Development of Intra- and Interxylary Secondary Phloem in Coccinia indica (Cucurbitaceae)

Stern anatomy and the development of intraxylary phloem were investigated in six to eight years old Coccinia indica L. (Cucurbitaceae). Secondary growth in the stems was achieved by the normal cambial activity. In the innermost part of the thicker stems, xylem parenchyma and pith cells dedifferentiated into meristematic cells at several points. In some of the wider rays, ray cells dedifferentiate and produce secondary xylem and phloem with different orientations and sometimes a complete bicollateral vascular bundle. The inner cambial segments of the bicollateral vascular bundle (of primary growth) maintained radial arrangement even in the mature stems but in most places the cambia were either inactive or showed very few cell divisions. Concomitant with the obliteration and collapse of inner phloem (of bicollateral vascular bundles), parenchyma cells encircling the phloem became meristematic forming a circular sheath of internal cambia. These internal cambia produce only intraxylary secondary phloem centripetally and do not produce any secondary xylem. In the stem, secondary xylem consisted mainly of axial parenchyma, small strands of thick-walled xylem derivatives, i.e. vessel elements and fibres embedded in parenchymatous ground mass, wide and tall rays along with exceptionally wide vessels characteristic of lianas. In thick stems, the axial parenchyma de-differentiated into meristem, which later re-differentiated into interxylary phloem. Fibre dimorphism and pseudo-vestured pits in the vessels are also reported.

A new specimen of Stratiotosuchus maxhechti (Baurusuchidae, Crocodyliformes) from the Adamantina Formation (Upper Cretaceous), southeastern Brazil.

This is a report about the second occurrence and description of the third specimen of Stratiotosuchus maxhechti (Baurusuchidae, Crocodyliformes) from the Bauru Basin, Upper Cretaceous of southeastern Brazil. The material was found in the typical reddish, fine-grained sandstone from the Adamantina Formation, Bauru Group, Monte Alto County, São Paulo State. These strata are considered to be Campanian-Maastrichtian in age. It is the second skull of Stratiotosuchus maxhechti recovered where the choanal region and the skull-mandible articulation is preserved. The holotype of this species comes from the Adamantina Formation from southwestern São Paulo State, while this new specimen comes from its northern-central region, making possible biocbronological and paleoccological correlations among different geographically distant stratigraphic horizons within the Bauru Basin. The main osteologic contributions from this new specimen are the surangular taking part in the skull/mandible articulation and the presence of a relatively well-preserved choanal region, which are not seen in the holotype, furthering the knowledge of Stratiotosuchus maxhechti. Based on the features of this new specimen, an emended diagnosis is provided.

Seqüência Ordovício-Siluriana e Devoniana no Flanco Norte da Bacia do Paraná

Two stratigraphic sequences characterize the basal units of the Paraná basin. The Ordovician-Silurian sequence overlie directly the Neoproterozoic basement and consists of a 55m-thick unit of coarse-grained sandstones, diamictites, fossiliferous shales and fine-grained micaceous sandstones. The Alto Garças Formation constitutes the base of the sequence and is made of coarse-grained, massive and reddish sandstones associated with conglomeratic lenses. Diamictites with pebbles of diverse composition in siltic and arenaceous matrix were deposited during the Ordovician-Silurian glaciation. Whenever the basal sandstones are absent, the diamictites directly overlie the basement. The diamictites were previously included in the Vila Maria Formation. However our study revealed that they are part of the Iapó Formation. A transgressive event following the glaciation is marked by the deposition of the Vila Maria Formation, which is characterized by fossiliferous (mollusks, brachiopods, cryptospores and microplankton) and laminated shales and siltstones, grading upward to fine-grained micaceous sandstones with hummocky cross stratification. Layers containing trace fossils (Anthrophycus) occur at the transition between the siltstones and the sandstones. The Devonian sequence is represented by 80-170 meters thick sandstones of the Furnas Formation (lower unit) and a sucession of sandstones, siltstones and shales of the Ponta Grossa Formation (upper unit). Unlike other areas of the Paraná Basin, the Ponta Grossa Formation is characterized by coarsening-upward succession beginning with fine sandstones and grading upward to coarse and very-coarse sandstone beds. Cretaceous modifying tectonics affected the Paleozoic sequences, which are cut by a series of faults, in some cases showing displacements greater than 500 meters.

