Documentaci??n geom??trica de un yacimiento arqueol??gico de gran extensi??n. El ejemplo de Contrebia Leukade (La Rioja)

[ES] La investigaci??n hist??rica en yacimientos arqueol??gicos de grandes dimensiones, requiere de un soporte gr??fico con base geom??trica en el que puedan ser referenciados los hallazgos, reflejadas las ??pocas hist??ricas, planificadas las intervenciones, dise??adas las soluciones constructivas o restauradoras, definidas las zonas afectadas de protecci??n, etc. Al mismo tiempo, la medida supone una parte importante de la propia documentaci??n de los restos arqueol??gicos, que aporta informaci??n cuantitativa de la forma, dimensiones y disposici??n espacial del conjunto del yacimiento y de cada uno de sus elementos constitutivos. La investigaci??n se ve enriquecida por el enlace de las bases de datos gr??ficos y alfanum??ricos. La posterior difusi??n de resultados, tanto a nivel t??cnico como popular, se ven beneficiados por un soporte geom??trico consistente y sobre todo planificado.

A uniform phase representation for the harmonic model in speech synthesis applications

Feature-based vocoders, e.g., STRAIGHT, offer a way to manipulate the perceived characteristics of the speech signal in speech transformation and synthesis. For the harmonic model, which provide excellent perceived quality, features for the amplitude parameters already exist (e.g., Line Spectral Frequencies (LSF), Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC)). However, because of the wrapping of the phase parameters, phase features are more difficult to design. To randomize the phase of the harmonic model during synthesis, a voicing feature is commonly used, which distinguishes voiced and unvoiced segments. However, voice production allows smooth transitions between voiced/unvoiced states which makes voicing segmentation sometimes tricky to estimate. In this article, two-phase features are suggested to represent the phase of the harmonic model in a uniform way, without voicing decision. The synthesis quality of the resulting vocoder has been evaluated, using subjective listening tests, in the context of resynthesis, pitch scaling, and Hidden Markov Model (HMM)-based synthesis. The experiments show that the suggested signal model is comparable to STRAIGHT or even better in some scenarios. They also reveal some limitations of the harmonic framework itself in the case of high fundamental frequencies.

No fogo cruzado: desafios e vivências de pais e mães recasados

O trabalho aborda pesquisa realizada com famílias recasadas formadas após uma separação conjugal. Esta investigação teve como objetivo principal levantar as dificuldades e vivências apresentadas por pais e mães recasados, após divórcio, na condução desta nova organização familiar. Pretende-se também colaborar com o despertar sobre o referido tema, auxiliando para que novos estudos sejam desenvolvidos e aprofundados. O procedimento metodológico envolveu inicialmente o levantamento e estudo de material bibliográfico sobre a temática, além de busca em sites, comunidades do Orkut, romances, filmes e seriados televisivos que abordassem o assunto. Na análise teórica foram enfocadas as transformações pelas quais a família contemporânea tem passado, com o intuito de se perceber em que contexto ocorre o surgimento da família recasada proveniente de um divórcio. Segundo os autores estudados, a experiência do rompimento conjugal suscita diversas implicações que irão refletir na constituição do recasamento. A principal dificuldade enfrentada pelo ex-casal reside na indiferenciação, que por vezes persiste, de aspectos referentes à conjugalidade e à parentalidade. Os autores destacam a importância da manutenção de um vínculo próximo entre pais e filhos após o divórcio, apontando a guarda compartilhada como a modalidade de guarda que propicia a preservação do laço parental, a despeito da separação no âmbito conjugal. No estudo da família recasada, encontraram-se divergências quanto à denominação para esta formação familiar. Também foram observadas especificidades da família com padrasto/madrasta em relação aos aspectos urbanísticos, econômicos e, principalmente, jurídicos. No trabalho de campo, optou-se pela pesquisa qualitativa. Foram realizadas entrevistas individuais semi-estruturadas com cinco pais e cinco mães recasados após separação conjugal, integrantes de famílias diferentes, residentes no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, de classe média e que coabitavam com seu atual companheiro. Os dados obtidos foram tratados por meio da análise de conteúdo. Percebeu-se com os pais e mães recasados dificuldades na mediação entre os filhos e o novo cônjuge, quando relataram que se sentiam como pára-choque e aparando arestas. A fim de lidar com a nova configuração familiar, alguns optavam por desencontros propositais, isto é, usufruir a companhia de seus filhos em momentos separados daqueles desfrutados com o atual companheiro. Também foi evidente a influência do modelo de família nuclear quando definiam quem fazia parte de sua família. Foram observadas as especificidades do casal recasado no que tange as comemorações da união, lua-de-mel, momentos de lazer, mudança de residência e decisão de ter ou não filhos do atual relacionamento. Concluiu-se que são inúmeras as implicações e aspectos que devem ser considerados nas famílias recasadas, sendo que a aceitação dos novos membros, ou seja, do padrasto e/ou da madrasta, demanda esforço de todos os envolvidos. Cada família descobre seu modo de estruturação, cabendo ao profissional de Psicologia estar atento às particularidades desta formação familiar e auxiliá-la neste caminho singular

