Unesp Informa, 2013, número 47

Boletim elaborado pela Assessoria de Comunicação e Imprensa da Reitoria da UNESP

Unesp Ciência, 2013, ano 5, número 47

Revista elaborada pela Assessoria de Comunicação e Imprensa da Reitoria da UNESP

Pinniped Populations at Islas ae Guadalupe, San Benito, Cedros, and Natividad, Baja California, in 1968

In April and June 1968, the Pacific Ocean Biological Survey Program (POBSP) of the Smithsonian Institution conducted surveys on breeding marine birds and pinnipeds on various Mexican islands. Between 18 to 26 April and 21 to 29 June, pinniped populations were surveyed at Islas de Guadalupe, San Benito, Cedros, and Natividad off Baja California. Species observed were the California sea lion, Zalophus californianus, Guadalupe fur seal, Arctocephalus townsendi, harbor seal, Phoca vitulina, and northern elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris

Comparison of wing geometry data and genetic data for assessing the population structure of Aedes aegypti

Aedes aegypti is the most important vector of dengue viruses in tropical and subtropical regions. Because vaccines are still under development, dengue prevention depends primarily on vector control. Population genetics is a common approach in research involving Ae. aegypti. In the context of medical entomology, wing morphometric analysis has been proposed as a strong and low-cost complementary tool for investigating population structure. Therefore, we comparatively evaluated the genetic and phenotypic variability of population samples of Ae. aegypti from four sampling sites in the metropolitan area of Sao Paulo city, Brazil. The distances between the sites ranged from 7.1 to 50 km. This area, where knowledge on the population genetics of this mosquito is incipient, was chosen due to the thousands of dengue cases registered yearly. The analysed loci were polymorphic, and they revealed population structure (global F-ST = 0.062; p < 0.05) and low levels of gene flow (Nm = 0.47) between the four locations. Principal component and discriminant analyses of wing shape variables (18 landmarks) demonstrated that wing polymorphisms were only slightly more common between populations than within populations. Whereas microsatellites allowed for geographic differentiation, wing geometry failed to distinguish the samples. These data suggest that microevolution in this species may affect genetic and morphological characters to different degrees. In this case, wing shape was not validated as a marker for assessing population structure. According to the interpretation of a previous report, the wing shape of Ae. aegypti does not vary significantly because it is stabilised by selective pressure. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Banhado Alkaline Complex, Southeastern Brazil: source and evolution of potassic SiO2-undersaturated high-Ca and low-Ca magmatic series

The Cretaceous Banhado alkaline complex in southeastern Brazil presents two potassic SiO2-undersaturated series. The high-Ca magmatic series consist of initially fractionated olivine (Fo(92-91)) + diopside (Wo(48-43)En(49-35)Ae(0-7)), as evidenced by the presence of xenocrysts and xenoliths. In that sequence, diopside (Wo(47-38)En(46-37)Ae(0-8)) + phlogopite + apatite + perovskite (Prv(> 92)) crystallized to form the phlogopite melteigite and led to the Ca enrichment of the magma. Diopside (Wo(47-41)En(32-24) Ae(3-14)) continued to crystallize as an early mafic mineral, followed by nepheline (Ne(74.8-70.1)Ks(26.3-21.2)Qz(7.6-0.9)) and leucite (Lc(65-56)) and subsequently by melanite and potassic feldspar (Or(85-99)Ab(1-7)) to form melanite ijolites, wollastonite-melanite urtites and melanite-nepheline syenites. Melanite-pseudoleucite-nepheline syenites are interpreted to be a leucite accumulation. Melanite nephelinite dykes are believed to represent some of the magmatic differentiation steps. The low-Ca magmatic series is representative of a typical fractionation of aegirine-augite (Wo(36-29)En(25-4)Ae(39-18)) + alkali feldspar (Or(57-96)Ab(3-43)) + nepheline (Ne(76.5-69.0)Ks(19.9-14.4)Qz(15.1-7.7)) + titanite from phonolite magma. The evolution of this series from potassic nepheline syenites to sodic sodalite syenites and sodalitolites is attributed to an extensive fractionation of potassic feldspar, which led to an increase of the NaCl activity in the melt during the final stages forming sodalite-rich rocks. Phonolite dykes followed a similar evolutionary process and also registered some crustal assimilation. The mesocratic nepheline syenites showed interactions with phlogopite melteigites, such as compatible trace element enrichments and the presence of diopside xenocrysts, which were interpreted to be due to a mixing/mingling process of phonolite and nephelinite magmas. The geochemical data show higher TiO2 and P2O5 contents and lower SiO2 contents for the high-Ca series and different LILE evolution trends and REE chondrite-normalized patterns as compared to the low-Ca series. The Sr-87/Sr-86, Nd-143/Nd-144, Pb-206/Pb-204 and Pb-208/Pb-204 initial ratios for the high-Ca series (0.70407-0.70526, 0.51242-0.51251, 17.782-19.266 and 38.051-39.521, respectively) were slightly different from those of the low-Ca series (0.70542-0.70583, 0.51232-0.51240, 17.758-17.772 and 38.021-38.061, respectively). For both series, a CO2-rich potassic metasomatized lithospheric mantle enriched the source with rutile-bearing phlogopite clinopyroxenite veins. Kamafugite-like parental magma is attributed to the high-Ca series with major contributions from the melting of the veins. Potassic nephelinite-like parental magma is assigned to the low-Ca series, where the metasomatized wall-rock played a more significant role in the melting process.

