Kempnyia (Plecoptera) from the Mantiqueira Mountains of Brazil

Eight species of Kempnyia Klapalek were collected in the Mantiqueira Mountains at Campos do Jordao, of which six were known: K. colossica (Navas, 1934), K. flava Klapalek, 1916, K. neotropica (Jacobson and Bianchi, 1905), K. obtusa Klapalek, 1916, K. reichardti Froehlich, 1984 and K. tamoya Froehlich, 1984; two are new, K. pirata and K. tupinamba. One new synonymy is proposed. Comments are provided for all species from the area and a key to these species is presented.

Effects of Exercise Training on Myocardial Blood Flow Reserve in Patients With Heart Failure and Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction

Exercise training has been shown to be effective in improving exercise capacity and quality of life in patients with heart failure and left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction. Real-time myocardial contrast echocardiography (RTMCE) is a new technique that allows quantitative analysis of myocardial blood flow (MBF). The aim of this study was to determine the effects of exercise training on MBF in patients with LV dysfunction. We studied 23 patients with LV dysfunction who underwent RTMCE and cardiopulmonary exercise testing at baseline and 4 months after medical treatment (control group, n = 10) or medical treatment plus exercise training (trained group, n = 13). Replenishment velocity (0) and MBF reserves were derived from quantitative RTMCE. The 4-month exercise training consisted of 3 60-minute exercise sessions/week at an intensity corresponding to anaerobic threshold, 10% below the respiratory compensation point. Aerobic exercise training did not change LV diameters, volumes, or ejection fraction. At baseline, no difference was observed in MBF reserve between the control and trained groups (1.89, 1.67 to 1.98, vs 1.81, 1.28 to 2.38, p = 0.38). Four-month exercise training resulted in a significant increase in beta reserve from 1.72 (1.45 to 1.48) to 2.20 (1.69 to 2.77, p <0.001) and an MBF reserve from 1.81 (1.28 to 2.38) to 3.05 (2.07 to 3.93, p <0.001). In the control group, 13 reserve decreased from 1.51 (1.10 to 1.85) to 1.46 (1.14 to 2.33, p = 0.03) and MBF reserve from 1.89 (1.67 to 1.98) to 1.55 (1.11 to 2.27, p <0.001). Peak oxygen consumption increased by 13.8% after 4 months of exercise training and decreased by 1.9% in the control group. In conclusion, exercise training resulted in significant improvement of MBF reserve in patients with heart failure and LV dysfunction. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. (Am J Cardiol 2010;105:243-248)

Natural parasitism of Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera, Psyllidae) nymphs by Tamarixia radiata Waterston (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) in São Paulo orange groves

The psyllid Diaphorina citri Kuwayama 1908 has become the main citrus pest species in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, after the introduction of the huanglongbing or citrus greening. This study evaluated the parasitism of 3rd, 4th and 5th instar D. citri nymphs by Tamarixia radiata (Waterston, 1922) in citrus groves under a regimen of regular insecticide applications in ten producing regions: Araraquara, Barretos, Bauru, Botucatu, Franca, Itapetininga, Jaú, Limeira, Lins and São João da Boa Vista. Sixty-nine samples of new branches infested with nymphs of D. citri were collected from 2005 to 2008 in orange groves ranging from 1 to 20 years old, of the varieties Hamlin, Pera, Valencia and Natal. The parasitoid T. radiata is widely distributed in São Paulo orange groves, and was identified in 50 (72%) of the samples, showing a mean parasitism rate of 12.4%. The highest parasitism rate was observed in the "summer" (from January through March), with a mean of 25.7%. Nymphal parasitism was above 90% in two samples. The probable causes of the variations in parasitism of D. citri by T. radiata are discussed.

Home range and habitat use by the roadside hawk, Rupornis magnirostris (Gmelin, 1788) (Aves: Falcaniformes) in southeastern Brazil

Although most raptor species are found mainly in the tropics, information on their home range and spatial requirements in the Neotropics is still scarce. In this study, we used radio telemetry to evaluate the home range and the habitat use and selection of five Roadside hawks, Rupornis magnirostris (Gmelin, 1788) in a heterogeneous landscape in southeastern Brazil. The average home range size calculated using the adaptive kernel method (95% isopleth) was 126.1ha (47.4-266.7ha), but using the minimum convex polygon method (95% isopleth) it was 143.54ha (32.6-382.3ha). The roadside hawk explored a wide variety of habitats, most of them opportunistically, as suggested in the literature. Despite this, habitat quality could influence home range size and promote habitat selection. The observation of habitat use as expected, as well as the relatively small home range size, could be related to the generalist/opportunistic behaviour of the roadside hawk.

