New meaning for the emotional state of the elderly, from a leisure standpoint

Continuing developments in science and technology that affect many dimensions of human life, especially those related to longevity, require responses from social policies and programmes to enable quality-of-life improvements in every sector, including leisure. To contribute to research in this area, this qualitative study sought to identify the perceptions of and meanings attached to participation in (active outdoor) leisure by a group of elderly citizens of Araras, São Paulo State, Brazil. Data were collected via questionnaires administered to a mixed-gender sample of 100 persons, aged between 60 and 80 years, after they had participated in an outdoor adventure/leisure programme. The data were subjected to thematic content analysis. The study revealed that the participants identified positive emotional effects as a result of their participation, relating to their sense of belonging to a group, to their increased quality of life and to their ability to remain physically active.

Two new species of Brachycephalus (Anura : Brachycephalidae) from the Atlantic Forest in Parana State, Southern Brazil

Two new species of brachycephalid frogs are described from Pico Marumbi, municipality of Morretes, and Pico da Igreja, municipality of Guaratuba, Parana State, southern Brazil. The new species share the following attributes: body bufoniform; skin on top of the head, and central part of the back body smooth with no dermal co-ossification; outer metatarsal tubercle distinct; dermal roofing bones of skull unornamented; all paired cranial bones distinct and not fused; quadratojugals, and maxillary odontoids present. The new species from Pico Marumbi is characterized by male SVL = 11.6-12.5 and female SVL = 13.0-14.5 turn; and general color orange with dorsal reddish-brown irregular markings, lateral surfaces with small dark brown spots, and belly with brownish spots and small dots. The new species from Pico da Igreja is characterized by male SVL = 12.6-13.9 and female SVL = 14.6-15.3 mm; and general color orange, lateral surfaces with small dark brown spots, and belly with brownish coalescent spots and small dots. Comparisons with other brachycephalid species and osteological data are provided.

New Species of Ischnocnema (Anura: Brachycephalidae) from the State of Minas Gerais, Southeastern Brazil, with Comments on the I. verrucosa Species Series

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

New species of Ischnocnema (Anura, Brachycephalidae) from the atlantic rainforest of the state of Espirito Santo, Brazil.

We describe a new species of Ischnocnema from Santa Teresa, in the Atlantic Rainforest of the State of Espirito Santo, Brazil. Ischnocnema abdita sp. nov. is a member of the Ischnocnema lactea species series; it differs from other Ischnocnema mainly by presenting small size (adult male SVL 15.7 [plus or minus] 0.49 mm; range 15.0-16.8 mm); small discs on fingers I and II, and elliptical, wider than long, moderate sized discs on fingers III and IV; and finger I slightly smaller than finger II. The new species closely resembles Ischnocnema bolbodactyla, differing from it by presenting upper and lower margins of iris red in life; inguinal region with many yellow blotches in life; posterior region of belly and ventral surfaces of thighs, shanks, and feet roughly marbled with large pale yellow blotches; and hidden dorsal area of thighs dark brown with few large pale yellow blotches.

A new species of Pseudopaludicola Miranda-Ribeiro, 1926 (Anura: Leiuperidae) from the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil, with comments on the geographic distribution of Pseudopaludicola canga Giaretta & Kokubum, 2003.

A new species of Pseudopaludicola is described from the state of Mato Grosso, western Brazil. The new species inhabits the transition zone between Brazilian Cerrado and Amazon rainforest in northern Mato Grosso, and is characterized by its medium size (snout-vent length 12-17 mm), lack of T-shaped terminal phalanges, toe tips not expanded laterally, presence of two antebrachial tubercles, and smooth upper eyelids. The advertisement call of the new species consists of a series composed of 11-74 non-pulsed notes. Mean dominant frequency is 3938 Hz. Each note presents a slight ascendant frequency modulation in its first half, and another ascendant modulation in its last half. We also present new data on the distribution and conservation status of Pseudopaludicola canga.

New occurrence of the rare genus Doliocatella (Stigonematales, Cyanophyceae)

A new occurrence of the genus Doliocatella (Cyanophyceae, Cyanobacteria) is reported. The type species of the genus, D. formosa, is described from a stream of the tropical Amazonian rainforest (Manaus, Amazonas State, Brazil). A detailed taxonomic description with photomicrographs and ecological characteristics are provided based on the three worldwide species records. D. formosa is characterized by the presence of uniseriate main filaments, cylindrical branches, and mostly cylindrical cells; heterocytes are absent. D. formosa occurs under limited and special conditions, i.e. habitats with low pH and relatively high temperatures. The species has a restricted ecological distribution, limited to tropical lotic ecosystems, but it is found over a relatively wide geographical range.

New aerophytic morphospecies of Nostoc (Cyanobacteria) from São Paulo State, Brazil

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

New aerophytic morphospecies of Cyanobacteria from tropical forest fragments in northwestern São Paulo state, Brazil

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

Corticolous green algae from tropical forest remnants in the northwest region of São Paulo State, Brazil

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

Two new species of phytoseiid mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae) from the State of São Paulo, Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Hyphessobrycon rutiliflavidus n. sp., a new characid fish from the upper rio Paraguai, State of Mato Grosso, Brazil (Characiformes : Characidae)

Hyphessobrycon rutiliflavidus, new species, is described from the upper rio Paraguai in Cuiaba, State of Mato Grosso, Brazil. The new species differs from all other congeners by the following combination of characters: black humeral spot, slightly diffuse at its tips, and caudal-peduncle blotch present; midlateral body stripe conspicuous in its posteriormost portion, extending to the tips of the middle caudal rays; anal fin with iii, 15 to iv, 19 rays (mode iv, 17); upper jaw length, 42.3 to 49.5% of the head length; maxilla with 2-5 teeth (mode 3); all the fins of males reddish-orange and of females yellowish.

Search for New Physics in the Multijet and Missing Transverse Momentum Final State in Proton-Proton Collisions at root s=7 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Rescaled range analysis of pluviometric records in SA o pound Paulo State, Brazil

This paper presents an analysis of pluviometric precipitation time series obtained from 45 data collection points, with daily rain measurements (in mm), from 45 counties within the nine climatic regions of the state of SA o pound Paulo, mostly for the period of 1950-1997. SA o pound Paulo State (Brazil) is situated between the inter-tropical climatic zone, dominated by tropical and equatorial masses, and the sub-tropical climatic zone controlled by tropical and polar air masses. Due to this location the State can be divided into three climatic zones: south-east and south-west, which are permanently humid, and north with a well defined dry period. Rescaled range analysis, or R/S analysis, has been used to investigate the scale properties of the time series. We found two clear values for the Hurst exponent, one for a period of 10 to 200 days (H(1)), and another for a period above 210 days (H(2)). The value of H(1) lies between 0.6 to 0.7 for all climatic zones indicating characteristics of persistence. However, H(2) is (i) close to 0.5 for the littoral area, showing random characteristics, (ii) close to 0.6 for mountain areas, indicating persistence characteristics, and (iii) close to 0.4 for the plane area, irrespective of whether the climate is dry or humid, and shows anti-persistence characteristics.

Predaceous ant fauna in new sugarcane fields in the state of São Paulo, Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)