The Simaba guianensis complex in northers South America

With additional data from specimens not studied by previous workers, the confusing Simaba guianensis compex was re-analized. Simaba polyphylla is recognized as a distinct species and two subspecies of S. guianensis are maintained. Simaba polyphylla, S. guianensis ssp. guianensis, and S. guianensis ssp. ecaudata are keyed, described, and illustrated and specimens examined are cited for each. Specimens of S. guianensis ssp. ecaudata show great morphological diversity but can be separeted into three groups. Further collecting may provide information that shows these groups to be worthy of separate taxonomic status.

Taxonomy of the Oenocarpus-Jessenia (Palmae) complex in Brazil

Two genera, Oenocarpus and Jessenia are recognized in this complex of Neotropical palms. They are well represented in Brasil, Oenocarpus with seven species (O. distinchus, O. discolar, O. tarampabo, O. bacaba, O. macrocalyx, O. mapora and O. minor, and Jessenia with one species, J. bataua). Many of these taza are poorly know and under-represented in herbaria, both in Brazil and elsewhere. A great deal of fieldwork is needed to betther undestand the basic biology and extent of variation in the populations of these palms.

Invasão de fragmentos florestais por espécies oportunistas de Drosophila (Diptera, Drosophilidae)

RESUMOUtilizando-se de iscas de banana, foram amostradas quantitativamente nas reservas do projeto "Dinâmica Biológica de Fragmentos Florestais", comunidades de Droshophila, nas áreas de mata conínua das reservas não isoladas, no interior de fragmentos de floresta das reservas isoladas e na área recentemente desmatada, vizinha às reservas isoladas. Os resultados indicam diferenças marcantes entre a composição faunística das áreas de mata contínua e da área aberta. Os locais de mata fragmentada apresentam uma escala de predominância de espécies semelhante a da mata contínua porém, quatro taxas frequentes em área aberta e ausentes na mata contínua são identificadas no interior dos fragmentos.

Investigation of Novel Circuits Involved in Virgin Female Receptivity of Drosophila melanogaster

Courtship is a behavior that allows the display of fitness of one sex to the other and gates possible subsequent mating. This behavior is crucial for reproduction and has strong innate components in all animals. Courtship in Drosophila melanogaster consists of a series of highly stereotyped actions that the male performs towards the female. He sings with vibrations of the wings, touches and licks her abdomen, while she evaluates the information presented to her.(...)

Nutritional plasticity and evolutionary divergence in the Drosophila ovary

The environment can modify developmental trajectories and generate a range of distinct phenotypes without altering an organism’s genome, a widespread phenomenon called developmental plasticity. The past decades have seen a resurgent interest in understanding how developmental plasticity contributes to evolutionary processes, as it can produce phenotypic variation among individuals and facilitate diversification among populations that inhabit distinct ecological niches. To better understand the importance of plastic responses for evolutionary change, we need to explore how the environment alters development to produce phenotypic variation and then compare this to how genetic variation influences these same developmental processes.(...)

The Role of the Fbox Protein CG6758 in Xbp1s Induced Retinal Degeneration in Drosophila

The Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) is a signaling pathway that is activated by an accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) that causes ER stress. The activation of the UPR aims to restore ER homeostasis by attenuation of ER client protein translation, increased transcription of ER chaperones and ER associated degradation (ERAD) factors. If ER stress is too long or too strong, cells may die. The main signaling branch of the UPR is mediated by the ER transmembrane protein IRE1 and the transcription factor Xbp1. The active, spliced form of Xbp1 (Xbp1spliced) acts as a transcription factor with protective function against toxic protein aggregation. However, overexpression of Xbp1spliced in the developing Drosophila eye causes degeneration of the eye (“glossy” eye phenotype).(...)

