Evolution of the link between selective anti-poverty policies and social sectors policies

Includes bibliography

Systematic and historical biogeography of the Bryconidae (Ostariophysi: Characiformes) suggesting a new rearrangement of its genera and an old origin of Mesoamerican ichthyofauna

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

Historical biogeography of the neotropical Diaptomidae (Crustacea: Copepoda)

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

Species delimitation, patterns of diversification and historical biogeography of the Neotropical frog genus Adenomera (Anura, Leptodactylidae)

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

Phylogeny and historical biogeography of the Australian Camphorosmeae (Chenopodiaceae)

Diese Studie befasst sich mit der Phylogenie und Biogeographie der australischen Camphorosmeae, die ein wichtiges Element der Flora arider Gebiete Australiens sind. Die molekularen Phylogenien wurden mit Hilfe Bayes’scher Statistik und „maximum likelihood”berechnet. Um das Alter der Gruppe und interner Linien abzuschätzen, wurden die Methoden „Nonparametric rate smoothing” und “penalized likelihood” benutzt. Morphologische Merkmale wurden nach Kriterien der Parsimonie auf den molekularen Baum aufgetragen. „Brooks parsimony analysis”, „cladistic analysis of distributions and endemism”, „dispersal-vicariance analysis”,„ancestral area analysis” und „weighted ancestral area analysis” wurden angewandt, um Abfolge und Richtungen der Ausbreitung der Gruppe in Australien zu analysieren.Von sieben getesteten Markern hatten nur die nukleären ETS und ITS genügend Variation für die phylogenetische Analyse der Camphorosmeae. Die plastidären Marker trnL-trnF spacer,trnP-psaJ spacer, rpS16 intron, rpL16 intron und trnS-trnG spacer zeigten kein ausreichendes phylogenetisches Signal. Die gefundenen phylogenetischen Hypothesen widersprechen der jetzigen Taxonomie der Gruppe. Neobassia, Threlkeldia, Osteocarpum und Enchylaena sollten den Gattungen Sclerolaena bzw. Maireana zugeordnet werden. Die kladistische Analyse der Fruchtanhängsel unterstützt die taxonomischen Ergebnisse der auf DNA basierenden Phylogenie. Allerdings hat die Behaarung, die bei anderen Gruppen der Chenopodiaceae als wichtiges taxonomisches Merkmal herangezogen wird, die Phylogenie nicht unterstützt. Vorfahren der heutigen Camphorosmeen sind im Miozän, vor ca. 8-14 Millionen Jahren, durch Fernausbreitung vermutlich aus Asien in Australien eingewandert. Anfängliche Diversifizierung fand während des späten Miozäns bis in das frühe Pliozän vor ca. 4-7 Millionen Jahren statt. Am Ende des Pliozäns existierten schon 45% - 72% der Abstammungslinien der jetzigen Camphorosmeen. Dies weist auf eine schnelle Ausbreitung hin. Das Alter stimmt mit dem Einsetzen der Aridisierung Australiens überein, und deutet darauf hin, dass die Ausbreitung der ariden Gebiete eine große Rolle bei der Diversifizierung der Gruppe spielte. Die Vorfahren der australischen Camphorosmeae scheinen die Südküste Australiens zuerst besiedeln zu haben. Dies geschah vor dem Einsetzen der Aridisierung des Kontinents. Die anschließende Ausbreitung erfolgte in verschiedene Richtungen und folgte der fortschreitenden Austrocknung im späten Tertiär und im ganzen Quartär. Durch ihre Anpassung an Trockenheit ist der Erfolg der Camphorosmeae in den ariden Gebieten zu erklären.Die Abwesenheit von klaren phylogenetischen und artspezifischen Signalen zwischen Arten der australischen Camphorosmeae ist auf das junge Alter und die schnelle Diversifizierung der Gruppe zurückzuführen, welche die Häufung von Mutationen und eine starke morphologische Differenzierung nicht zugelassen haben.

White matter in aphasia: a historical review of the Dejerines' studies

The Objective was to describe the contributions of Joseph Jules Dejerine and his wife Augusta Dejerine-Klumpke to our understanding of cerebral association fiber tracts and language processing. The Dejerines (and not Constantin von Monakow) were the first to describe the superior longitudinal fasciculus/arcuate fasciculus (SLF/AF) as an association fiber tract uniting Broca's area, Wernicke's area, and a visual image center in the angular gyrus of a left hemispheric language zone. They were also the first to attribute language-related functions to the fasciculi occipito-frontalis (FOF) and the inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) after describing aphasia patients with degeneration of the SLF/AF, ILF, uncinate fasciculus (UF), and FOF. These fasciculi belong to a functional network known as the Dejerines' language zone, which exceeds the borders of the classically defined cortical language centers. The Dejerines provided the first descriptions of the anatomical pillars of present-day language models (such as the SLF/AF). Their anatomical descriptions of fasciculi in aphasia patients provided a foundation for our modern concept of the dorsal and ventral streams in language processing.