In adults: 47.2% have periodontitis! How about in orthodontic patients?

The occurrence of chronic inflammatory periodontal disease due to dental plaque in adults over 30 years of age was noticed in 47.2% of the 3,742 subjects studied, representing a 64.7 million people population in the 50 states of the U.S. and the District of Columbia. The methods used by the authors were uniquely precise and the results brought us to great insight on the correlation between orthodontic treatment and periodontal health, which is described below.

Utilização do ambiente colaborativo TIDIA-AE pelo grupo de gerenciamento do Vocabulário Controlado do SIBIUSP - Biênio 2011-2013

Describes the Use of collaborative environment TIDIA-AE by the management group of Controlled Vocabulary SIBIUSP - 2011-2013 Biennium

Struttura e dinamica di popolazione di Axinella polypoides (Schmidt, 1862) (Porifera, Demospongiae) presso l’Isola Gallinara (SV)

I poriferi rappresentano un importante campo di ricerca anche in ambito applicativo in quanto potenzialmente utili come fonte di metaboliti secondari da impiegarsi in ambito clinico (antitumorali, antibiotici, antivirali, ecc.) e industriale (antifouling). I processi di biosilicificazione interessano invece per aspetti legati alle biotecnologie marine. Questo Phylum ha un importante ruolo strutturale e funzionale nell’ecologia dei popolamenti bentonici, in quanto può essere dominante in numerosi habitat e svolgere un ruolo ecologico fondamentale nelle dinamiche degli ecosistemi marini. Per questo, la variazione spaziale e temporale della loro abbondanza può avere effetti considerevoli su altri membri della comunità. Lo studio delle dinamiche di popolazione e del ciclo riproduttivo dei poriferi potrebbe permettere di valutare come i cambiamenti climatici ne influenzino la crescita e la riproduzione e potrebbe quindi fornire una base per lo sviluppo di corrette tecniche di gestione ambientale. La spugna Axinella polypoides è inserita all’interno delle liste di protezione della Convenzione di Berna e di Barcellona, dove sono elencate le specie da proteggere perché minacciate o in pericolo di estinzione. Questa specie, avendo una morfologia eretta, è fortemente minacciata soprattutto da attività antropiche quali pesca e ancoraggi, ma nonostante questo la letteratura relativa ad essa è scarsa, La sua importanza è legata soprattutto al recente utilizzo come modello per numerosi esperimenti. A. polypoides rappresenta, infatti, il più basso livello nella scala evolutiva in cui sono stati rinvenuti meccanismi biochimici cellulari di reazione all’aumento di temperatura (incremento dell’attività ADP-ribosil ciclasica, sintesi di ossido nitrico) tipici degli organismi superiori. Lo scopo di questa tesi è di aumentare le conoscenze sull’ecologia e sulla biologia di questo porifero, al fine di consentire una migliore predisposizione di eventuali piani di tutela. Dallo studio delle colonie effettuato presso l’Isola Gallinara (SV), emerge una dinamica di crescita lenta ed un ciclo riproduttivo estivo, coerentemente con quanto osservato per altre specie mediterranee del genere Axinella. Le analisi istologiche effettuate hanno mostrato variabilità temporale nella densità e nella dimensione di particolari cellule sferulose, che si ipotizza siano collegate a fenomeni di proliferazione cellulare e rigenerazione in seguito a danni. È stata individuata inoltre la presenza di una particolare tipologia cellulare dendritica la cui funzione si ritiene abbia affinità con le funzioni sensoriali di Phyla superiori. Queste osservazioni, e l’evidente vulnerabilità della specie agli impatti antropici, hanno evidenziato la necessità di sviluppare adeguati piani di monitoraggio e di conservazione.

Studio e ottimizzazione di una configurazione mista ad ala rotante e fissa per la nuova versione del CH-47 Chinook

Studio e ottimizzazione di una configurazione mista ad ala rotante e fissa per un aeromobile VTOL CH-47 Chinook ibrido con ala.

INI1 (BAF 47) immunohistochemistry is an essential diagnostic tool for children with hepatic tumors and low alpha fetoprotein

Malignant rhabdoid tumor (MRT) of the liver is a rare malignancy with grave prognosis. This entity should be considered in the differential diagnosis of any aggressive liver tumor with low levels of alpha fetoprotein. We report 2 cases of hepatic MRT presenting in infancy. In these 2 cases, we show that loss of INI1 facilitates making the correct diagnosis of primary hepatic MRT utilizing BAF 47 (INI1 gene product) immunostains. Difficulty encountered in making this rare diagnosis, including the need for repeated biopsies, can be avoided if MRT is considered in the differential diagnosis early on and BAF 47 immunohistochemistry is ordered.