Social cohesion among kin, gene flow without dispersal and the evolution of population genetic structure in the killer whale (Orcinus orca)

In social species, breeding system and gregarious behavior are key factors influencing the evolution of large-scale population genetic structure. The killer whale is a highly social apex predator showing genetic differentiation in sympatry between populations of foraging specialists (ecotypes), and low levels of genetic diversity overall. Our comparative assessments of kinship, parentage and dispersal reveal high levels of kinship within local populations and ongoing male-mediated gene flow among them, including among ecotypes that are maximally divergent within the mtDNA phylogeny. Dispersal from natal populations was rare, implying that gene flow occurs without dispersal, as a result of reproduction during temporary interactions. Discordance between nuclear and mitochondrial phylogenies was consistent with earlier studies suggesting a stochastic basis for the magnitude of mtDNA differentiation between matrilines. Taken together our results show how the killer whale breeding system, coupled with social, dispersal and foraging behaviour, contributes to the evolution of population genetic structure.

Physico-chemical properties of Brazilian cocoa butter and industrial blends. Part II - Microstructure, polymorphic behavior and crystallization characteristics

The microstructural behavior of industrial standardized cocoa butter samples and cocoa butter samples from three different Brazilian states is compared. The cocoa butters were characterized by their microstructural patterns, crystallization kinetics and polymorphic habits. The evaluation of these parameters aided in establishing relationships between the chemical compositions and crystallization behavior of the samples, as well as differentiating them in terms of technological and industrial potential for use in tropical regions.

Gray Matter Volumes in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Before and After Fluoxetine or Cognitive-Behavior Therapy: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Serotonin reuptake inhibitors and cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) are considered first-line treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, little is known about their modulatory effects on regional brain morphology in OCD patients. We sought to document structural brain abnormalities in treatment-naive OCD patients and to determine the effects of pharmacological and cognitive-behavioral treatments on regional brain volumes. Treatment-naive patients with OCD (n = 38) underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging scan before and after a 12-week randomized clinical trial with either fluoxetine or group CBT. Matched-healthy controls (n = 36) were also scanned at baseline. Voxel-based morphometry was used to compare regional gray matter (GM) volumes of regions of interest (ROIs) placed in the orbitofrontal, anterior cingulate and temporolimbic cortices, striatum, and thalamus. Treatment-naive OCD patients presented smaller GM volume in the left putamen, bilateral medial orbitofrontal, and left anterior cingulate cortices than did controls (p<0.05, corrected for multiple comparisons). After treatment with either fluoxetine or CBT (n = 26), GM volume abnormalities in the left putamen were no longer detectable relative to controls. ROI-based within-group comparisons revealed that GM volume in the left putamen significantly increased (p<0.012) in fluoxetine-treated patients (n = 13), whereas no significant GM volume changes were observed in CBT-treated patients (n = 13). This study supports the involvement of orbitofronto/cingulo-striatal loops in the pathophysiology of OCD and suggests that fluoxetine and CBT may have distinct neurobiological mechanisms of action. Neuropsychopharmacology (2012) 37, 734-745; doi: 10.1038/npp.2011.250; published online 26 October 2011

The influence of large-scale circulation, transient and local processes on the seasonal circulation of the Eastern Brazilian Shelf, 13 degrees S

The circulation at the Eastern Brazilian Shelf (EBS), near 13 degrees S, is discussed in terms of the currents and hydrography, associating large-scale circulation, transient and local processes to establish a regional picture of the EBS circulation. The results show that the circulation within the continental shelf and slope region is strongly affected by the seasonal changes in the wind field and mesa/large-scale circulation. Transient processes associated to the passage of Cold Front systems or meso-scale activity and the presence of a local canyon add more complexity to the system. During the austral spring and summer seasons, the prevailing upwelling favorable winds blowing from E-NE were responsible for driving southwestward shelf currents. The interaction with the Western Boundary Current (the Brazil Current), especially during summer, was significant and a considerable vertical shear in the velocity field was observed at the outer shelf. The passage of a Cold Front system during the springtime caused a complete reversal of the mean flow and contributed to the deepening of the Mixed Layer Depth (MLD). In addition, the presence of Salvador Canyon, subject to an upwelling favorable boundary current, enhanced the upwelling system, when compared to the upwelling observed at the adjacent shelf. During the austral autumn and winter seasons the prevailing downwelling favorable winds blowing from the SE acted to total reverse the shelf circulation, resulting in a northeastward flow. The passage of a strong Cold Front, during the autumn season, contributed not only to the strengthening of the flow but also to the deepening of the MLD. The presence of the Salvador Canyon, when subject to a downwelling favorable boundary current, caused an intensification of the downwelling process. Interestingly, the alongshore velocity at the shelf region adjacent to the head of the canyon was less affected when compared to the upwelling situation.

