Repetitive DNA sequences and evolution of ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes in characidium (teleostei: characiformes)

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

Esttrutura cromossômica e caracterização cariotípica no gênero Characidium (Teleostei, Characiformes, Crenuchidae)

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

SCWDS BRIEFS: Volume 18, Number 3 (October 2002)

• Chronic Wasting Disease Update: Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Colorado; National CWD Management – USDA & USDI National Plan for Assisting States, Federal Agencies, and Tribes in Managing Chronic Wasting Disease in Free-ranging and Captive Cervids • West Nile virus (WNV) reaches the Pacific coast • West Nile Virus in Blue Jays • Idaho Brucellosis Linked to Wildlife: All of the epidemiological and laboratory information clearly indicates that brucellosis-infected elk transmitted the disease to the cattle herd. • Tularemia caused a die-off of captured wild prairie dogs this summer at a Texas commercial exotic animal facility that distributes the animals for sale as pets. • Raptors can acquire avian vacuolar myelinopathy (AVM) via ingestion of other affected birds. • House Finch Mycoplasmosis: bacterial eye disease of house finches • Raccoon Rabies report • Toxoplasmosis – The newest finding regarding sea otters in California is the importance of toxoplasmosis as a mortality factor. Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that can invade visceral organs and the central nervous system to cause acute, disseminated tissue necrosis and fatal meningoencephalitis in susceptible animals. In recent years, 36% of dead sea otters examined have been infected. Another tissue-invading protozoan, Sarcocystis neurona, also was found in 4% of the otters. • Recovery of remnant populations of the endangered black-footed ferret have been hampered by sylvatic plague, which is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. • Dr. Samantha Gibbs received the Wildlife Disease Association’s Student Research Recognition Award. Dr. Cynthia Tate was selected by the American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists to receive the Best Student Presentation Award. Dr. Andrea Varela won second place in the Student Presentation Award for her presentation at the meeting of the American Association Veterinary Parasitologists. Mr. Michael Yabsley received the Wildlife Disease Association Student Scholarship and the S.A. Ewing Vectorborne Parasitology Award from the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

Esttrutura cromossômica e caracterização cariotípica no gênero Characidium (Teleostei, Characiformes, Crenuchidae)

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

Range extensions and conservation of some threatened or little known Brazilian grassland birds

Populations of grassland birds are declining in Brazil due to profound alterations to grassland habitats. In this paper, we present recent records and range extensions for 12 threatened or little known Brazilian grassland species: Ocellated Crake Micropygia schomburgkii, Sickle-winged Nightjar Eleothreptus anomalus, Campo Miner Geositta poeciloptera, Rufous-sided Pygmytyrant Euscarthmus rufomarginatus, Sharp-tailed Grass-tyrant Culicivora caudacuta, Cocktailed Tyrant Alectrurus tricolor, Cinereous Warbling-finch Poospiza cinerea, Black-masked Finch Coryphaspiza melanotis, Tawny-bellied Seedeater Sporophila hypoxantha, Marsh Seedeater S. palustris, Chestnut Seedeater S. cinnamomea and Black-bellied Seedeater S. melanogaster. We also comment on the biogeography and conservation of these species.

Consensus Statement on Standard of Care for Congenital Myopathies

Recent progress in scientific research has facilitated accurate genetic and neuropathological diagnosis of congenital myopathies. However, given their relatively low incidence, congenital myopathies remain unfamiliar to the majority of care providers, and the levels of patient care are extremely variable. This consensus statement aims to provide care guidelines for congenital myopathies. The International Standard of Care Committee for Congenital Myopathies worked through frequent e-mail correspondences, periodic conference calls, 2 rounds of online surveys, and a 3-day workshop to achieve a consensus for diagnostic and clinical care recommendations. The committee includes 59 members from 10 medical disciplines. They are organized into 5 working groups: genetics/diagnosis, neurology, pulmonology, gastroenterology/nutrition/speech/oral care, and orthopedics/rehabilitation. In each care area the authors summarize the committee's recommendations for symptom assessments and therapeutic interventions. It is the committee's goal that through these recommendations, patients with congenital myopathies will receive optimal care and improve their disease outcome.

rho(0) photoproduction in AuAu collisions at root s(NN)=62.4 GeV measured with the STAR detector

Vector mesons may be photoproduced in relativistic heavy-ion collisions when a virtual photon emitted by one nucleus scatters from the other nucleus, emerging as a vector meson. The STAR Collaboration has previously presented measurements of coherent rho(0) photoproduction at center of mass energies of 130 GeV and 200 GeV in AuAu collisions. Here, we present a measurement of the cross section at 62.4 GeV; we find that the cross section for coherent rho(0) photoproduction with nuclear breakup is 10.5 +/- 1.5 +/- 1.6mb at 62.4 GeV. The cross-section ratio between 200 GeV and 62.4 GeV is 4.4 +/- 0.6, less than is predicted by most theoretical models. It is, however, proportionally much larger than the previously observed 15% +/- 55% increase between 130 GeV and 200 GeV.