The evolution of the brain, the human nature of cortical circuits and intellectual creativity

The tremendous expansion and the differentiation of the neocortex constitute two major events in the evolution of the mammalian brain. The increase in size and complexity of our brains opened the way to a spectacular development of cognitive and mental skills. This expansion during evolution facilitated the addition of microcircuits with a similar basic structure, which increased the complexity of the human brain and contributed to its uniqueness. However, fundamental differences even exist between distinct mammalian species. Here, we shall discuss the issue of our humanity from a neurobiological and historical perspective.

Intron phase correlations and the evolution of the intron/exon structure of genes.

Two issues in the evolution of the intron/exon structure of genes are the role of exon shuffling and the origin of introns. Using a large data base of eukaryotic intron-containing genes, we have found that there are correlations between intron phases leading to an excess of symmetric exons and symmetric exon sets. We interpret these excesses as manifestations of exon shuffling and make a conservative estimate that at least 19% of the exons in the data base were involved in exon shuffling, suggesting an important role for exon shuffling in evolution. Furthermore, these excesses of symmetric exons appear also in those regions of eukaryotic genes that are homologous to prokaryotic genes: the ancient conserved regions. This last fact cannot be explained in terms of the insertional theory of introns but rather supports the concept that some of the introns were ancient, the exon theory of genes.

Evolution of the landscape of Madeira Island: long-term vegetation dynamics

The aim of this thesis was to evaluate historical change of the landscape of Madeira Island and to assess spatial and temporal vegetation dynamics. In current research diverse “retrospective techniques”, such as landscape repeat photography, dendrochronology, and research of historical records were used. These, combined with vegetation relevés, aimed to gather information about landscape change, disturbance history, and vegetation successional patterns. It was found that landscape change, throughout 125 years, was higher in the last five decades manly driven by farming abandonment, building growth and exotic vegetation coverage increase. Pristine vegetation was greatly destroyed since early settlement and by the end of the nineteenth century native vegetation was highly devastated due to recurrent antropogenic disturbances. These actions also helped to block plant succession and to modify floristical assemblages, affecting as well as species richness. In places with less hemeroby, although significant growth of vegetation of lower seral stages was detected, the vegetation of most mature stages headed towards unbalance between recovery and loss, being also very vulnerable to exotic species encroachment. Recovery by native vegetation also occurred in areas formerly occupied by exotic plants and agriculture but it was almost negligible. Vegetation recovery followed the successional model currently proposed, attesting the model itself. Yet, succession was slower than espected, due to lack of favourable conditions and to recurrent disturbances. Probable tempus of each seral stage was obtained by growth rates of woody taxa estimated through dendrochronology. The exotic trees which were the dominant trees in the past (Castanea sativa and Pinus pinaster) almost vanished. Eucalyptus globulus, the current main tree of the exotic forest is being replaced by other cover types as Acacia mearnsii. The latter, along with Arundo donax, Cytisus scoparius and Pittosporum undulatum are currently the exotic species with higher invasive behaviour. However, many other exotic species have also proved to be highly pervasive and came together with the ones referred above to prevent native vegetation regeneration, to diminish biological diversity, and to block early successional phases delaying native forest recovery.

The role of government research establishments : a study of the concept of public patronage for applied research and development

This thesis follows the argument that, to fully understand the current position of national research laboratories in Great Britain one needs to study the historical development of the government research establishment as a specific social institution. A particular model is outlined in which it is argued that institutional characteristics evolve through the continual interplay between internal development and environmental factors within a changing political and economic context, and that the continuous development of an institution depends on its ability to adapt to changes in its operational environment. Within this framework important historical precedents for formal government institutional support for applied research are identified. and the transition from private to public patronage documented. The emergence and consolidation of government research laboratories in Britain is described in detail. The subsequent relative decline of public laboratories is interpreted in terms of the undermining of a traditional role resulting in legitimation crisis. It is concluded that it is no longer feasible to consider the public research laboratory as a coherent institutional form, and that the future of each individual laboratory can only be considered in relation to the institutional needs of its own sphere of operation. Nevertheless the laboratories have been forced into decline in an essentially unplanned way which may have serious consequences for the maintenance of the scientific and technical infrastructures, necessary for material progress in the national context.

Evolution of the diatoms: major steps in their evolution and a review of the supporting molecular and morphological evidence.

Over the years, many reviews of different aspects of diatom biology, ecology and evolution have appeared. Since 1993 many molecular trees have been produced to infer diatom phylogeny. In 2004, Medlin & Kaczmarska revised the systematics of the diatoms based on more than 20 years of consistent recovery of two major clades of diatoms that did not correspond to a traditional concept of centrics and pennates and established three classes of diatoms: Clade 1 = Coscinodiscophyceae (radial centrics) and Clade 2 = Mediophyceae (polar centrics + radial Thalassiosirales) and Bacillariophyceae (pennates). However, under certain analytical conditions, an alternative view of diatom evolution, a grades of clades, has been recovered that suggests a gradual evolution from centric to pennate symmetry. These two schemes of diatom evolution are evaluated in terms of whether or not the criteria advocated by Medlin & Kaczmarska that should be met to recover monophyletic classes have been used. The monophyly of the three diatom classes can only be achieved if (1) a secondary structure of the small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene was used to construct the alignment and not an alignment based on primary structure and (2) multiple outgroups were used. These requirements have not been met in each study of diatom evolution; hence, the grade of clades, which is useful in reconstructing the sequence of evolution, is not useful for accepting the new classification of the diatoms. Evidence for how these two factors affect the recovery of the three monophyletic classes is reviewed here. The three classes have been defined by clear morphological differences primarily based on gametangia and auxospore ontogeny and envelope structure, the presence or absence of a structure (tube process or sternum) associated with the annulus and the location of the cribrum in those genera with loculate areolae. New evidence supporting the three clades is reviewed. Other features of the cell are examined to determine whether they can also be used to support the monophyly of the three classes.