A new genus and new species of fan worms (Polychaeta: Sabellidae) from Atlantic and Pacific Oceans-the formal treatment of taxon names as explanatory hypotheses

Members of Parasabella minuta Treadwell, 1941, subsequently moved to Perkinsiana, were collected during a survey of rocky intertidal polychaetes along the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Additional specimens, which are referred to two new species, were also found in similar habitats from the Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Caribbean Panama, and Oahu Island, Hawaii. A phylogenetic analysis of Sabellinae, including members of P. minuta and the two new species, provided justification for establishing a new generic hypothesis, Sabellomma gen. nov., for these individuals. Formal definitions are also provided for Sabellomma minuta gen. nov., comb. nov., S. collinae gen. nov., spec. nov., and S. harrisae gen. nov., spec. nov., along with descriptions of individuals to which these hypotheses apply. The generic name Aracia nom. nov., is provided to replace Kirkia Nogueira, Lopez and Rossi, 2004, pre-occupied by a mollusk.

Front tracking with moving-least-squares surfaces

The representation of interfaces by means of the algebraic moving-least-squares (AMLS) technique is addressed. This technique, in which the interface is represented by an unconnected set of points, is interesting for evolving fluid interfaces since there is]to surface connectivity. The position of the surface points can thus be updated without concerns about the quality of any surface triangulation. We introduce a novel AMLS technique especially designed for evolving-interfaces applications that we denote RAMLS (for Robust AMLS). The main advantages with respect to previous AMLS techniques are: increased robustness, computational efficiency, and being free of user-tuned parameters. Further, we propose a new front-tracking method based on the Lagrangian advection of the unconnected point set that defines the RAMLS surface. We assume that a background Eulerian grid is defined with some grid spacing h. The advection of the point set makes the surface evolve in time. The point cloud can be regenerated at any time (in particular, we regenerate it each time step) by intersecting the gridlines with the evolved surface, which guarantees that the density of points on the surface is always well balanced. The intersection algorithm is essentially a ray-tracing algorithm, well-studied in computer graphics, in which a line (ray) is traced so as to detect all intersections with a surface. Also, the tracing of each gridline is independent and can thus be performed in parallel. Several tests are reported assessing first the accuracy of the proposed RAMLS technique, and then of the front-tracking method based on it. Comparison with previous Eulerian, Lagrangian and hybrid techniques encourage further development of the proposed method for fluid mechanics applications. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ASSOCIATED A-TYPE SUBALKALINE AND HIGH-K CALC-ALKALINE GRANITES IN THE ITU GRANITE PROVINCE, SOUTHEASTERN BRAZIL: PETROLOGICAL AND TECTONIC SIGNIFICANCE

The 590-580 Ma Itu Granite Province (IGP) is a roughly linear belt of post-orogenic granite plutons similar to 60 km wide extending for some 350 km along the southern edge of the Apia-Guaxupe Terrane in southeastern Brazil. Typical components are subalkaline A-type granites (some with rapakivi texture) that crystallized at varied, but mostly strongly oxidizing conditions, and contrast with a coeval association of also oxidized high-K calc-alkaline granites in terms of major (e. g., lower Ca/Fe) and trace elements (higher Nb, Y, Zr). Mantle-derived magmas (such as those forming the LILE-rich Piracaia Monzodiorite, with epsilon(Nd(t)) = -7 to -10, (87)Sr/(86)Sr((t)) = 0.7045-0.7055) are inferred to derive from enriched subcontinental lithosphere modified during previous subduction, and may have played a role in the generation of the A-type granites, adding melts or fluids or both to the lower crust from which the latter were generated. The IGP is interpreted as a reflection of crust uplift and increased heat flux during ascent of hot, less dense asthenosphere after continental collision, probably reflecting breakoff of an oceanic slab coeval to the right-lateral accretion of a terrane related to the Mantiqueira Orogenic System.