Temporal variation in growth of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) larvae in the Panama Bight, 1990

Tuna larvae (at flexion, postflexion, and transformation stages) were collected by dip net and light traps at night in the northwestern Panama Bight during the season of reduced upwelling (June−September) of 1990, 1991, 1992, and 1997. The larvae were identified as yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) by mtDNA analysis. Ichthyoplankton data from bongo and Tucker trawl tows were used to examine the potential prey abundance in relation to the mean size-at-age and growth rates of the yellowfin tuna larvae and their otoliths. The most rapid growth rates occurred during June 1990 when plankton volumes were at their highest levels. The lowest plankton volumes coincided with the lowest growth rates and mean sizes-at-age during the August−September 1991 period. High densities of larval fish were prevalent in the ichthyoplankton tows during the 1991 period; therefore intra- and interspecific competition for limited food resources may have been the cause of slower growth (density-dependent growth) in yellowfin tuna larvae The highest mean seasurface temperature and the lowest mean wind stress occurred during an El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event during the 1997 period. There appeared to be no clear association between these environmental factors and larval growth rates, but the higher temperatures may have caused an increase in the short-term growth of otoliths in relat

Natural Variation In Recovery From A Short Period Of Anoxia Due To A cGMP-Dependent Protein Kinase in Drosophila melanogaster

[EN] Protein Kinase G (PKG) or cGMP-dependent protein kinases (PKG) have been shown to play an important role in resistance to abiotic stressors such as high temperatures or oxygen deprivation in Drosophila melanogaster. In Drosophila, the foraging gene encodes a PKG; natural variants for this gene exist, which differ in the level of expression of PKG: rovers (forR allele) which express high PKG levels, and sitters (forS allele) which express lower PKG levels. This project explores the differences in recovery from short periods of anoxia between natural variants (focusing on forS2, flies with a sitter gene in a rover background), as well as mutants with insertions in the foraging gene and RNAi recombinants that show a reduced PKG expression. The parameters measured were time to recovery and level of activity after anoxia. The results showed lower activity after anoxia in sitters than in rovers, reflecting a worse recovery from the anoxic coma in flies with lower PKG levels.

Operatives for off-shore and deep-sea fishing vessels

The need for operatives for the offshore and deep-sea fishing vessels is currently very great, and the importance of fisheries training has long been recognized by the Department of Fisheries. In 1974 the Sri Lanka Fisheries Training Institute was established with Japanese aid. The author discusses the purpose and functions of the institute, the first batch of trainees from which finished their training in June 1977. Annexes describe the courses offered, diplomas and certificates, admission requirements, and the conditions required for candidates sitting second-hand fishing vessel examination of the Mercantile Marine Department, Bombay District.

AN ACTIVATOR OF BLOOD-COAGULATION FACTOR-X FROM THE VENOM OF BUNGARUS-FASCIATUS

A specific activator of blood coagulation factor X was purified from the venom of Bungarus fasciatus by gel filtration and by ion-exchange chromatography on a Mono-Q column (FPLC). It consisted of a single polypeptide chain, with a mel. wt of 70,000 in reducing and non-reducing conditions. The enzyme had an amidolytic activity towards the chromogenic substrates S-2266 and S-2302 but it did not hydrolyse S-2238, S2251 or S-2222, which are specific substrates for thrombin, plasmin and factor Xa, respectively. The enzyme activated factor X in vitro and the effect was Ca2+ dependent with a Hill coefficient of 7.9. As with physiological activators, the venom activator cleaves the heavy chain of factor X, producing the activated factor Xa alpha. The purified factor X activator from B. fasciatus venom did not activate prothrombin, nor did it cleave or clot purified fibrinogen. The amidolytic activity and the factor X activation activity of the factor X activator from B. fasciatus venom were readily inhibited by serine protease inhibitors such as diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP), phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride (PMSF), benzamidine and by soybean trypsin inhibitor but not by EDTA. These observations suggest that the factor X activator from B. fasciatus venom is a serine protease. It therefore differs from those of activators obtained from Vipera russelli and Bothrops atrox venoms, which are metalloproteinases.