System size and energy dependence of near-side dihadron correlations

Two-particle azimuthal (Delta phi) and pseudorapidity (Delta eta) correlations using a trigger particle with large transverse momentum (p(T)) in d+Au, Cu+Cu, and Au+Au collisions at root s(NN) = 62.4 GeV and 200 GeV from the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider are presented. The near-side correlation is separated into a jet-like component, narrow in both Delta phi and Delta eta, and the ridge, narrow in Delta phi but broad in Delta eta. Both components are studied as a function of collision centrality, and the jet-like correlation is studied as a function of the trigger and associated p(T). The behavior of the jet-like component is remarkably consistent for different collision systems, suggesting it is produced by fragmentation. The width of the jet-like correlation is found to increase with the system size. The ridge, previously observed in Au+Au collisions at root s(NN) = 200 GeV, is also found in Cu+Cu collisions and in collisions at root s(NN) = 62.4 GeV, but is found to be substantially smaller at root s(NN) = 62.4 GeV than at root s(NN) = 200 GeV for the same average number of participants (< N-part >). Measurements of the ridge are compared to models.

Directed and elliptic flow of charged particles in Cu plus Cu collisions at root s(NN)=22.4 GeV

This paper reports results for directed flow v(1) and elliptic flow v(2) of charged particles in Cu + Cu collisions at root s(NN) = 22.4 GeV at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The measurements are for the 0-60% most central collisions, using charged particles observed in the STAR detector. Our measurements extend to 22.4-GeV Cu + Cu collisions the prior observation that v1 is independent of the system size at 62.4 and 200 GeV and also extend the scaling of v(1) with eta/y(beam) to this system. The measured v(2)(p(T)) in Cu + Cu collisions is similar for root s(NN) throughout the range 22.4 to 200 GeV. We also report a comparison with results from transport model (ultrarelativistic quantum molecular dynamics and multiphase transport model) calculations. The model results do not agree quantitatively with the measured v(1)(eta), v(2)(p(T)), and v(2)(eta).

Identified Hadron Compositions in p plus p and Au plus Au Collisions at High Transverse Momenta at root s(NN)=200 GeV

We report transverse momentum (p(T) <= 15 GeV/c) spectra of pi(+/-), K-+/-, p, (p) over bar, K-0(S), and rho(0) at midrapidity in p + p and Au + Au collisions at root s(NN) = 200 GeV. Perturbative QCD calculations are consistent with pi(+/-) spectra in p + p collisions but do not reproduce K and p((p) over bar) spectra. The observed decreasing antiparticle-to-particle ratios with increasing p(T) provide experimental evidence for varying quark and gluon jet contributions to high-p(T) hadron yields. The relative hadron abundances in Au + Au at p(T) >= 8 GeV/c are measured to be similar to the p + p results, despite the expected Casimir effect for parton energy loss.

Strangeness Enhancement in Cu-Cu and Au-Au Collisions at root s(NN)=200 GeV

We report new STAR measurements of midrapidity yields for the Lambda, (Lambda) over bar, K-S(0), Xi(-), (Xi) over bar (+), Omega(-), (Omega) over bar (+) particles in Cu + Cu collisions at root s(NN) = 200 GeV, and midrapidity yields for the Lambda, (Lambda) over bar, K-S(0) particles in Au + Au at root s(NN) = 200 GeV. We show that, at a given number of participating nucleons, the production of strange hadrons is higher in Cu + Cu collisions than in Au + Au collisions at the same center-of-mass energy. We find that aspects of the enhancement factors for all particles can be described by a parametrization based on the fraction of participants that undergo multiple collisions.

