A rede de marcação e recaptura: o caso de borboletas do gênero heliconius

(The Mark and Recapture Network: a Heliconius case study). The current pace of habitat destruction, especially in tropical landscapes, has increased the need for understanding minimum patch requirements and patch distance as tools for conserving species in forest remnants. Mark recapture and tagging studies have been instrumental in providing parameters for functional models. Because of their popularity, ease of manipulation and well known biology, butterflies have become model in studies of spatial structure. Yet, most studies on butterflies movement have focused on temperate species that live in open habitats, in which forest patches are barrier to movement. This study aimed to view and review data from mark-recapture as a network in two species of butterfly (Heliconius erato and Heliconius melpomene). A work of marking and recapture of the species was carried out in an Atlantic forest reserve located about 20km from the city of Natal (RN). Mark recapture studies were conducted in 3 weekly visits during January-February and July-August in 2007 and 2008. Captures were more common in two sections of the dirt road, with minimal collection in the forest trail. The spatial spread of captures was similar in the two species. Yet, distances between recaptures seem to be greater for Heliconius erato than for Heliconius melpomene. In addition, the erato network is more disconnected, suggesting that this specie has shorter traveling patches. Moving on to the network, both species have similar number of links (N) and unweighed vertices (L). However, melpomene has a weighed network 50% more connections than erato. These network metrics suggest that erato has more compartmentalized network and restricted movement than melpomene. Thus, erato has a larger number of disconnected components, nC, in the network, and a smaller network diameter. The frequency distribution of network connectivity for both species was better explained by a Power-law than by a random, Poissom distribution, showing that the Power-law provides a better fit than the Poisson for both species. Moreover, the Powerlaw erato is much better adjusted than in melpomene, which should be linked to the small movements that erato makes in the network

Rejeição e voto em eleição contemporânea: um estudo de caso da eleição à prefeitura do município de Natal/RN (2012)

Given the importance that political science and social sciences give studies of voting behavior, this study sought to fill this academic discussion another important element that makes up this complex set. From the campaign trail to City Christmas in 2012 work has been undertaken analysis of rejection in the first and second rounds of this election. For this analysis we used two sources of data: quantitative research, conducted by Search Consult the first and second rounds of elections, and the use of focus group technique, performed in the second round of elections. Knowing the various factors that may affect the voting decision, but also the dynamism that pervades a political dispute, seek, with this work, contribute to the deepening of the rejection of studies, aiming to bring subsidies presenting information to better explain the behavior studies election. The results showed that there is a less expressive, the chamda strong rejection. We speak of that rejection based on a political, historical and ideological. The reason for the weak presence of strong rejection seems to be little involvement of voters with politics and, consequently, low knowledge about politics and politicians. We observe, however, evidence of rejection volatile. We refer here to a kind of rejection that develops during the election process depending on the preference of the voter and according to the circumstances of the campaign. The data also lead us to conclude that television is as an instrument for the dissemination of ideas that can contribute in shaping the opinion of viewers. The role of political parties in representing the interests of the people have lost their strength in recent years. The data also show that, to the extent that increases the preference of voters in the electoral process, also increases its rejection

Ecological aspects of the free-living ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) on animal trails within Atlantic rainforest in south-eastern Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Qualidade física e fisiológica de semente de soja colhida com sistema de trilha axial sob diferentes velocidades de operação e rotações do cilindro trilhador

A colheita mecanizada é ferramenta fundamental no processo produtivo das grandes culturas; se não for realizada adequadamente, poderá resultar em danos mecânicos severos às sementes, acarretando, prejuízos significativos na colheita, particularmente devido à redução da qualidade. Visando a avaliar os danos causados na colheita mecanizada de soja, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo estudar o efeito do sistema de trilha axial sobre a percentagem de bandinhas, impurezas e sementes quebradas de soja cv. M-Soy 8001, em função da velocidade de trabalho e rotação do cilindro trilhador. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado, em parcelas subdivididas, avaliando-se duas rotações do cilindro trilhador (400 e 500 rpm) e três velocidades de operação (3,5; 4,5 e 5,5 km h-1), com três repetições. Os resultados obtidos indicam que as combinações de velocidade de operação e rotações do cilindro de trilha avaliadas não afetam as variáveis vigor, impurezas, bandinha, emergência em areia e índice de velocidade de germinação e que o aumento da rotação de 400 para 500 rpm ocasiona o aumento de sementes quebradas.

