A pictorial field guide for the rapid identification of sandflies (DIPTERA: PSYCHODIDAE), commonly encountered in Pará state, Brazil.

A pictorial field guide to the 30 species of sandfly most commonly encountered in Pará State is presented, based on the easily recognised external characters of the length of the 5th palpal segment, thoracic infuscation, abdominal colour and head and body size. In most cases this allows identification to the species. In others, especially with females, it gives an indication of the species, which may then be confirmed with data from more detailed taxanomix studies. This type of field guide helps in teaching, rapid sorting of flies prior to dissection and in acquainting visitors with the variety of species present in a given area.A rapid technique for the taxonomic sorting of unmounted, freshly killed female sandflies is required, prior to the dissection of large numbers of a particular species. Such a method is useful in areas where numerous species occur in studies on natural flagellate infections, age determination and for ecological studies. With the above points in mind a pictorial field guide has been designed that enables the identification of unmounted, unmacerated specimens of the 30 more commonly encountered species of phleboto-mine sandflies (***) in Pará State, North Brazil. It is based on the easily recognised external characters of the length of the 5th palpal segment, thoracic infuscation, ad-dominal colour and proboscis and body size.Taxonomy of male phlebotomine sandflies is based on the structure of the genitalia and, as most of this is external, a wholly external character key is readily made. Female taxonomy, however, is based on the internal character of the cibarium, pharynx and sperma thecae. In order to produce an external character key we therefore return to an unso phisticated "phlebotometry" (see Martins et al., 1978 p. 3 for review), using relative lengths of the proboscis, palpal segments and body, along with the degree of infuscation. Ihis idea is not new; indeed many sandfly specialists presently use external characters to separate certain species (H. Fraiha, R. P. Lane, P. D. Ready, D. G. Young and R. D. Ward personal communications 1983 & 1984).A key used to separate five anthropophillic sandflies by Biagi (1966), in Mexico, was based mainly on palpal segment length and infuscation. Floch and Abonnenc (1952) stressed the use of relative lengths of palpal segments in their keys to the sandflies of French Guiana, and four members of the shannoni group have been similarly separated according to the degree of infuscation by Morales et al. (1982). The use of thoracic infuscation as a reliable character seems to be gaining favour, having been used by young & Fairchild (1974) and Ready & Fraiha (1981). Indeed Chariotis 1974) showed the usefulness of thoracic infuscation to sepenate 7 anthropophillic species, during studies onvesicular stomatitis in Panama. Identification using external characters is essential for work on viral isolations from sandflies, where bulk samples of whole sandflies are used.Perhaps the major advantage of a simple visual guide is for teaching purposes. Technical staff in this lnstitute are able to identify most of the species they encounter without having to use the standard, more unwieldly (and in many cases unavailable) internal character keys, and the guides presented below have allowed rapid species sorting prior to the dissection of sandflies in our leismaniasis study areas (Ryan et at. ,1985).

How do global born companies ignite their internationalization and survive in international markets?

Over the last decades, the born global firms or the international new ventures (“INVs”) have assumed a growing role in international business, including in Portugal. The rise of this new type of multinational has challenged several theories concerning the development of multinational companies and the origin of companies’ competitive advantage. This qualitative, case-based research explores the most relevant traits shown by some Portuguese born-global firms. More concretely, the aim of this work is to compare some Portuguese international new ventures in order to understand the role of leadership, culture and strategy in their rapid internationalization and the source of their lasting competitive advantage. It was noticed that these firms’ lasting competitive advantage results from a singular combination of resources and dynamic capabilities that evolves over time. Moreover, it was found that these firms’ foreign subsidiaries and local networks may be essential to enhance the firms competitive advantage as it provides each firm a distinctive source of knowledge and capabilities. As a consequence, the effective assimilation of such resources and capabilities in these firms’ may become crucial for their lasting success. In addition, the leadership, strategy and culture in these firms seem to be quite aligned and form a quite virtuous cycle that contributed to the firms rapid internationalization and for the way the firms developed their own resources and dynamic capabilities and adapted to external environment.

