The influence of fruit morphology and habitat structure on ant-seed interactions: A study with artificial fruits

Artificial fruits designed to simulate lipid-rich non-myrecochorous diaspores were used to test for the effect of fruit morphology and habitat structure on ant-seed interactions in an Atlantic Forest site in SE Brazil. The outcome of the interaction (i.e., if the fruit was removed, cleaned by ants on the spot or had no interaction with ants) and the time of ant response were the investigated variables. Models simulating drupes and arilate diaspores were used to test for morphological effects and four habitat attributes (litter depth, number of logs, number of trees, and percentage of bromeliad coverage on the forest floor), likely to be correlated with the ant diversity and abundance in the study site, were measured to test for the effect of habitat structure. The proportion of fruits removed or cleaned did not differ between the two morphological models. Sites in which fruits were cleaned had more trees than those in which no interaction occurred. This may be a result of the foraging behavior of arboreal ants that frequently descend to the forest floor to exploit fleshy diaspores. Sites in which model removal occurred had lower litter depth than both those in which models were cleaned and those in which no interaction occurred. A negative correlation was observed between litter depth and ant response time. Accumulation of leaf litter at a given point may have constrained the movements of large ants in general, and ponerine ants (that are important seed removers) in particular. We conclude that that local pattern in litter depth and tree density influence the frequency and outcome of interactions between ants and non-myrmecochorous, fleshy diaspores.

Kinetics and crystal structure of human purine nucleoside phosphorylase in complex with 7-methyl-6-thio-guanosine

Purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) catalyzes the reversible phosphorolysis of nucleosides and deoxynucleosides, generating ribose 1-phosphate and the purine base, which is an important step of purine catabolism pathway. The lack of such an activity in humans, owing to a genetic disorder, causes T-cell impairment, and drugs that inhibit this enzyme may have the potential of being utilized as modulators of the immunological system to treat leukemia, autoimmune diseases, and rejection in organ transplantation. Here, we describe kinetics and crystal structure of human PNP in complex with 7-methyl-6-thio-guanosine, a synthetic substrate, which is largely used in activity assays. Analysis of the structure identifies different protein conformational changes upon ligand binding, and comparison of kinetic and structural data permits an understanding of the effects of atomic substitution on key positions of the synthetic substrate and their consequences to enzyme binding and catalysis. Such knowledge may be helpful in designing new PNP inhibitors. © 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Length-weight relationships, condition and population structure of the genus Atlantoraja (Elasmobranchii, Rajidae, Arhynchobatinae) in Southeastern Brazilian waters, SW Atlantic Ocean

During the present study, 107 specimens of Atlantoraja castelnaui, 188 of A. platana, and 770 of A. cyclophora, were obtained by commercial vessels operating in Southeastern Brazil from March 2005 to April 2006. Males of A. castelnaui ranged from 17.9-111.0 cm and females from 17.4-116.0 cm total length. Males of A. platana ranged from 13.1-70.0 cm and females from 12.5-76.0 cm total length. Males of A. cyclophora ranged from 13.3-58.5 cm and females from 11.5-68.0 cm total length. Length-weight curves were sexually dimorphic in the three species. The analysis of the angular coefficient (b) demonstrated that growth (in weight) in relation to length was allometric (b>3) in males of A. castelnaui and A. platana, while isometric (b = 3) in females of these species. Conversely, growth of A. cyclphora was isometric in males, while in females it was allometric (b>3). The condition factor varied significantly throughout the year only in females of A. castelnaui.

Hydrothermal synthesis and crystal structure of a copper(ii) coordination polymer with bridging dicarboxylate and diamine ligands

This work reports on the synthesis of a copper(II) coordination compound with 4,4-oxibis(benzoate) (obb) and trans-1,2- bis(4-pyridyl)ethene (bpe) ligands. The complex was characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, which showed a 3D polymeric structure. Each copper center is surrounded by four oxygen atoms at the basal plane and one nitrogen atom and one copper atom at the axial positions, revealing a distorted octahedral geometry. Four carboxylic groups bridge two copper atoms, forming a cage-like structure, with the distance between the metallic centers being 2.656(1)Å. 2008 © The Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry.

Molecular and crystal structure of trans-(dicyanato)-bis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(II)

The triphenylphosphine (PPh3) displaces the acetonitrile from [PdCl2(CH3CN)2], and subsequent addition of the potassium cyanate causes substitution of the chloro ligand by NCO- to yield trans-[Pd(NCO)2(PPh3)2]. The complex was characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The title compound was crystallized in a triclinic system, space group P1 with a = 9.213(3)Å, b = 9.781(7)Å, c = 10.483(5)Å, α = 111.39(5)°, β = 93.49(3)°, γ = 103.81(4)°, V = 845.0(1)Å3, Z = 1. The coordination geometry around Pd(II) in this complex is nearly square-planar, with the ligands in a trans relationship. 2008 © The Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry.