Contribuições de uma unidade de ensino potencialmente significativa UEPS para o ensino de ecologia em escola pública da educação básica

The research aims to evaluate the contributions of a teaching unit to enhance the learning contents ecological green areas in elementary school. The work was conducted with elementary students in a public school in Natal-RN. We sought to identify the students´ previous knowledge about the contents of ecology, develop and implement a Potentially Meaningful Teaching Units PMTU; assess learning of ecological concepts in Teaching Unit Potentially Significant; assess the contribution of interpretative trail as strategy teaching to learning content ecology. The survey of students´ previous knowledge through the pre-test was essential to identify the appropriate subsumers and partially correct, since they served as "anchor" for further expansion of scientific concepts contained in this research. The green areas of the school as an educational, contributed the motivational aspect, as students were protagonists throughout the entire process of teaching and learning. The method of stimulated memory was effective to evidence learning ecological concepts in interpretive trails. The use of diverse activities organized on a PMTU promoted intellectual autonomy of the students and facilitated the acquisition of new meanings through progressive differentiation, and integrative reconciliation consolidation of ecological content and concepts related to biotic and abiotic factors on the basis of the central ideas thematic Life and Environment. The development of procedural skills to capture and share meanings, observe, collect and record data, hypotheses, ability to explain, to apply knowledge to solve problem situations, argue, identify, compare, differentiate and relate concepts, negotiate meanings, reflecting Critically, systematize data was evidenced. Collaborative activities promoted the incorporation of attitudinal contents as developing respect for differences, learn to work in teams to plan, develop and implement actions together for citizenship and environmental responsibility. The application of the Potentially Meaningful Teaching Units PMTU showed evidence of Critical meaningful learning ecological concepts covered in elementary school.

Subtle Cognitive Deficits in Adults With a Previous History of Sydenham's Chorea During Childhood

Objective. To evaluate the neuropsychological profile and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of adults who had rheumatic fever (RF) during childhood with and without Sydenham's chorea (SC).Methods. Three groups of patients were assessed: adults who had RF with SC during childhood (SC group), adults who had RF without SC during childhood (RF group), and controls (CT group). A range of neuropsychological tests looked at several cognitive domains. HRQOL was measured through a Brazilian version of the Short Form 36 (SF-36) health survey.Results. Twenty patients were included in the SC group, 23 patients in the RF group, and 19 patients in the CT group. The 3 groups were homogeneous regarding sex (P = 0.078), age (P = 0.799), schooling (P = 0.600), socioeconomic status (P = 0.138), intelligence quotient (P = 0.329), and scores for anxiety (P = 0.156) and depression (P = 0.076). The SC group demonstrated inferior performance in tests that assessed attention (Digit Span Forward [ P = 0.005], Corsi Block Forward [ P = 0.014]), speeded information processing (Trail Making A [ P = 0.009], Symbol Search [ P = 0.042]), and executive functions and working memory (Corsi Block Backward [ P = 0.028]), and higher scores for attention deficit scale (P = 0.030) when compared with the RF and CT groups. They also showed a tendency toward lower scores in the physical aspects, vitality, emotional aspects, and mental health domains of the SF-36. The RF group had a lower score for the general health domain than the CT group (P = 0.030).Conclusion. Patients who had SC during childhood can exhibit inferior performance in tasks that evaluate attention, speeded information processing, executive functions, and working memory in adult life. Therefore, there is indirect evidence of the persistence of dysfunction in cerebral circuits involved with the basal ganglia. They also presented a worse self-evaluation in HRQOL that was not related to cognitive impairments.

O problema do Hiker Dice em tabuleiro compacto: um estudo algorítmico

The Hiker Dice was a game recently proposed in a software designed by Mara Kuzmich and Leonardo Goldbarg. In the game a dice is responsible for building a trail on an n x m board. As the dice waits upon a cell on the board, it prints the side that touches the surface. The game shows the Hamiltonian Path Problem Simple Maximum Hiker Dice (Hidi-CHS) in trays Compact Nth , this problem is then characterized by looking for a Hamiltonian Path that maximize the sum of marked sides on the board. The research now related, models the problem through Graphs, and proposes two classes of solution algorithms. The first class, belonging to the exact algorithms, is formed by a backtracking algorithm planed with a return through logical rules and limiting the best found solution. The second class of algorithms is composed by metaheuristics type Evolutionary Computing, Local Ramdomized search and GRASP (Greed Randomized Adaptative Search). Three specific operators for the algorithms were created as follows: restructuring, recombination with two solutions and random greedy constructive.The exact algorithm was teste on 4x4 to 8x8 boards exhausting the possibility of higher computational treatment of cases due to the explosion in processing time. The heuristics algorithms were tested on 5x5 to 14x14 boards. According to the applied methodology for evaluation, the results acheived by the heuristics algorithms suggests a better performance for the GRASP algorithm

Genetic and environmental factors that affect the best time of Thoroughbred horses in Brazil

On the basis of information provided by the Brazilian Association of Race Horse Breeders, we analysed the racing performance of 947 Thoroughbred horses in races held from 1985 to 1992. The performance was evaluated using the best, time of the animals. The variance component was obtained by the derivative-free restricted maximum likelihood method, and the model used contained fixed effects of the racing month and year, sex, race track, track condition, animal age, number of competitors in race, and distance, and the random animal effect. The low heritability estimate obtained (0.12) indicates that selection based on animal phenotypic value must induce small genetic changes in this trail.