The synergistic effects of Nb/Mn and Sb/Mn on the microstructure and electrical characteristics of BaTiO3 based ceramics

The microstructure and dielectric properties of Nb-Mn or Sb-Mn codoped BaTiO3 compositions were investigated. Starting ceramics powders were prepared by Pechini method. The composites were sintered at 1310°C and 1330°C in an air atmosphere for two hours. The microstructure and compositional investigations were done with SEM equipped with EDS. Two distinguish microstructure regions are observed in Nb/0.05Mn doped BaTiO 3 ceramics sintered at low temperature. The first, large one, with grain sizes from 5-40 μm and the second region with small grain sizes from 1 to 5 μm. Sintering at higher temperature, independent of Mn content, enables to achieve a uniform microstructure with grains less than 6 μm. In Sb/Mn doped ceramics, for both sintering temperatures, bimodal microstructures with fine grained matrix and grains up to 10 μm is formed. The highest value of permittivity at room temperature and the greatest change of permittivity in function of temperature are observed in Nb/0.01Mn doped ceramics compared to the same ones in Sb/Mn doped ceramics. The greatest shift of Curie temperature towards lower temperature has been noticed in Sb/Mn BaTiO3 ceramics compared to others samples. In all investigated samples the dielectric loss after initially large values at low frequency maintains a constant value for f>3 kHz.

Geologic e geoquímica do batólito Rapakivi Rio Branco, SW do Craton Amazônico - MT

The Rio Branco Rapakivi Batholith belongs to the Cachoeirinha Tectonic Domain, part of the Rio Negro-Juruena Geochronological Province located on the southwestern portion of the Amazonian Craton in Mato Grosso, Central Brasil. A systematic geological mapping on a 1:100.000 scale, coupled with petrographic and geochemical studies allowed to redefine this batholithic unit, to recognize faciological variations and to characterize the geochemical features of this rapakivi magmatism. The batholith is constituted by two major plutonic suites, the first forming a basic suite of fine-grained, equigranular, mesoto melanocratic gray to black lithotypes, with usually discontinuous porphyritic varieties located near the margins of the intrusion. The second one is characterized by acid to intermediate rocks constituted by porphyritic granites, in part granophyric, with rapakivi textures. They have K-feldspar phenocrysts of up to 4cm. Three distinct petrographic facies are recognized in this suite: 1. equigranular to pegmatitic monzogranites; 2. red rapakivi leuco-monzogranites; 3. dark red rapakivi monzogranites to quartz-monzonites. Rocks present SiO2 contents from 67% to 73%, show peraluminous to metaluminous compositions and define a high-K calc-alkaline to shoshonitic magmatism in an I- and A-type, post-orogenic to anorogenic intraplate environment. The magmatic processes are associated with the end of the collisional event that consolidated and stabilized the SW part of the Amazonian Craton.

Diffuse Effect of the Tungsten Doped Ba(Zr0.10Ti0.90)O3 Ferroelectric Ceramics

Barium zirconate titanate Ba(Ti0.90Zr0.10)O3 ceramics doped with WO3 (BZT:2W) have been prepared by a traditional solid phase reaction. The effect of temperature on the structural and electrical properties was investigated. X ray diffraction data evidenced formation of secondary phases for the samples sintered at 1300oC end 1350oC while the pure phase was attained at 1200oC. A modified Curie-Weiss law was used to describe the diffuseness of a phase transition. As temperature increases, the maximum dielectric permittivity decreased. The fine-grained sample showed a 'diffuse-like' ferroelectric behavior. The dielectric permittivity reaches a maximum value (εm ~6420 at 10 kHz) for the ceramics sintered at 1200oC for 4 hours.