Assessment of NDVI, land surface temperature and precipitation anomalies for drought monitoring in Bayankhongor province, Mongolia

During the last decade Mongolia’s region was characterized by a rapid increase of both severity and frequency of drought events, leading to pasture reduction. Drought monitoring and assessment plays an important role in the region’s early warning systems as a way to mitigate the negative impacts in social, economic and environmental sectors. Nowadays it is possible to access information related to the hydrologic cycle through remote sensing, which provides a continuous monitoring of variables over very large areas where the weather stations are sparse. The present thesis aimed to explore the possibility of using NDVI as a potential drought indicator by studying anomaly patterns and correlations with other two climate variables, LST and precipitation. The study covered the growing season (March to September) of a fifteen year period, between 2000 and 2014, for Bayankhongor province in southwest Mongolia. The datasets used were MODIS NDVI, LST and TRMM Precipitation, which processing and analysis was supported by QGIS software and Python programming language. Monthly anomaly correlations between NDVI-LST and NDVI-Precipitation were generated as well as temporal correlations for the growing season for known drought years (2001, 2002 and 2009). The results show that the three variables follow a seasonal pattern expected for a northern hemisphere region, with occurrence of the rainy season in the summer months. The values of both NDVI and precipitation are remarkably low while LST values are high, which is explained by the region’s climate and ecosystems. The NDVI average, generally, reached higher values with high precipitation values and low LST values. The year of 2001 was the driest year of the time-series, while 2003 was the wet year with healthier vegetation. Monthly correlations registered weak results with low significance, with exception of NDVI-LST and NDVI-Precipitation correlations for June, July and August of 2002. The temporal correlations for the growing season also revealed weak results. The overall relationship between the variables anomalies showed weak correlation results with low significance, which suggests that an accurate answer for predicting drought using the relation between NDVI, LST and Precipitation cannot be given. Additional research should take place in order to achieve more conclusive results. However the NDVI anomaly images show that NDVI is a suitable drought index for Bayankhongor province.

Ergonomic evaluation of office workplaces with Rapid Office Strain Assessment (ROSA)

The regular use of the computer in the office contributed to the appearance of many risk factors related with work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSD) such as maintaining static sitting postures for long time and awkward postures of the head, neck and upper limbs, leading to increased muscle activity in the cervical spine and shoulders. The objective of this study was to evaluate the presence of risk factors for WRMSD in an office using the Rapid Assessment Office Strain method (ROSA). Based on the results of this ergonomic evaluation, an occupational gym program was designed and implemented. Thirty-eight workplaces were evaluated using the observation of the tasks and pictures records in order to characterize those tasks in more detail. The ROSA tool was applied by an observer, who selected the appropriate score based on the worker's posture as well as the time spent in each posture. Scores were recorded for the sections of the method, specifically Chair, Monitor and Mouse and Keyboard and Telephone. The scores were recorded in a sheet developed for the method. The mean ROSA final score was 3.61 ± 0.64, for Chair section was 3.45 ± 0.55, to Monitor and Telephone section was 3.11 ± 0.61, and to Mouse and Keyboard section was 2.11 ± 0.31. The results led to understand that the analyzed tasks represent situations of risk of discomfort and, according to the methods guidelines, further research and modifications of the workplace may be necessary. It should be emphasized that these scores may not be related to the poor available equipment but with the need to optimize their use by the workers. It was noticed also that the interaction of workers with the tasks and the adopted sitting posture at the computer throughout the day have effects at a muscular level, essentially for the cervical area and shoulders. ROSA tool is an useful and easy method to assess several risk factors associated with WRMSD, also allowing the design of specific occupational gym programs.

Inovação como fator de competitividade da cadeia de valor da moda

Tese de Doutoramento em Engenharia Têxtil

Combining analytical methodologies for the identification of Aspergillus section Flavi strains isolated from Brazilian agricultural commodities

The use of chemical analysis of microbial components, including proteins, became an important achievement in the 80’s of the last century to the microbial identification. This led a more objective microbial identification scheme, called chemotaxonomy, and the analytical tools used in the field are mainly 1D/2D gel electrophoresis, spectrophotometry, high-performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography, and combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The Edman degradation reaction was also applied to peptides sequence giving important insights to the microbial identification. The rapid development of these techniques, in association with knowledge generated by DNA sequencing and phylogeny based on rRNA gene and housekeeping genes sequences, boosted the microbial identification to an unparalleled scale. The recent results of mass spectrometry (MS), like Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionisation Time-of-Flight (MALDI-TOF), for rapid and reliable microbial identification showed considerable promise. In addition, the technique is rapid, reliable and inexpensive in terms of labour and consumables when compared with other biological techniques. At present, MALDI-TOF MS adds an additional step for polyphasic identification which is essential when there is a paucity of characters or high DNA homologies for delimiting very close related species. The full impact of this approach is now being appreciated when more diverse species are studied in detail and successfully identified. However, even with the best polyphasic system, identification of some taxa remains time-consuming and determining what represents a species remains subjective. The possibilities opened with new and even more robust mass spectrometers combined with sound and reliable databases allow not only the microbial identification based on the proteome fingerprinting but also include de novo specific proteins sequencing as additional step. These approaches are pushing the boundaries in the microbial identification field.