Evolution of the diatoms: major steps in their evolution and a review of the supporting molecular and morphological evidence.

Over the years, many reviews of different aspects of diatom biology, ecology and evolution have appeared. Since 1993 many molecular trees have been produced to infer diatom phylogeny. In 2004, Medlin & Kaczmarska revised the systematics of the diatoms based on more than 20 years of consistent recovery of two major clades of diatoms that did not correspond to a traditional concept of centrics and pennates and established three classes of diatoms: Clade 1 = Coscinodiscophyceae (radial centrics) and Clade 2 = Mediophyceae (polar centrics + radial Thalassiosirales) and Bacillariophyceae (pennates). However, under certain analytical conditions, an alternative view of diatom evolution, a grades of clades, has been recovered that suggests a gradual evolution from centric to pennate symmetry. These two schemes of diatom evolution are evaluated in terms of whether or not the criteria advocated by Medlin & Kaczmarska that should be met to recover monophyletic classes have been used. The monophyly of the three diatom classes can only be achieved if (1) a secondary structure of the small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene was used to construct the alignment and not an alignment based on primary structure and (2) multiple outgroups were used. These requirements have not been met in each study of diatom evolution; hence, the grade of clades, which is useful in reconstructing the sequence of evolution, is not useful for accepting the new classification of the diatoms. Evidence for how these two factors affect the recovery of the three monophyletic classes is reviewed here. The three classes have been defined by clear morphological differences primarily based on gametangia and auxospore ontogeny and envelope structure, the presence or absence of a structure (tube process or sternum) associated with the annulus and the location of the cribrum in those genera with loculate areolae. New evidence supporting the three clades is reviewed. Other features of the cell are examined to determine whether they can also be used to support the monophyly of the three classes.

The Notion of the “Concept Instance”: Problems in Modeling Concept Change in SKOS

The U.S. National Science Foundation metadata registry under development for the National Science Digital Library (NSDL) is a repertory intended to manage both metadata schemes and schemas. The focus of this draft discussion paper is on the scheme side of the development work. In particular, the concern of the discussion paper is with issues around the creation of historical snapshots of concept changes and their encoding in SKOS. Through framing the problem as we see it, we hope to find an optimal solution to our need for a SKOS encoding of these snapshots. Since what we are seeking to model is concept change, it is necessary at the outset to make it clear that we are not talking about changes to a concept of such a nature that would require the declaration a new concept with its own URI.In the project, we avoid the use of the terms “version” and “versioning” with regard to changes in concepts and reserve their use to the significant changes of schemes as a whole. Significant changes triggering a new scheme version might include changes in scheme documentation that express a significant shift in the purpose, use or architecture of the scheme. We use the term “snapshot” to denote the state of a scheme at identifiable points in time. Thus, snapshots are identifiable views of a scheme that record the incremental changes that have occurred to concepts, relationships among concepts, and scheme documentation since the last snapshot. Aspects of concept change occur that we need to capture and make available both through the registry and through potentially in transmission of a scheme to other registries. We call these capturings “concept instances.”

NOTES ON THE PRESENT OF THE CONCEPT OF DISCURSIVE FORMATION

This paper aims to discuss some points on the concept of discursive formation’s formulation and application. I elaborate my point by putting in relation three French texts equally stated in Brazilian soil. Jean-Jacques Courtine, Jacques Guilhaumou and Dominique Maingueneau separately wrote each one of these three texts. Moreover, I have not randomly chosen their names: they are three authors who constitute concepts across theoretical formulations of Discourse Analysis in France, and, because of that, they are often cited in order to keep this area of knowledge in Brazil. So that my argument is justified by the need of analyzing, throughout the meeting of those three statements, an attempt to define the current status of the concept of discursive formation to the historical a priori for the Discourse Analysis’ discourse in Brazil. In order to be guaranteed of some theoretical approach, I turn my attention to the famous conference by Michel Foucault (1971), L’ordre du discours, in which he exposes four principles to examine the statement’s function of existence: specificity, inversion, discontinuity, and exteriority. Underlining the principle of specificity of a statement through the series of statements, I aim to demonstrate that a concept’s circulation does not depend on an ontological truth, or on a founding text, or on the specificity of a father; it is determined by the will to truth, which offers historical conditions to the underlying discursive practices.