Suíte vulcânica serra da bocaina, grupo amoguijá, maciço rio apa-MS

The Rio Apa Massif corresponds to the southeastern portion of the Amazonian Craton and crops out in the Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil. It is constituted by rocks of paleoproterozoic age of Rio Apa Complex, Alto Tererê Group and the plutonic-volcanic suites of the Amoguijá Group, subdivided in Alumiador Intrusive suits and Serra da Bocaina Volcanic. The Volcanic Suite is represented by São Francisco and Bocaina mountains and is constituted by terms of the composition of alkali - rhyolitic to rhyolitic, including in minor amounts riodacite, andesite and dacite. It consists of a variety of textual subvolcanic rocks, volcanic and varied volcanoclastics. The pyroclastic deposits are very expressive and consist of pyroclastic particle immerse in aphanitic matrix, fine grained or amorphous, where quartz, feldspar, chlorite, sericite, microlithes of carbonate, sparse spherulites and reliquiar volcanic glass can be distinguished. The pyroclastic rocks are represented by breccias, ignimbrites, agglomerate, tuffs, lapillistones and pumices and contain commonly vitroclasts, lithoclasts and crystalloclasts, pumices, fiammes, glass shards, spherulites, vesicles and amygdales. They are calc-alkaline rocks with dominant peraluminous character high to middle potassium series and define a sin-colisional dominant tectonic and are genetically associated to the evolution of the Amoguijá Magmatic Arc.

Development of ceramic cutting tools for future application on dry machining

Advanced ceramic materials constitute a mature technology with a very broad base of current and potential applications and a growing list of material compositions. Within the advanced ceramics category, silicon nitride based ceramics are wear-resistant, corrosion-resistant and lightweight materials, and are superior to many materials with regard to stability in high-temperature environments. Because of this combination the silicon nitride ceramics have an especially high potential to resolve a wide number of machining problems in the industries. Presently the Si3N4 ceramic cutting tool inserts are developed using additives powders that are pressed and sintered in the form of a cutting tool insert at a temperature of 1850 °C using pressureless sintering. The microstructure of the material was observed and analyzed using XRD, SEM, and the mechanical response of this array microstructure was characterized for hardness Vickers and fracture toughness. The results show that Si3N4/20 wt.% (AlN and Y 2O3) gives the best balance between hardness Vickers and fracture toughness. The Si3N4/15 wt.% (AlN and Y 2O3) composition allows the production of a very fine-grained microstructure with low decreasing of the fracture toughness and increased hardness Vickers. These ceramic cutting tools present adequate characteristics for future application on dry machining. © (2010) Trans Tech Publications.

Magmatismo do batólito rapakivi Rio Branco, sw do Cráton Amazônico (MT)

Rio Branco Rapakivi Batholith is located on the southwestern portion of the Amazonian Craton in Mato Grosso and belongs to the Cachoeirinha Tectonic Domain, part of the Rio Negro-Juruena Geochronological Province, Central Brasil. The batholith is constituted by microgabbros to quartz microgabbros and microdiorites to quartz microdiorites, middle to fine-grained equigranular to porphyritic varieties form the Rio Branco Intrusive Basic Suite, showing a discontinuous distribution and located near the margins of the intrusion.Majorly constituted by porphyritic, granophyric and isotropic facies of Rio Branco Intrusive Acid Suit which is composed by older dark red rapakivi monzogranites to quartz monzonites and quartz sienites (1403±0.6 Ma) and the younger red rapakivi leuco-monzogranites (1382±49 Ma) and late equigranular to pegmatitic monzogranites. The magmatism is constituted by two distinct magmas related to the end of the collisional event of Cachoeirinha Orogeny, one with alkaline basalts generated in an intraplate environment and the other postorogenic to anorogenic with peraluminous to metaluminous compositions and define a high-K calc-alkaline to shoshonitic magmatism in transition among the I- and A-types. The contacts are marked by extensive mafic sills and dikes of alkaline basalts derived from intraplate environment of the Salto do Céu Intrusive Basic Suite (±808 Ma) associate to the Sunsás-Aguapei Orogenic Belt and metasedimentary rocks of the Aguapeí Grup.