Characterization of three fibrinogenolytic enzymes from Chinese green tree viper (Trimeresurus stejnegeri) venom

Rong Gao, Yun Zhang, Qing-Xiong Meng, Wen-Hui Lee, Dong-Sheng Li, Yu-liang Xiong and Wan-Yu Wang. Characterization of three fibrinogenolytic enzymes from Chinese green tree viper (Trimeresurus stejneger ) venom. Toxicon 36, 457-467, 1998.-From the venom of Chinese green tree viper (Trimeresurus stejnegeri), three distinct fibrinogenolytic enzymes: stejnefibrase-l, stejnefibrase-2 and stejnefibrase-3, were purified by gel filtration, ion-exchange chromatography and reverse-phase high-performance chromatograghy (HPLC). SDS-PAGE analysis of those three enzymes showed that they consisted of a single polypeptide chain with mel. wt of -50 000, 31 000 and 32 000, respectively. Like TSV-PA (a specific plasminogen activator) and stejnobin (a fibrinogen-clotting enzyme) purified from the same venom, stejnfibrase-1, -2 and -3 were able to hydrolyze several chromogenic substrate. On the other hand, different from TSV-PA. and stejnobin, stejnefibrase-l, -2 and -3 did not activate plasminogen and did not possess fibrinogen-clotting activity. The three purified enzymes directly degraded fibrinogen to small fragments and rendered it unclottable by thrombin. Stejnefibrase-2 degraded preferentially BE-chain while stejnefibrase-l and -3 cleaved concomitantly Ax and B beta-chains of fibrinogen. None of these proteases degraded the gamma-chain of fibrinogen. When correlated with the loss of clottability of fibrinogen, the most active enzyme was stejnefibrase-l. The activities of the three enzymes were inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) and p-nitrophenyl-p-guanidinobenzoate (NPGB), indicating that like TSV-PA and stejnobin, they are venom serine proteases. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Socio-economic and marketing aspects of Laila and Bottom Long Line fisheries in the Kalpitiya peninsula of Sri Lanka

Surrounding Net Fishery (laila) and Bottom Long Line Fishery which operate in the coastal waters of Kalpitiya Peninsula, compete for the same fish resources, resulting in a fishery dispute between the respective fishermen. Both fisheries target demersal as well as mid pelagic fishes, such as travellys (parava), mullets (galmalu) and barracudas (ulava). As the dispute had an adverse impact on the social harmony in the fishing community of the area, a socio-economic survey was conducted to study the underlying factors and to suggest policy measures to resolve the issue. The laila fishermen were resident fishermen in the Kalpitiya Peninsula while bottom long line fishermen were migratory fishermen from Negombo and Chilaw areas in the west coast of Sri Lanka. The Kalpitiya peninsula is located in the North West coast, some 50 km away from the west coast. Although the educational level and literacy rate of the laila community was below that of the bottom long line community, the laila community was economically better off. The net economic returns from laila fishery were superior to that from bottom long line fishery. The boat owner's and crew's share per operation of laila fishery were Rs.3,736 and Rs.947 respectively. The same figures for bottom long line fishery were Rs.588 and Rs.327 respectively. The resource rent from laila fishery was Rs.5,860, however, and much higher than that for bottom long line fishery (Rs.275), showing that the laila fishery exploits the targeted fish resource at a much higher rate compared to bottom long line fishery. This situation badly affects the equitable distribution of resources between the two fishing communities and results in unequal economic gains. Based on the findings of this study, certain input/output controls are proposed to address this problem, among which is the need to increase license fee for laila fishery units to offset the higher exploitation rate of fish resources.

CHARACTERIZATION OF OHS1, AN ARGININE/LYSINE AMIDASE FROM THE VENOM OF KING COBRA (OPHIOPHAGUS HANNAH)

In this paper, we present the results of purification and characterization of an arginine/lysine amidase from the venom of Ophiophagus hannah (OhS1). It was purified by Sephadex G-75 gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B. It is a protein of about 43,000, consisting of a single polypeptide chain. It is a minor component in the venom. The purified enzyme was capable of hydrolysing several tripeptidyl-p-nitroanilide substrates having either arginine or lysine as the C-terminal residue. We studied the kinetic parameters of OhS1 on six these chromogenic substrates. OhS1 did not clot fibrinogen. Electrophoresis of fibrinogen degraded with OhS1 revealed the disappearance of the alpha- and beta-chains and the appearance of lower mel. wt fragments. OhS1 had no hemorrhagic activity. It did not hydrolyse casein, nor did it act on blood coagulation factor X, prothrombin and plasminogen. The activity of OhS1 was completely inhibited by NPGB, PMSF, DFP, benzamidine and soybean trypsin inhibitor, suggesting it is a serine protease. Metal chelator (EDTA) had no effect on it.