Crystal and molecular structure of dinuclear palladium(II) complex containing nitrogen and phosphorus donor ligands, [Pd2(N3)4(PPh3)2(μ-ted)]

The dinuclear azido-palladium(II) complex [Pd2(N3)4(PPh3)2(μ-ted)], where PPh3 = triphenylphosphine and ted = triethylenediamine, was synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The title compound was crystallized in a triclinic system, space group P1 with a = 11.5875(2)Å, b = 13.0817(3)Å, c = 15.2618(3)Å, α = 93.306(2)°, β =110.040(1)°, γ = 98.486(1)°, V = 2134.95(8)Å3, Z = 2. Each Pd(II) center displays a distorted squareplanar coordination environment formed by two N atoms from two trans terminally coordinated azido groups, one P atom from the phosphine and one N atom from the bridging ted ligand. 2008 © The Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry.

Molecular and crystal structure of Di(μ-N,S-thiocyanato)-bis[(N,N-dimethylbenzylamine-C2, N)palladium(II)]

The cyclopalladated complex [Pd(C2,N-dmba)(μ-SCN)]2, where dmba = N,N-dimethylbenzylamine, was structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. This compound crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group P21/n with a = 9.578(1)Å, b = 12.323(2)Å, c = 10.279(2)Å, β = 117.03(1)°, V = 1080.7(3)Å3, Z = 2. Each Pd(II) center displays a distorted square-planar coordination environment, formed by the C and N atoms from the dmba ligand, and one set of N and S atoms from the bridging SCN groups. 2009 © The Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry.

Interaction between wave and coastal structure: Validation of two lagrangian numerical models with experimental results marine 2011

Numerical modeling of the interaction among waves and coastal structures is a challenge due to the many nonlinear phenomena involved, such as, wave propagation, wave transformation with water depth, interaction among incident and reflected waves, run-up / run-down and wave overtopping. Numerical models based on Lagrangian formulation, like SPH (Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics), allow simulating complex free surface flows. The validation of these numerical models is essential, but comparing numerical results with experimental data is not an easy task. In the present paper, two SPH numerical models, SPHysics LNEC and SPH UNESP, are validated comparing the numerical results of waves interacting with a vertical breakwater, with data obtained in physical model tests made in one of the LNEC's flume. To achieve this validation, the experimental set-up is determined to be compatible with the Characteristics of the numerical models. Therefore, the flume dimensions are exactly the same for numerical and physical model and incident wave characteristics are identical, which allows determining the accuracy of the numerical models, particularly regarding two complex phenomena: wave-breaking and impact loads on the breakwater. It is shown that partial renormalization, i.e. renormalization applied only for particles near the structure, seems to be a promising compromise and an original method that allows simultaneously propagating waves, without diffusion, and modeling accurately the pressure field near the structure.

Characterization, and crystal structure of thiophenyl-2-methylidene-2- aminophenol

The Schiff base thiophenyl-2-methylidene-2-aminophenol (ImineOH) is obtained from a stoichiometric mixture of 2-thiophenecarboxaldehyde and 2-aminophenol in ethanol under reflux at 90 C. Its crystal structure is determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. ImineOH packs in an orthorhombic unit cell in the Pbca space group with the unit cell parameters a = 16.942(4) Å, b = 13.4395(11) Å, and c = 17.5857(12) Å, V = 4004.1(10) Å3, Z = 16. Strong hydrogen bonds are present in the ImineOH structure. Apart from the X-ray study, ImineOH was characterized by elemental analysis (CHN-S) and FT-IR (4000 cm-1 to 400 cm-1), UV-Vis and 13C, 1H, and 15N NMR spectroscopic measurements. © 2013 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.

Ecological distribution and population structure of Acantholobulus schmitti (Rathbun, 1930) (Crustacea, Decapoda, Xanthoidea) on the southeastern Brazilian coast

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

Distribution and population structure of the flecked box crab Hepatus pudibundus (Decapoda, Brachyura) in the western South Atlantic

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

Influence of monomeric and polymeric structure on the physical properties of thermoplastic polyesters derived from hydroxy fatty acids

The physical properties of three vegetable oil derived medium and long chain poly(-hydroxy fatty ester)s (P(Me--OHFA)s), namely poly(-hydroxynonanoate) [P(Me--OHC9)], poly(-hydroxytridecanoate) [P(Me--OHC13)] and poly(-hydroxyoctadecanoate) [P(Me--OHC18)] (n = 8, 12 and 17, respectively), of the [-(CH2)(n)-COO-](x) polyester homologous series are presented. The effect of M-n (M-n 10-40 kg mol(-1)) and n on the crystal structure and thermal and mechanical properties of the P(Me--OHFA)s were investigated by wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), TGA, DSC, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and tensile analysis and are discussed in the context of the [-(CH2)(n)-COO-](x) polyester homologous series, contrasted with linear polyethylene (PE). For all P(Me--OHFA)s the WAXD data indicated an orthorhombic crystal phase reminiscent of linear PE with crystallinity (X-c = 50%-80%) depending strongly on M-n. The glass transition temperature and Young's modulus for P(Me--OHFA)s increased with X-c. The DSC, DMA and TGA studies for P(Me--OHFA)s (n = 8, 12 and 17) indicated strong correlations between the melting, glass transition and thermal degradation behavior and n. The established predictive structure relationships can be used for the custom engineering of polyester materials suitable for specialty and commodity applications. (c) 2014 Society of Chemical Industry

Genetic diversity and population structure of the New World screwworm fly from the Amazon region of Brazil

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

Modelling the surface circulation and thermal structure of a tropical reservoir using three-dimensional hydrodynamic lake model and remote-sensing data

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)