Proteins on microbial identification: past achievements, present state-of-the-art, and future challenges

The use of chemical analysis of microbial components, including proteins, became an important achievement in the 80’s of the last century to the microbial identification. This led a more objective microbial identification scheme, called chemotaxonomy, and the analytical tools used in the field are mainly 1D/2D gel electrophoresis, spectrophotometry, high-performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography, and combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The Edman degradation reaction was also applied to peptides sequence giving important insights to the microbial identification. The rapid development of these techniques, in association with knowledge generated by DNA sequencing and phylogeny based on rRNA gene and housekeeping genes sequences, boosted the microbial identification to an unparalleled scale. The recent results of mass spectrometry (MS), like Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionisation Time-of-Flight (MALDI-TOF), for rapid and reliable microbial identification showed considerable promise. In addition, the technique is rapid, reliable and inexpensive in terms of labour and consumables when compared with other biological techniques. At present, MALDI-TOF MS adds an additional step for polyphasic identification which is essential when there is a paucity of characters or high DNA homologies for delimiting very close related species. The full impact of this approach is now being appreciated when more diverse species are studied in detail and successfully identified. However, even with the best polyphasic system, identification of some taxa remains time-consuming and determining what represents a species remains subjective. The possibilities opened with new and even more robust mass spectrometers combined with sound and reliable databases allow not only the microbial identification based on the proteome fingerprinting but also include de novo specific proteins sequencing as additional step. These approaches are pushing the boundaries in the microbial identification field.

Advances in microbial diagnosis: using mass spectrometry for proteomics and genomics applications

Since the last two decades mass spectrometry (MS) has been applied to analyse the chemical cellular components of microorganisms, providing rapid and discriminatory proteomic profiles for their species identification and, in some cases, subtyping. The application of MS for the microbial diagnosis is currently well-established. The remarkable reproducibility and objectivity of this method is based on the measurement of constantly expressed and highly abundant proteins, mainly important conservative ribosomal proteins, which are used as markers to generate a cellular fingerprint. Mass spectrometry based on matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI- TOF) technique has been an important tool for the microbial diagnostic. However, some technical limitation concerning both MALDI-TOF and its used protocols for sample preparation have fostered the research of new mass spectrometry systems (e.g. LC MS/MS). LC MS/MS is able to generate online mass spectra of specific ions with further online sequencing of these ions, which include both specific proteins and DNA fragments. In this work a set of data for yeasts and filamentous fungi diagnostic obtained through an international collaboration project involving partners from Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Portugal will be presented and discussed.

Rapid assessment of fruit-color selection by birds using artificial fruits at local scale in Central Amazonia

Modeling clays have been used in several ecological experiments and have proved to be an important tool to variables control. The objective of our study was to determine if fruit color in isolated and grouped displays influences the fruit selection by birds in the field using artificial fruits. Data were collected in six plots distributed homogeneously in 3 km long trails with a minimum distance of 0.5 km. We used a paired experimental design to establish our experiments, so that all treatments were available to the local bird community in each plot. Overall, red was more pecked than brown and white. Isolated red and brown displays were significantly more pecked than others display. Even though our study was conducted in small spatial scales, artificial fruits appeared to be efficient in register fruit consumption attempts by bird. Although inconclusive about selective forces that sharp the dynamics of fruit color polymorphisms and choice by frugivorous birds, our findings corroborate recent studies wherein birds showed preferences by high- over low-contrast fruit signals.

Ergosterol as a rapid measurement of Ganoderma rot of oil palm

Palm oil (PO) is a very important commodity for many countries and especially Indonesia and Malaysia who are the predominant producers. PO is used in ca. 30% of supermarket foods, cosmetics, cooking and as biodiesel. The growth of oil palms in plantations is controversial as the production methods contribute to climate change and cause environmental damage [1]. The plant is subjected to a devastating disease in these two countries caused by the white rot fungus Ganoderma. There are no satisfactory methods to diagnose the disease in the plant as they are too slow and/or inaccurate. The lipid compound ergosterol is unique to fungi and is used to measure growth especially in solid substrates. We report here on the use of ergosterol to measure the growth of Ganoderma in oil palms using HPLC and TLC methods [2]. The method is rapid and correlates well with other methods and is capable of being used on-site, hence improving the speed of analysis and allowing remedial action. Climate change will affect the health of OP [1] and rapid detection methods will be increasingly required to control the disease. [1] Paterson, RRM, Kumar, L, Taylor, S, Lima N. Future climate effects on suitability for growth of oil palms in Malaysia and Indonesia. Scientific Reports, 5, 2015, 14457. [2] Muniroh, MS, Sariah M, Zainal Abidin, MA, Lima, N, Paterson, RRM. Rapid detection of Ganoderma-infected oil palms by microwave ergosterol extraction with HPLC and TLC. Journal of Microbiological Methods, 100, 2014, 143–147.