Spatial and temporal population interactions between the parasitoids Cotesia flavipes and Tachinidae flies: considerations on the adverse effects of biological control practice

Biological control of Diatraea saccharalis is regarded as one of the best examples of successful classical biological control in Brazil. Since the introduction of the exotic parasitoid Cotesia flavipes, the decrease of D. saccharalis infestation in sugarcane fields has been attributed to the effectiveness of this agent. Recently, the native tachinid fly parasitoids (Lydella minense and Paratheresia claripalpis) have also been implicated in the success. Here, we investigated the spatial and temporal population interactions between C. flavipes and the tachinid flies, and provide a critical analysis of the biological control practice, focusing on the undesirable effects of introductions of exotic natural enemies. To investigate these questions, a large data set comprising information from two sugarcane mills located in the state of São Paulo, Brazil (Barra and Sao Joao Mills), was analysed. Analysis of the correlation between C. flavipes and tachinid fly population densities through time revealed that such populations were inversely correlated in the Sao Joao Mill and not correlated in the Barra Mill. Logistic regressions were computed to investigate the proportion of sites occupied by the parasitoid species at both mills as a function of time. An increasing trend in the proportion of sites occupied by C. flavipes was observed, with a concomitant decrease of the sites occupied by tachinid flies. This effect was more intense in the Sao Joao Mill. Thus, there is a convincing possibility that constant releases of C. flavipes decreased the tachinid fly populations, resulting in an undesirable effect of biological control practice.

Abundância e sazonalidade de histerídeos (Coleoptera) associados ao esterco de granja aviária da Região Nordeste do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil

Programas que visam o controle biológico precisam ser embasados principalmente em liberações de predadores e parasitóides para tentar minimizar efeitos adversos para o ambiente. Os coleópteros da família Histeridae como predam larvas de dípteros sinantrópicos podem auxiliar no controle das moscas que se desenvolvem em fezes acumuladas. Este trabalho teve como objetivo realizar um levantamento das espécies de histerídeos em granja avícola no município de São João da Boa Vista, estado de São Paulo, verificar seu padrão sazonal de ocorrência e investigar possíveis associações entre as mesmas. As coletas foram realizadas de janeiro de 2001 a dezembro de 2002, utilizando-se dois métodos de coleta (armadilhas de solo e o funil de Berlese - Tullgren). As espécies de histerídeos encontradas foram: Euspilostus modestus, Euspilostus (Hesperosaprinus) spp., Carcinops troglodytes e Hololepta quadridentata. O número de cada espécie diferiu entre os métodos utilizados. Na armadilha de solo, E. modestus correspondeu a 87,01% do número total de indivíduos capturados, enquanto que no funil, C. troglodytes obteve maior destaque (84,38%). E. modestus e H. quadridentata apresentaram padrões de variação mensal positivamente correlacionada com a precipitação pluviométrica (P<0,05 e P<0,01, respectivamente).

Spatial variability of soil attributes and sugarcane yield in relation to topographic location

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

Ecology and conservation of the jacutinga Pipile jacutinga in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil

The jacutinga Pipile jacutinga was formerly one of the most abundant game bird cracids in the Atlantic forest of Brazil. Nowadays this species is vulnerable to extinction due to hunting and habitat loss. The ecology of the jacutinga was studied at Parque Estadual Intervales, Sao Paulo, Brazil from October 1993 to December 1995 and in adjacent areas. Jacutingas were observed to feed mainly on the sugar-rich fruit of 41 species. We recorded a low index of abundance for the jacutinga (0.018) or c.1.7 birds/km2 at Intervales, one of the best protected areas within their range. Surveys carried out in the Atlantic forest of Sao Paulo found jacutinga populations in 14 localities. Probably < 1500 birds survive in the best protected areas. The species' stronghold in southeastern Brazil is in the mountains of Serra de Paranapiacaba, an area protected by several parks suffering from hunting and palm heart harvesting and threatened by a hydroelectric project.

Modelagem gravimétrica da Bacia de Taubaté-vale do Rio Paraíba do Sul, leste do estado de São Paulo

This paper presents the gravity survey refinement of the Paraíba do Sul river valley, east region of São Paulo state, by acquisition of 646 gravity stations. Further than the traditional Free-Air and Bouguer corrections, it was necessary to apply the Terrain Correction due the proximity of the Mantiqueira and Mar mountain ranges. An enhanced understanding of Taubaté Basin structural framework was the main objetive of this work. As result, we present the Bouguer Gravity Map of the east region of São Paulo State and the Residual Bouguer Gravity Map generated by Upward Continuation and High-pass filtering. The 2D Gravity Modeling was applied in 4 sections, using bi-dimensional models for the bodies that produced the anomalies (Talwani Method). After integrating the gravity data with the interpretation of 11 seismic sections, it was possible to delineate the Taubate Basin structural framework, which shows an utmost sedimentary thickness of 800 m in the depocenters. It was also interpreted an ultramaphic alkaline plug in the subsurface of Caçapava city.