Suíte plutônica Alumiador, grupo Amonguijá, maciço rio apa - MS

The Rio Apa Massif corresponds the southern portion of the Amazon Craton and is located in the southwest of Mato Grosso do Sul State. It consists on Paleoproterozoic rocks of Rio Apa Complex, Alto Tererê Group and Amonguijá Group, is subdivided into Alumiador Plutonic Suite and Serra da Bocaina Volcanic Suite. The volcanic suite is comprises sub volcanic, volcanic and varied volcanoclastics rocks with composition ranging from alkali-rhyolitic to rhyolite types. The plutonic suite corresponds to an N-S elongated batholith and is characterized by four main segments delimited by NW-SE faults. The southern and central main segments, discussed in this paper, are characterized by the following petrographic facies: medium to fine grained hornblende-biotite monzogranites, coarse grained biotite monzogranites, graphic biotite sienogranites and muscovite sienogranites and the northern segment is contemporaneous and is composed of two different sequences of rocks, one acid and another of basic to ultrabasic composition. The southern and central segment consists of to chemically compatible rocks with the types I and A Granites. These are calc-alkaline rocks of high potassium to the shoshonitic and subalkaline. Constitute sin-collisional granites of metaluminous the peraluminous characters of the Amonguijá Magmatic Arc, but they exhibit late litotypes with chemical characteristics of post tectonic granites from intraplate environment.

Avaliação do desempenho de argamassas com adição de cinza do bagaço de cana-de-açúcar

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Processos, fácies e geometria do sistema turbidítico da formação Taciba/Membro Rio Segredo, faixa aflorante norte catarinense

Pós-graduação em Geociências e Meio Ambiente - IGCE

Diagênese da Formação Corumbataí na Mina Partezani, Rio Claro - SP

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

A sucessão siliciclástica-carbonática neocarbonífera da bacia do Amazonas, regiões de Monte Alegre e Itaituba (PA)

Registros sedimentares do Neocarbonífero, particularmente do Moscoviano, na Bacia do Amazonas, Norte do Brasil, caracterizam a zona de contato entre as formações Monte Alegre (rochas siliciclásticas) e Itaituba (rochas carbonáticas). A análise faciológica da sucessão Moscoviana de até 40 m de espessura, exposta na região de Monte Alegre e Itaituba, Estado do Pará, permitiu identificar 5 associações de fácies (AF), que correspondem a depósitos estabelecidos no ambiente costeiro, representados por dunas/intedunas eólicas (AF1), lençóis de areia/wadi (AF2), laguna/washover (AF3), praia/planície de maré (AF4) e laguna/delta de maré (AF5). A associação de campo de dunas/interdunas (AF1) é constituída por arenitos finos a médios, bimodais com estratificação cruzada de médio porte, laminação cavalgante transladante subcrítica e arenitos com gradação inversa. Arenitos finos com acamamento maciço, marcas de raízes e, subordinadamente, verrugas de aderência (adhesion warts), ocorrem nos limites dos sets de estratificação cruzada e indicam, respectivamente, paleossolos e migração de grãos por ação eólica sobre interduna úmida. Depósitos de lençóis de areia/wadi (AF2) são compostos de arenitos finos a médios com estratificação plano-paralela e laminação cavalgante transladante subcrítica, relacionados a superfícies de deflação (lençóis de areia), enquanto arenitos finos a médios com estratificações cruzadas tangencial e recumbente, e acamamento convoluto, caracterizam rios efêmeros com alta energia. Pelitos laminados e arenitos finos com laminação cruzada cavalgante, contendo o icnofóssil Palaeophycus, representam sedimentação em ambiente de baixa energia e foram agrupados na associação de laguna/washover (AF3). Os depósitos de praia/planície de maré (AF4) consistem em arenitos finos a médios, com estratificação plano-paralela a cruzada de baixo ângulo, intercalados com lentes de dolomito fino maciço, localmente truncados por arenitos finos a médios. Estas fácies foram formadas pelo fluxo-refluxo em ambiente de praia, localmente retrabalhadas por pequenos canais, enquanto o carbonato é interpretado como precipitado em poças (ponds). Na AF4 encontram-se também pelitos laminados com gretas de contração, lâminas curvadas de argila e arenitos com estratificação cruzada tabular de pequeno a médio porte, contendo filmes de argila sobre foresets e superfícies de reativação, sugerindo a migração de sandwaves na intermaré. A associação de laguna/delta de maré (AF5) é constituída por calcários dolomitizados (mudstones, wackestones, packstones e grainstones) com poros do tipo vug e móldicos e bioclastos de braquiópodes, equinodermas, foraminíferos, ostracodes, briozoários, trilobitas, moluscos e coral isolado não fragmentado, além do ichnofóssil Thalassinoides. Conglomerados com seixos de calcário dolomitizado, arenitos finos com estratificação cruzada de baixo ângulo e superfícies de reativação, localmente sobrepostos por arenitos finos com estratificação cruzada sigmoidal e laminação cruzada cavalgante, foram interpretados como depósitos de tidal inlet e delta de maré. As associações de fácies/microfácies e os dados paleontológicos descritos neste trabalho corroboram a predominância de ambientes lagunares, em parte, conectados a um ambiente desértico costeiro para o intervalo de transição entre as formações Monte Alegre e Itaituba. A abundância de grãos arredondados de areia fina nas fácies carbonáticas corrobora influxo siliciclástico advindo do ambiente desértico adjacente ao ambiente costeiro. Condições mais quentes e tropicais para a sucessão estudada são também indicadas pela presença de carbonatos e argilominerais como illita e, principalmente, esmectita, bem como uma fauna diversificada. Os litotipos siliciclásticos e carbonáticos intercalados que caracterizam a fase final da deposição Monte Alegre e o início da sedimentação Itaituba, justificam sua representação em um mesmo sistema deposicional costeiro.

