Change in Mesoherbivore Browsing Is Mediated by Elephant and Hillslope Position

Elephant are considered major drivers of ecosystems, but their effects within small-scale landscape features and on other herbivores still remain unclear. Elephant impact on vegetation has been widely studied in areas where elephant have been present for many years. We therefore examined the combined effect of short-term elephant presence (< 4 years) and hillslope position on tree species assemblages, resource availability, browsing intensity and soil properties. Short-term elephant presence did not affect woody species assemblages, but did affect height distribution, with greater sapling densities in elephant access areas. Overall tree and stem densities were also not affected by elephant. By contrast, slope position affected woody species assemblages, but not height distributions and densities. Variation in species assemblages was statistically best explained by levels of total cations, Zinc, sand and clay. Although elephant and mesoherbivore browsing intensities were unaffected by slope position, we found lower mesoherbivore browsing intensity on crests with high elephant browsing intensity. Thus, elephant appear to indirectly facilitate the survival of saplings, via the displacement of mesoherbivores, providing a window of opportunity for saplings to grow into taller trees. In the short-term, effects of elephant can be minor and in the opposite direction of expectation. In addition, such behavioural displacement promotes recruitment of saplings into larger height classes. The interaction between slope position and elephant effect found here is in contrast with other studies, and illustrates the importance of examining ecosystem complexity as a function of variation in species presence and topography. The absence of a direct effect of elephant on vegetation, but the presence of an effect on mesoherbivore browsing, is relevant for conservation areas especially where both herbivore groups are actively managed.

Alma, cuerpo y mente : Santo Tomás y algunos contemporáneos

No necesitamos justificar la actualidad del problema mente-cuerpo en una parte importante de la filosofía contemporánea. Puede decirse que el nacimiento oficial del asunto se remonta a dos artículos pioneros aparecidos en 1958 y en 1959 escritos por Herbert Feigl el primero y J.J.C. Smart el segundo. Se trata de un asunto planteado en buena medida a partir de los descubrimientos en materia de anatomía y fisiología cerebral y de la relevancia del funcionamiento del cerebro en los actos mentales. Sin ánimo de simplificar excesivamente, puede decirse que las neurociencias se proponen hallar en la complejidad de la organización cerebral la explicación fundamental de la mente misma, e incluso de los actos humanos.

[Discurso do Deputado Castro Costa : Sessão da Câmara dos Deputados de 08 de novembro de 1962]

Comenta o discurso do Deputado Herbert Levy em relação às condições de funcionamento da administração pública em Brasília e em relação a críticas feitas ao Senador Pedro Ludovico. Declara ser impossível admitir o retorno da capital do país para o Rio de Janeiro.

Diário da Constituinte [gravação de vídeo] : [programa n. 502 ]

A constituinte começa a votar as mudanças no poder judiciário. Portadores do vírus HIV levam apelo ao Congresso. O presidente da Associação Brasileira Interdisciplinar da AIDS, Herbert de Souza, se reuniu com líderes de diversos partidos e apresentou um projeto de lei que puni com a prisão o doador que fizer doação de sangue sabendo que é portador do vírus HIV. Ele sugeriu também que atividades hemoterápicas sejam exercidas sem fins lucrativos, além de punição aos hospitais que se recusarem a atender pessoas soropositivas. A constituinte começou a votar todo o capítulo sobre o poder judiciário. A constituinte começou a votar o capítulo do Poder Judiciário. Existem algumas mudanças nesse capítulo como: o habeas data, mandado de injunção e o mandato de segurança coletivo. Alguns constituintes querem outras mudanças. Como o constituinte Paulo Pimentel que quer alterar o atual projeto de constituição no artigo em que se cria o Conselho Nacional de Justiça. Para ele esse conselho deveria ser suprimido. A sessão começou com a votação do substitutivo de Centrão sobre Poder Judiciário. O texto foi aprovado sem maiores discussões, graças a um acordo de lideranças. Foram 359 votos a favor e 10 contra. A primeira emenda a ser votada foi a do constituinte Oswaldo Trevisan que propõe a federalização da justiça. Mas a emenda acabou sendo rejeitada. Foi aprovada a emenda que propõe que o ingresso na carreira judiciária aconteça por meio do cargo de juiz substituto e de concurso público. Essa proposta foi feita pelos deputados Nelson Aguiar e Konder Reis. A sessão continuará ao longo da noite, sendo que quase todas as emendas que tratam do Poder Judiciário poderão ser votadas.

Cruise Report 66-S-1

(PDF contains 3 pages.)

Diário da Constituinte [gravação de vídeo] : [programa n. 750]

Trata da questão da comercialização e doação de sangue e de órgãos. Uma Lei Complementar será criada para que a doação seja de livre e espontânea vontade.

Cruise Report 63-S-4 - Albacore

(PDF contains 3 pages.)

Cruise Report 64-S-3 - Albacore

(PDF contains 3 pages.)

Synopsis of biological data on the pink shrimp, Pandalus borealis Kroyer, 1838

This synopsis of the literature was designed to summarize the biological and biochemical studies involving Pandalus borealis as well as to provide a summary of the literature regarding the fisheries data published before early 1984. Included are many unpublished observations, drawn from studies at the State of Maine Department of Marine Resources Laboratory in West Boothbay Harbor, Maine. (PDF file contains 63 pages.)