Integrated management systems as complex adaptive systems

It is a difficult task to avoid the “smart systems” topic when discussing smart prevention and, similarly, it is a difficult task to address smart systems without focusing their ability to learn. Following the same line of thought, in the current reality, it seems a Herculean task (or an irreparable omission) to approach the topic of certified occupational health and safety management systems (OHSMS) without discussing the integrated management systems (IMSs). The available data suggest that seldom are the OHSMS operating as the single management system (MS) in a company so, any statement concerning OHSMS should mainly be interpreted from an integrated perspective. A major distinction between generic systems can be drawn between those that learn, i.e., those systems that have “memory” and those that have not. These former systems are often depicted as adaptive since they take into account past events to deal with novel, similar and future events modifying their structure to enable success in its environment. Often, these systems, present a nonlinear behavior and a huge uncertainty related to the forecasting of some events. This paper seeks to portray, for the first time as we were able to find out, the IMSs as complex adaptive systems (CASs) by listing their properties and dissecting the features that enable them to evolve and self-organize in order to, holistically, fulfil the requirements from different stakeholders and thus thrive by assuring the successful sustainability of a company. Based on the revision of literature carried out, this is the first time that IMSs are pointed out as CASs which may develop fruitful synergies both for the MSs and for CASs communities. By performing a thorough revision of literature and based on some concepts embedded in the “DNA” of the subsystems implementation standards it is intended, specifically, to identify, determine and discuss the properties of a generic IMS that should be considered to classify it as a CAS.

Using the GPU to design complex profile extrusion dies

In the present work the benefits of using graphics processing units (GPU) to aid the design of complex geometry profile extrusion dies, are studied. For that purpose, a3Dfinite volume based code that employs unstructured meshes to solve and couple the continuity, momentum and energy conservation equations governing the fluid flow, together with aconstitutive equation, was used. To evaluate the possibility of reducing the calculation time spent on the numerical calculations, the numerical code was parallelized in the GPU, using asimple programing approach without complex memory manipulations. For verificationpurposes, simulations were performed for three benchmark problems: Poiseuille flow, lid-driven cavity flow and flow around acylinder. Subsequently, the code was used on the design of two real life extrusion dies for the production of a medical catheter and a wood plastic composite decking profile. To evaluate the benefits, the results obtained with the GPU parallelized code were compared, in terms of speedup, with a serial implementation of the same code, that traditionally runs on the central processing unit (CPU). The results obtained show that, even with the simple parallelization approach employed, it was possible to obtain a significant reduction of the computation times.

Methanogens, sulphate and heavy metals: a complex system

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a well-established technology used for the treatment of wastes and wastewaters with high organic content. During AD organic matter is converted stepwise to methane-containing biogasa renewable energy carrier. Methane production occurs in the last AD step and relies on methanogens, which are rather sensitive to some contaminants commonly found in wastewaters (e.g. heavy metals), or easily outcompeted by other groups of microorganisms (e.g. sulphate reducing bacteria, SRB). This review gives an overview of previous research and pilot-scale studies that shed some light on the effects of sulphate and heavy metals on methanogenesis. Despite the numerous studies on this subject, comparison is not always possible due to differences in the experimental conditions used and parameters explained. An overview of the possible benefits of methanogens and SRB co-habitation is also covered. Small amounts of sulphide produced by SRB can precipitate with metals, neutralising the negative effects of sulphide accumulation and free heavy metals on methanogenesis. Knowledge on how to untangle and balance sulphate reduction and methanogenesis is crucial to take advantage of the potential for the utilisation of biogenic sulphide as a metal detoxification agent with minimal loss in methane production in anaerobic digesters.

Using OpenFOAM to aid the design of complex profile extrusion dies

[Extrat] Thermoplastic profiles are very attractive due to their inherent design freedom. However, the usual methodologies employed to design extrusion forming tools, based on experimental based trial–and–error procedures, are highly dependent on the designer’s experience and lead to high resources consumption. Despite of the relatively low cost of the raw materials employed on the production of this type of profiles, the resources involved in the die design process significantly increase their cost. These difficulties are even more evident when a complex geometry profile has to be produced and there is no previous experience with similar geometries. Therefore, novel design approaches are required, in order to reduce the required resources and guarantee a good performance for the produced profile. (...)