Anomalous centrality evolution of two-particle angular correlations from Au-Au collisions at root s(NN)=62 and 200 GeV

We present two-dimensional (2D) two-particle angular correlations measured with the STAR detector on relative pseudorapidity eta and azimuth phi for charged particles from Au-Au collisions at root s(NN) = 62 and 200 GeV with transverse momentum p(t) >= 0.15 GeV/c, vertical bar eta vertical bar <= 1, and 2 pi in azimuth. Observed correlations include a same-side (relative azimuth <pi/2) 2D peak, a closely related away-side azimuth dipole, and an azimuth quadrupole conventionally associated with elliptic flow. The same-side 2D peak and away-side dipole are explained by semihard parton scattering and fragmentation (minijets) in proton-proton and peripheral nucleus-nucleus collisions. Those structures follow N-N binary-collision scaling in Au-Au collisions until midcentrality, where a transition to a qualitatively different centrality trend occurs within one 10% centrality bin. Above the transition point the number of same-side and away-side correlated pairs increases rapidly relative to binary-collision scaling, the eta width of the same-side 2D peak also increases rapidly (eta elongation), and the phi width actually decreases significantly. Those centrality trends are in marked contrast with conventional expectations for jet quenching in a dense medium. The observed centrality trends are compared to perturbative QCD predictions computed in HIJING, which serve as a theoretical baseline, and to the expected trends for semihard parton scattering and fragmentation in a thermalized opaque medium predicted by theoretical calculations and phenomenological models. We are unable to reconcile a semihard parton scattering and fragmentation origin for the observed correlation structure and centrality trends with heavy-ion collision scenarios that invoke rapid parton thermalization. If the collision system turns out to be effectively opaque to few-GeV partons the present observations would be inconsistent with the minijet picture discussed here. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevC.86.064902

Longitudinal and transverse spin asymmetries for inclusive jet production at mid-rapidity in polarized p+p collisions at root s=200 GeV

We report STAR measurements of the longitudinal double-spin asymmetry A(LL), the transverse singlespin asymmetry A(N), and the transverse double-spin asymmetries A(Sigma) and A(TT) for inclusive jet production at mid-rapidity in polarized p + p collisions at a center-of-mass energy of root s = 200 GeV. The data represent integrated luminosities of 7.6 pb(-1) with longitudinal polarization and 1.8 pb(-1) with transverse polarization, with 50%-55% beam polarization, and were recorded in 2005 and 2006. No evidence is found for the existence of statistically significant jet A(N), A(Sigma), or A(TT) at mid-rapidity. Recent model calculations indicate the A(N) results may provide new limits on the gluon Sivers distribution in the proton. The asymmetry A(LL) significantly improves the knowledge of gluon polarization in the nucleon.

Di-electron spectrum at mid-rapidity in p+p collisions at root s=200 GeV

We report on the mid-rapidity mass spectrum of di-electrons and cross sections of pseudoscalar and vector mesons via e(+) e(-) decays, from root s = 200 GeV p + p collisions, measured by the large-acceptance experiment STAR at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The ratio of the di-electron continuum to the combinatorial background is larger than 10% over the entire mass range. Simulations of di-electrons from light-meson decays and heavy-flavor decays (charmonium and open charm correlation) are found to describe the data. The extracted omega -> e(+) e(-) invariant yields are consistent with previous measurements. The mid-rapidity yields (dN/dy) of phi and J/psi are extracted through their di-electron decay channels and are consistent with the previous measurements of phi -> K+ K- and J/psi -> e(+) e(-). Our results suggest a new upper limit of the branching ratio of the eta -> e(+) e(-) of 1.7 x 10(-5) at the 90% confidence level.

Measurements of D-0 and D* production in p plus p collisions at root s=200 GeV

We report measurements of charmed-hadron (D-0, D*) production cross sections at midrapidity in p + p collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 200 GeV by the STAR experiment. Charmed hadrons were reconstructed via the hadronic decays D-0 -> K- pi(+), D*(+) -> D-0 pi(+) -> K-pi(+)pi(+) and their charge conjugates, covering the p(T) range of 0.6-2.0 and 2.0-6.0 GeV/c for D-0 and D*(+), respectively. From this analysis, the charm-pair production cross section at midrapidity is d sigma/dy vertical bar(c (c) over bar)(y-0) = 170+/-45(stat)(-59)(+38()sys) mu b. The extracted charm-pair cross section is compared to perturbative QCD calculations. The transverse momentum differential cross section is found to be consistent with the upper bound of a fixed-order next-to-leading logarithm calculation.