indicating derivation from an ancient source region with an elevated U/Pb ratio. In contrast, the Grenville Province of Laurentia (extending from Labrador to the Llano Uplift of Texas) is characterized by a source region with a distinctly lower, time-integrated U/Pb ratio. Published U-Pb zircon ages (ca. 1.8 Ga) and Nd model ages (1.4-2.2 Ga) for the Blue Ridge/Mars Hill terrane also suggest an ancient provenance very different from the rest of the adjacent Grenville belt, which is dominated by juvenile 1.3-1.5 Ga rocks. The presence of mature continental material in rocks older than 1.15 Ga in the Blue Ridge/ Mars Hill terrane is consistent with characteristics of basement rocks from the SW Amazon craton. High-grade metamorphism of the Blue Ridge/Mars Hill basement resulted in purging of U, consistent with observations of the rest of the North American Grenville province. In contrast, the Grenvillian metamorphic history of the Amazon appears to have been much more heterogeneous, with both U enrichment and U depletion recorded locally. We propose that the Blue Ridge/ Mars Hill portion of the Appalachian basement is of Amazonian provenance and was transferred to Laurentia during Grenvillian orogenesis after similar to1.15 Ga. The presence of these Amazonian rocks in southeastern Laurentia records the northward passage of the Amazon craton along the Laurentian margin, following the original collision with southernmost Laurentia at ca. 1.2 Ga. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in Captive Neotropical and Exotic Wild Canids and Felids

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

An evaluation of ocean color model estimates of marine primary productivity in coastal and pelagic regions across the globe

Nearly half of the earth's photosynthetically fixed carbon derives from the oceans. To determine global and region specific rates, we rely on models that estimate marine net primary productivity (NPP) thus it is essential that these models are evaluated to determine their accuracy. Here we assessed the skill of 21 ocean color models by comparing their estimates of depth-integrated NPP to 1156 in situ C-14 measurements encompassing ten marine regions including the Sargasso Sea, pelagic North Atlantic, coastal Northeast Atlantic, Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Arabian Sea, subtropical North Pacific, Ross Sea, West Antarctic Peninsula, and the Antarctic Polar Frontal Zone. Average model skill, as determined by root-mean square difference calculations, was lowest in the Black and Mediterranean Seas, highest in the pelagic North Atlantic and the Antarctic Polar Frontal Zone, and intermediate in the other six regions. The maximum fraction of model skill that may be attributable to uncertainties in both the input variables and in situ NPP measurements was nearly 72%. on average, the simplest depth/wavelength integrated models performed no worse than the more complex depth/wavelength resolved models. Ocean color models were not highly challenged in extreme conditions of surface chlorophyll-a and sea surface temperature, nor in high-nitrate low-chlorophyll waters. Water column depth was the primary influence on ocean color model performance such that average skill was significantly higher at depths greater than 250 m, suggesting that ocean color models are more challenged in Case-2 waters (coastal) than in Case-1 (pelagic) waters. Given that in situ chlorophyll-a data was used as input data, algorithm improvement is required to eliminate the poor performance of ocean color NPP models in Case-2 waters that are close to coastlines. Finally, ocean color chlorophyll-a algorithms are challenged by optically complex Case-2 waters, thus using satellite-derived chlorophyll-a to estimate NPP in coastal areas would likely further reduce the skill of ocean color models.

The Sao Vicente earthquake of 2008 April and seismicity in the continental shelf off SE Brazil: further evidence for flexural stresses

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Presence of Xylella fastidiosa in sweet orange fruit and seeds and its transmission to seedlings

Xylella fastidiosa, a xylem-limited bacterium, causes several economically important diseases in North, Central, and South America. These diseases are transmitted by sharpshooter insects, contaminated budwood, and natural root-grafts. X. fastidiosa extensively colonizes the xylem vessels of susceptible plants. Citrus fruit have a well-developed vascular system, which is continuous with the vascular system of the plant. Citrus seeds develop very prominent vascular bundles, which are attached through ovular and seed bundles to the xylem system of the fruit. Sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) fruit of cvs. Pera, Natal, and Valencia with characteristic symptoms of citrus variegated chlorosis disease were collected for analysis. X. fastidiosa was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in all main fruit vascular bundles, as well as in the seed and in dissected seed parts. No visual abnormalities were observed in seeds infected with the bacterium. However, the embryos of the infected seeds weighed 25% less than those of healthy seeds, and their germination rate was lower than uninfected seeds. There were about 2,500 cells of X. fastidiosa per infected seed of sweet orange, as quantified using real-time PCR techniques. The identification of X. fastidiosa in the infected seeds was confirmed by cloning and sequencing the specific amplification product, obtained by standard PCR with specific primers. X. fastidiosa was also detected in and recovered from seedlings by isolation in vitro. Our results show that X. fastidiosa can infect and colonize fruit tissues including the seed. We also have shown that X. fastidiosa can be transmitted from seeds to seedlings of sweet orange. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the presence of X. fastidiosa in seeds and its transmission to seedlings.

Os imigrantes alemães em Rio Claro: estratégias de sobrevivência e redes de sociabilidade nos séculos XIX e XX

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Operários da undécima hora : os Agostinianos Recoletos no Brasil: criação da província de Santa Rita de Cássia e o impacto do Concílio Vaticano II

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

O respeito à lei e à ordem: presbiterianos e o governo militar 1964 - 1985

Pós-graduação em História - FCLAS