Patterns of Mycobacterium tuberculosis-complex excretion and characterization of super-shedders in naturally-infected wild boar and red deer

Wild boar (Sus scrofa) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) are the main maintenance hosts for bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in continental Europe. Understanding Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) excretion routes is crucial to define strategies to control bTB in free-ranging populations, nevertheless available information is scarce. Aiming at filling this gap, four different MTC excretion routes (oronasal, bronchial-alveolar, fecal and urinary) were investigated by molecular methods in naturally infected hunter-harvested wild boar and red deer. In addition MTC concentrations were estimated by the Most Probable Number method. MTC DNA was amplified in all types of excretion routes. MTC DNA was amplified in at least one excretion route from 83.0% (CI95 70.8-90.8) of wild ungulates with bTB-like lesions. Oronasal or bronchial-alveolar shedding were detected with higher frequency than fecal shedding (p < 0.001). The majority of shedders yielded MTC concentrations <10(3) CFU/g or mL. However, from those ungulates from which oronasal, bronchial-alveolar and fecal samples were available, 28.2% of wild boar (CI95 16.6-43.8) and 35.7% of red deer (CI95 16.3-61.2) yielded MTC concentrations >10(3) CFU/g or mL (referred here as super-shedders). Red deer have a significantly higher risk of being super-shedders compared to wild boar (OR = 11.8, CI95 2.3-60.2). The existence of super-shedders among the naturally infected population of wild boar and red deer is thus reported here for the first time and MTC DNA concentrations greater than the minimum infective doses were estimated in excretion samples from both species.

Widespread environmental contamination with Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex revealed by a molecular detection protocol

Environmental contamination with Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) has been considered crucial for bovine tuberculosis persistence in multi-host-pathogen systems. However, MTC contamination has been difficult to detect due to methodological issues. In an attempt to overcome this limitation we developed an improved protocol for the detection of MTC DNA. MTC DNA concentration was estimated by the Most Probable Number (MPN) method. Making use of this protocol we showed that MTC contamination is widespread in different types of environmental samples from the Iberian Peninsula, which supports indirect transmission as a contributing mechanism for the maintenance of bovine tuberculosis in this multi-host-pathogen system. The proportion of MTC DNA positive samples was higher in the bovine tuberculosis-infected than in presumed negative area (0.32 and 0.18, respectively). Detection varied with the type of environmental sample and was more frequent in sediment from dams and less frequent in water also from dams (0.22 and 0.05, respectively). The proportion of MTC-positive samples was significantly higher in spring (p<0.001), but MTC DNA concentration per sample was higher in autumn and lower in summer. The average MTC DNA concentration in positive samples was 0.82 MPN/g (CI95 0.70-0.98 MPN/g). We were further able to amplify a DNA sequence specific of Mycobacterium bovis/caprae in 4 environmental samples from the bTB-infected area.

Propolis: A complex natural product with a plethora of biological activities that can be explored for drug development

The health industry has always used natural products as a rich, promising, and alternative source of drugs that are used in the health system. Propolis, a natural resinous product known for centuries, is a complex product obtained by honey bees from substances collected from parts of different plants, buds, and exudates in different geographic areas. Propolis has been attracting scientific attention since it has many biological and pharmacological properties, which are related to its chemical composition. Several in vitro and in vivo studies have been performed to characterize and understand the diverse bioactivities of propolis and its isolated compounds, as well as to evaluate and validate its potential. Yet, there is a lack of information concerning clinical effectiveness. The goal of this review is to discuss the potential of propolis for the development of new drugs by presenting published data concerning the chemical composition and the biological properties of this natural compound from different geographic origins.

In-line rheo-optical microstructural characterization of complex polymer systems

Tese de Doutoramento em Ciência e Engenharia de Polímeros e Compósitos.