Curry-Howard for sequent calculus at last!

This paper tries to remove what seems to be the remaining stumbling blocks in the way to a full understanding of the Curry-Howard isomorphism for sequent calculus, namely the questions: What do variables in proof terms stand for? What is co-control and a co-continuation? How to define the dual of Parigot's mu-operator so that it is a co-control operator? Answering these questions leads to the interpretation that sequent calculus is a formal vector notation with first-class co-control. But this is just the "internal" interpretation, which has to be developed simultaneously with, and is justified by, an "external" one, offered by natural deduction: the sequent calculus corresponds to a bi-directional, agnostic (w.r.t. the call strategy), computational lambda-calculus. Next, the duality between control and co-control is studied and proved in the context of classical logic, where one discovers that the classical sequent calculus has a distortion towards control, and that sequent calculus is the de Morgan dual of natural deduction.

A inovação, as marcas próprias e o private label no setor do calçado em Portugal

O sector do calçado português apresenta excelentes indicadores económicos e um desempenho competitivo assinalável. Os últimos quatro anos foram particularmente fortes, tendo Portugal atingido o 11º lugar entre os 15 maiores exportadores mundiais, com o segundo preço mais elevado por par de sapato vendido, superado apenas pela Itália. O artigo analisa o tipo de inovação realizada pelas empresas consideradas inovadoras dentro do sector do calçado em Portugal, de acordo com o manual de Oslo, e analisa a evolução que as empresas fizeram ao passarem de um regime dominado pelo private label para o desenvolvimento de produtos, de coleções e de marcas próprias. A pesquisa foi de natureza qualitativa, envolvendo sete empresas com inovação, sendo realizado estudos de caso através de entrevistas semi-estruturadas, análise de documentos e visitas às empresas e aos seus processos produtivos e de criação. Os resultados obtidos na investigação evidenciam uma relação entre os indicadores económicos e de desempenho e a existência de determinadas categorias de inovação. Evidencia ainda a relação existente entre o regime de produção e os indicadores económicos das empresas.

Vegetational changes during the last millennium inferred from a palynological record from the Bananal Island, Tocantins, Brazil

The Bananal Island is regarded the largest fluvial island in the world, bounded by Araguaia and Javaés rivers, being located in southwest of Tocantins. The objectives of this work were to provide information about the vegetational changes that occurred at the Bananal Island, in order to contribute to the understanding the dynamics of past and current savanna and areas of ecotones with forests. Thus, a sedimentary core collected from a small lake at the Bananal Island plain was submitted to pollen and radiocarbon dating analyses. The results showed that the last millennium was dominated by forest reflecting a wet climate. At the beginning of the record (920-770 yr cal BP) the wet climate and high rainfall produced flooding during long rainy seasons that maintained the Javaés River connected to the studied lake, and hence, this environment was marked by the presence of a homogenous forest rich in Moraceae/Urticaceae, due to flooded soils occurrence. During the following period (770-304 yr cal BP) the reduced rainfall and shortening of the rainy seasons isolated the lake from the Javaés River for long periods, which caused a diversification of the forest and gave rise to the appearance of the components of floodplain forest and marsh vegetation adapted to waterlogged soils. Since 304 years cal BP to the present day this environment remained dominated by this diverse forest and the lacustrine conditions were also similar to previous phase, with a slight increase of moisture in the last 84 years that caused the increase of Piranhea.

Normal aging and decision-making: a systematic review of the literature of the last 10 years

Objective Conduct a systematic review to investigate whether healthy elderly have deficits in the decision-making process when compared to the young. Methods We performed a systematic search on SciELO, Lilacs, PsycINFO, Scopus and PubMed database with keywords decision making and aging (according to the description of Mesh terms) at least 10 years. Results We found nine studies from different countries, who investigated 441 young and 377 elderly. All studies used the IOWA Gambling Task as a way of benchmarking the process of decision making. The analysis showed that 78% of the articles did not have significant differences between groups. However, 100% of the studies that assessed learning did find relevant differences. Furthermore, studies that observed the behavior of individuals in the face of losses and gains, 60% of articles showed that the elderly has more disadvantageous choices throughout the task. Conclusion: The consulted literature showed no consensus on the existence of differences in performance of the decision-making process between old and young, but it is observed that the elderly has deficits in learning and a tendency to fewer advantageous choices.

Glucose addiction in cancer therapy : advances and drawbacks

Glucose addiction in cancer therapy: advances and drawbacks.