Educação ambiental em praça pública: relato de experiência com oficinas pedagógicas

Oficinas para professores do ensino fundamental foram organizadas com a finalidade de elaborar uma Proposta de Educação Ambiental em uma praça pública no centro histórico da cidade de Botucatu, no estado de São Paulo. Tais oficinas basearam-se em informações sobre o município e informações botânicas da Praça Rubião Júnior, em Botucatu, no âmbito da Educação Ambiental. O resultado foi uma proposta de Educação Ambiental para a praça com a participação efetiva dos professores, em que foi possível resgatar a história da cidade e seus aspectos sócio-econômicos. Foi também demarcada uma trilha ecológica nessa praça utilizando-se as plantas presentes no local, as quais foram previamente identificadas. O trabalho com os professores durante a oficina mostrou-se de fundamental importância para a formação desses profissionais e também estimulou seu interesse a respeito da história local. Essa abordagem, articulada com a diversidade cultural local, enriqueceu a proposta de E. A. e trouxe benefícios para a prática educativa.

Morphology of the sternal gland in workers of Coptotermes gestroi (Isoptera, Rhinotermitidae)

The sternal gland is considered the only source of trail pheromones in termites. The morphology of the sternal gland was investigated in workers of Coptotermes gestroi using transmission and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed a small bilobed gland at the anterior part of the fifth abdominal sternite. The cuticular surface of the sternal gland showed a V-shaped structure with two peg sensilla in elevated socket and various campaniform sensilla. Pores and cuticular scale-like protuberances also occur in the glandular area. The ultrastructure showed a gland composed of class I cells and two different types of class 3 cells distinguished by location, different size and electron-density of secretory vesicles. Small class 3 cells (type 1) of the anterior lobe are inserted among class I cells and have weakly electron-dense vesicles associated with mitochondria, glycogen and smooth endoplasmic reticulum. The class 3 cells (type 2) of posterior lobe showed many round electron-lucent vesicles of secretion, abundant free ribosomes and a well-developed Golgi apparatus. Each class 3 cell is connected to the cuticle by a cuticular duct constituted by the receiving canal and the conducting canal. The secretion of class I cells is stored in an inner subcuticular reservoir that is delimited by the microvilli of these cells. This inner reservoir is large and crossed by the campaniform sensilla and ducts of two types of class 3 cells that open outside of the insect body. An exterior reservoir also is present between the fourth and fifth sternite. The complex structure of the sternal gland suggests multicomponents for the trail pheromone in the worker of C gestroi. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PHEROMONES and EXOCRINE GLANDS IN ISOPTERA

Termites are eusocial insects that have a peculiar and intriguing system of communication using pheromones. The termite pheromones are composed of a blend of chemical substances and they coordinate different social interactions or activities, including foraging, building, mating, defense, and nestmate recognition. Some of these sociochemicals are volatile, spreading in the air, and others are contact pheromones, which are transmitted by trophallaxis and grooming. Among the termite semiochemicals, the most known are alarm, trail, sex pheromones, and hydrocarbons responsible for the recognition of nestmates. The sources of the pheromones are exocrine glands located all over the termite body. The principal exocrine structures considered pheromone-producing glands in Isoptera are the frontal, mandibular, salivary or labial, sternal, and tergal glands. The frontal gland is the source of alarm pheromone and defensive chemicals, but the mandibular secretions have been little studied and their function is not well established in Isoptera. The secretion of salivary glands involves numerous chemical compounds, some of them without pheromonal function. The worker saliva contains a phagostimulating pheromone and probably a building pheromone, while the salivary reservoir of some soldiers contains defensive chemicals. The sternal gland is the only source of trail-following pheromone, whereas sex pheromones are secreted by two glandular sources, the sternal and tergal glands. To date, the termite semiochemicals have indicated that few molecules are involved in their chemical communication, that is, the same compound may be secreted by different glands, different castes and species, and for different functions, depending on the concentration. In addition to the pheromonal parsimony, recent studies also indicate the occurrence of a synergic effect among the compounds involved in the chemical communication of Isoptera. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V.

Chemical communication in isoptera

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Cerebellar Cognitive Affective Syndrome in Machado Joseph Disease: Core Clinical Features

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