Técnicas Experimentales para Caracterizar Flujos Complejos. Experimental techniques for complex flows characterization.

En ambientes fluviales, la interacción del flujo con la geometría del cauce y con los sedimentos del lecho define una dinámica turbulenta compleja en permanente evolución. El nivel de complejidad del flujo aumenta ante la presencia de estructuras hidráulicas (pilas de puentes, protecciones contra erosión, etc.). La mayoría de los ríos, o canales naturales, presentan confluencias y bifurcaciones, en donde se genera una convergencia (o divergencia) del flujo con el resultado de un ambiente hidrodinámico complejo en la cercanía de las uniones (Kenworthy y Rhoads 1995). Bajo estas condiciones no es posible extrapolar las soluciones tradicionales básicas de las ecuaciones de gobierno desarrolladas para canales rectos y uniformes. Algunas investigaciones experimentales realizadas en estos sistemas son las de Best (1988), Rhoads y Sukhodolov (2001), Richardson et al. (1996); Richardson y Thorne (1998, 2001); Parsons et al. (2004); Szupiany et al. (2005).Por otro lado, la zona costera en ambientes marítimos se caracteriza por la existencia de diversos procesos dinámicos, entre los que se destacan la acción de olas, corrientes, interacción olas-corrientes, transporte de sedimentos y cambios batimétricos. Estos se manifiestan en una alteración morfodinámica de la playa generando superficies potenciales de erosión. Así, el diseño de las protecciones costeras (ya sean continuas, como escolleras o muros verticales; o discontinuas como espigones o diques externos) sometidas al clima marítimo bajo distintas condiciones de olas y mareas, alteran los patrones de circulación y de transporte afectando la morfodinámica en su zona de influencia y plantean, por ejemplo, la necesidad de ajustes de los coeficientes de estabilidad y pesos de los bloques de roca de las escolleras. Los problemas generados, son especialmente complejos ya que deben considerarse para su estudio, los niveles de turbulencia, la transmisión del oleaje sobre o a través de la estructura, difracción alrededor de la misma, refracción y shoaling sobre un fondo dinámico, reflexión en la estructura, etc. (Alsina et al., 2007) Revisiones bibliográficas previas muestran que, en ambos ambientes (fluvial y marítimo), es necesario optimizar las técnicas experimentales existentes para que ellas permitan caracterizar con precisión los flujos turbulentos complejos presentes. El objetivo general propuesto en esta investigación es contribuir a mejorar el conocimiento de los procesos hidrodinámicos de flujos turbulentos naturales con y sin la presencia de estructuras hidráulicas que den lugar a formaciones complejas (3D). Para alcanzar este objetivo se propone realizar una recopilación de antecedentes y un análisis crítico detallado de los equipos de ultima generación para mediciones de flujo con alta frecuencia y resolución disponibles en el Laboratorio de Hidráulica (LH) de la Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC): ADV 3D (Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter de Sontek) y laser PIV 2D (Particle Image Velocimeter de Dantec). A estos equipamientos se le agrega un moderno equipo de generación bidimensional de oleaje con absorción dinámica (adquiridos a HR Ltd. en 2007 por el CAI 085 del FONTAR). Finalmente se prevé utilizar este equipamiento durante el desarrollo de experimentos y mediciones los cuales se realizarán sobre modelos físicos fluviales y costeros diseñados y construidos con y sin estructuras que interactúen con flujo turbulentos complejos. Los resultados obtenidos en este proyecto permitirá alcanzar una mejor comprensión de los procesos hidrodinámicos de los flujos turbulentos complejos, lo cual es necesario y de gran utilidad para realizar un manejo apropiado de los ambientes fluviales y marítimos, teniendo como campo directo de aplicación el correcto diseño de estructuras hidráulicas, asistiendo a la toma de medidas correctivas en sistemas naturales sometidos a procesos erosivos o de sedimentación, y contribuyendo de esta forma al manejo ambientalmente sustentable de los recursos.