The ceramic artifacts in archaeological black earth (terra preta) from lower Amazon region, Brazil: Mineralogy

Sítios arqueológicos com Terra Preta, denominados de Terra Preta de Índio ou ainda Terra Preta Arqueológica (TPA) são muito freqüentes na Amazônia. As TPA geralmente contém fragmentos de vasos cerâmicos, por vezes abundantes, além de líticos, que são materiais de grande importância para os estudos arqueológicos. Para consubstanciar esses estudos, realizou-se pesquisas mineralógicas e químicas em fragmentos cerâmicos provenientes de dois sítios arqueológicos da região de Cachoeira-Porteira, Estado do Pará. Os fragmentos foram classificados segundo seus principais temperos em: cauixi, cariapé, areia+feldspatos e caco de vaso cerâmico. Mineralogicamente são compostos de quartzo, minerais de argila calcinados (especialmente caulinita), feldspatos (albita e microclínio), hematita, goethita, maghemita, variscita-estrengita, fosfatos amorfos, anatásio, e raramente apatita, rhabdophana e óxidos de Mn e Ba. Cauixi e cariapé são componentes orgânicos silicosos e amorfos a DRX. A composição mineralógica e a morfologia dos seus grãos indicam saprólito (material argiloso rico em quartzo) derivado de rochas ígneas félsicas de granulação fina ou rochas sedimentares ricas em argilominerais como matéria-prima dos vasos cerâmicos. Neste material argiloso cauixi, cariapé e/ou areias, ricas em sílica, foram intencionalmente adicionados. O elevado conteúdo de fosfatos de Al-Fe, amorfos ou como de baixa cristalinidade, originou-se a partir do contato entre a matriz argilosa da parede do vaso cerâmico com a solução aquosa quente durante o cozimento diário de alimentos de origem animal (principal fonte de fósforo). A cristalização dos fosfatos deve ter prosseguida mesmo depois que os vasos foram descartados, e juntos com os restos de matéria orgânica vegetal e animal incorporaram-se aos solos residuais. Participaram desta forma na formação dos solos tipo TPA.