Spatial pattern of parasitism in Diatraea saccharalis Fab. (Lep., Crambidae) populations at two different spatial scales in sugarcane fields in Brazil

The biological control of Diatraea saccharalis is regarded as one of the best examples of successful classical biological control in Brazil. Since the introduction of the exotic parasitoid, Cotesia flavipes, the decrease in D. saccharalis infestation in sugarcane fields has been attributed to the effectiveness of this agent. Native Tachinidae fly parasitoids (Lydella minense and Paratheresia claripalpis) have also been implicated in the success. Quantitative data confirming the actual contribution of these agents to the control of D. saccharalis are, however, rather scant. The purpose of this study was to investigate the spatial pattern of parasitism of these parasitoids in D. saccharalis populations at two large spatial scales (fields and zones). To investigate this subject, a large data set comprising information collected from a sugarcane mill located in the state of São Paulo, Brazil (São João sugarcane mill) was analysed. When regressions between the proportion parasitism against host density were computed, the percentage of significant regressions with either a positive or a negative slope was very small at both spatial scales for both parasitoid species. Regressing the densities of tachinid-parasitized hosts against host densities per field showed that these parasitoids presented a 'moderate aggregative' response to host densities, as 53.33% of the regressions were positively significant. Cotesia flavipes was 'weakly aggregated' on host densities at the field level, because only 33.33% of the regressions were positively significant. At the zone level, neither aggregative nor spatial proportion parasitism responses were evident for either parasitoid species due to the small percentage of significant regressions computed.

Planejamento urbano e geração de empregos: A cidade de São Paulo (Brasil) nos anos 90

This paper attempts to show the convergence of principles between labor market politics and urban management, emphasizing it relationship with pro-market theories. Limits and possibilities of the application of this theoretical frame were investigated by examining the changes in both composition and stock of labor in three important business spaces in São Paulo: Central Area, Paulista Avenue and the new expansion front near Luiz Carlos Berrini and Águas Epraiadas avenues. Despite the claims of pro-market theoreticians, information provided by Labor Ministry showed that between 1996 and 2000, a re-arrangemenet of the workers contingent among the investigated areas occurred, instead of the expected growth. The favorable behavior registered in Berrini/ Águas Espraiadas, because of the bulky volume of investments, took place at the same time that a decrease of labor in the Downtown; meanwhile, in Paulista, a growth of the number of employees was observed, in spite of the landing less elevated of investments.

Propriedades físicas e infiltração de água de um Latossolo Vermelho Amarelo (Oxisol) do noroeste do estado de São Paulo, Brasil, sob três condições de uso e manejo

This study presents the results obtained in a field experiment carried out at Glicério, Northwest of São Paulo state, Brazil, whose objective was to analyze changes of selected soil physical properties and water infiltration rates on a Yellow-Red Latosol, under three different management conditions. The experimental design was arranged as completely randomized split-block with twelve treatments, which corresponded to four depths (0-0.05 m; 0.05-0.10 m; 0.10-0.20 m and 0.20-0.40 m) and three conditions of soil use and management with four replications. The soil surface conditions were: conventional tillage (one disking with moulboard plus two levelling passes with harrow), nine months before starting filed experiences; recent conventional tillage (also one disking with moulboard plus two levelling passes with harrow) and native forest. The conventional tillage areas were cropped for about fifteen years with annual cultures. The considered soil general physical properties were: macroporosity, microporosity, total porosity, bulk density, soil moisture and penetration resistance and, in addition; soil water infiltration rates were also recorded. According to our results, differences on general soil physical properties and infiltration rates appeared when both tilled sub-treatments and native forest were compared. Both, plots recently prepared by conventional tillage and those prepared by tillage but left nine months in rest, presented a statistically significant decrease of constant (final) water infiltration rates of 92.72% and 91.91% when compared with native forest plots.