Diário da Constituinte [gravação de vídeo] : [programa n. 502]

A constituinte começa a votar as mudanças no Poder Judiciário. Portadores do vírus HIV levam apelo ao Congresso. O presidente da Associação Brasileira Interdisciplinar da AIDS, Herbert de Souza, se reuniu com líderes de diversos partidos e apresentou um projeto de lei que pune com a prisão o doador que fizer doação de sangue sabendo que é portador do vírus HIV. Ele sugeriu também que as atividades hemoterápicas sejam exercidas sem fins lucrativos, além de punição aos hospitais que se recusarem a atender pessoas soropositivas. A constituinte começou a votar todo o capítulo sobre o Poder Judiciário. Existem algumas mudanças nesse capítulo como: o habeas data, mandado de injunção e o mandato de segurança coletivo. Alguns constituintes querem outras mudanças. Como o constituinte Paulo Pimentel que quer alterar o atual projeto de Constituição no artigo em que se cria o Conselho Nacional de Justiça. Para ele esse conselho deveria ser suprimido. A sessão começou com a votação do substitutivo de Centrão sobre o Poder Judiciário. O texto foi aprovado sem maiores discussões, graças a um acordo de lideranças. Foram 359 votos a favor e 10 contra. A primeira emenda a ser votada foi a do constituinte Oswaldo Trevisan, que propõe a federalização da justiça. Mas a emenda acabou sendo rejeitada. Foi aprovada a emenda que propõe que o ingresso na carreira judiciária aconteça por meio do cargo de juiz substituto e de concurso público. Essa proposta foi feita pelos deputados Nelson Aguiar e Konder Reis. A sessão continuará ao longo da noite, sendo que quase todas as emendas que tratam do Poder Judiciário poderão ser votadas.

Experimente über die Wirkung von UV-B auf pelagische Fischembryonen in einem Sonnenscheinsimulator

One of the supposed effects of the observed ozone depletion is the increase of solar UV-B irradiation at the seasurface. This will cause an impact on certain compartments of marine ecosystems. Especially, sensitive developmental stages of pelagic fish embryos might be affected. Embryos of dab (Limanda limanda) and plaice (Pleuronectes plalessa) were experimentally exposed 10 different amounts of UVB irradiation in a sunshine simulator. This programmable device allows the dosage of realistic solar irradiation in quality and guantity. Experiments were carried out in March 1995 and February 1996. Either artificially inserninated and reared emhryos of dab and plaice or embryos caught in the German Bight were exposed to simulated solar irradiation. The 1995 experiments served to identify the effective irradiation dosages. For the 1996 experiments irradiation applied was much lower, being dose to realistic valucs expected over the North Sea as a consequence of ozone depletion. The following end points were studied: 1. Mortality, 2. sublethal morphological effects (malformations), 3. DNA damage, 4. changes in buoyancy of embryos measured as changes in osmolarity of the perivitelline fluid. Conditions for the simulation of daylight were a c1oudless sky with a solar zenith distance of 34 % (air mass 1.2). The adopted ozone depletion was 40 % corresponding to 180 DU (Dobson Units) instead of 300 DU. In the 1995 experiments time and dosage dependent influenccs on mortality and buoyancy of embryos of dab and plaice were found. Even in those embryos which were protected from the UV-B spectral range a loss of buoyancy was registered after 12 hours in the simulator. No diffcrences in DNA integrity as determined by DNA unwinding of exposed and control embryos were found. Also with lower amounts of irradiation in the 1996 experiments dosage dependent acute mortality, malformations, and impact on the buoyancy of the emhryos was registered. Sublethal effects occurred as well in embryos protected against UV-B in the exposure chambers, but were not found in the dark controls. The impact of low dosages of UV-B on the buoyancy of pelagic fish embryos might indicate an important ecological threat and deserves further studies.

Z-selective olefin metathesis using chelating ruthenium alkylidene catalysts

Publications about olefin metathesis will generally discuss how the discovery and development of well-defined catalysts to carry out this unique transformation have revolutionized many fields, from natural product and materials chemistry, to green chemistry and biology. However, until recently, an entire manifestation of this methodology had been inaccessible. Except for a few select examples, metathesis catalysts favor the thermodynamic trans- or E-olefin products in cross metathesis (CM), macrocyclic ring closing metathesis (mRCM), ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP), and many other types of reactions. Judicious choice of substrates had allowed for the direct synthesis of cis- or Z-olefins or species that could be converted upon further reaction, however the catalyst controlled synthesis of Z-olefins was not possible until very recently.

Research into the structure and stability of metallacyclobutane intermediates has led to the proposal of models to impart Z-selectivity in metathesis reactions. Having the ability to influence the orientation of metallacyclobutane substituents to cause productive formation of Z- double bonds using steric and electronic effects was highly desired. The first successful realization of this concept was by Schrock and Hoveyda et al. who synthesized monoaryloxide pyrolidine (MAP) complexes of tungsten and molybdenum that promoted Z-selective CM. The Z-selectivity of these catalysts was attributed to the difference in the size of the two axial ligands. This size difference influences the orientation of the substituents on the forming/incipient metallacyclobutane intermediate to a cis-geometry and leads to productive formation of Z-olefins. These catalysts have shown great utility in the synthesis of complicated natural product precursors and stereoregular polymers. More recently, ruthenium catalysts capable of promoting Z-selective metathesis have been reported by our group and others. This thesis will discuss the development of ruthenium-based NHC chelated Z-selective catalysts, studies probing their unique metathesis mechanism, and synthetic applications that have been investigated thus far.

Chapter 1 will focus on studies into the stability of NHC chelated complexes and the synthesis of new and improved stable chelating architectures. Chapter 2 will discuss applications of the highly active and Z-selective developed in Chapter 1, including the formation of lepidopteran female sex pheromones using olefin cross metathesis and highly Z- and highly E-macrocycles using macrocyclic ring closing metathesis and Z-selective ethenolysis. Chapter 3 will explore studies into the unique mechanism of olefin metathesis reactions catalyzed by these NHC chelated, highly Z-selective catalysts, explaining observed trends by investigating the stability of relevant, substituted metallacyclobutane intermediates.