Drying of Phytochemical Preparations in a Spouted Bed: Perspectives and Challenges

This article presents an overview of relevant issues to be considered in the development of standardized phytochemical preparations, focusing on the use of the spouted bed as a drying method. Aspects related to the effects of feed composition properties and processing parameters on system performance and product quality are addressed. From the information presented, it can be concluded that the spouted bed technology can be successfully applied for production of high-quality phytochemical preparations suitable for food and pharmaceutical purposes, considering the requirements for product safety, quality, and efficacy. Nevertheless, it should be emphasized that, at this time, the proposed technology is appropriate for small-scale production, mainly due to difficulties concerning scale-up, modeling, and the simulation of spouted bed systems, and also for predicting product properties and system behavior during operation.

Continuous enzymatic interesterification of lard and soybean oil blend: Effects of different flow rates on physical properties and acyl migration

Continuous enzymatic interesterification is an alternative to chemical interesterification for lipid modification technology which is economically viable for large scale use. A blend of 70% lard and 30% soybean oil was submitted to continuous enzymatic interesterification in a glass tubular bioreactor at flow rate ranging from 0.5 to 4.5 mL/min. The original mixture and the reaction products obtained were examined to determine melting and crystallization behavior by DSC, and analyzed for regiospecific fatty acid distribution. Continuous enzymatic interesterification changed the mixture, forming a new triacylglycerol composition, verified by DSC curves and variation in enthalpy of melting values. The regiospecific distribution of fatty acids was changed by flow variations in the reactor. In the continuous enzymatic interesterification reaction the flow rate of 4.5 mL/min, was more advantageous than slower flow rates, reducing acyl migration and increasing process productivity. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Personal and Social Performance (PSP) scale for patients with schizophrenia: translation to Portuguese, cross-cultural adaptation and interrater reliability

INTRODUCTION: Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder associated with impairment in social functioning. The most widely used scale to measure social functioning is the GAF (Global Assessment of Functioning), but it has the disadvantage of measuring at the same time symptoms and functioning, as described in its anchors. OBJECTIVES:Translation and cultural adaptation of the PSP, proposing a final version in Portuguese for use in Brazil. METHODS: We performed five steps: 1) translation; 2) back translation; 3) formal assessment of semantic equivalence; 4) debriefing; 5) analysis by experts. Interrater reliability (Intraclass correlation, ICC) between two raters was also measured. RESULTS: The final version was applied by two independent investigators in 18 adults with schizophrenia (DSM-IV-TR). The interrater reliability (ICC) was 0.812 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The translation and adaptation of the PSP had an adequate level of semantic equivalence between the Portuguese version and the original English version. There were no difficulties related to understanding the content expressed in the translated texts and terms. Its application was easy and it showed a good interrater reliability. The PSP is a valid instrument for the measurement of personal and social functioning in schizophrenia.

Behavioral problems and emotional stress in children with bruxism

Bruxism has a multifactorial etiology, and psychosocial factors have been considered to increase the risk of occurrence of this parafunction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the behavior profile of a group of children diagnosed with bruxism. Eighty 7-11-year-old children of both genders (mean age 8.8 years) first recruited as eligible participants. Twenty-nine children (18 males and 11 females) whose parents/guardians reported to present frequent episodes of tooth grinding/clenching while awake or during sleep (at least 3 nights a week) in the previous 3 months were enrolled in the study. The diagnosis of bruxism was established based on the parents/guardians' report about the children's behavior, habits and possible discomforts in the components of the stomatognathic system allied to the presence of signs and symptoms such as pain on the masticatory muscles, masseter muscle hypertrophy, wear facets, fractures of restorations, dental impressions on the cheek mucosa and tongue. As part of the psychological evaluation, the Rutter's Child Behavior Scale-A2 was applied to the parents/caregivers (one for each child) and the Child Stress Scale was applied to the children. Data were analyzed descriptively based on the frequency of each studied variable. Twenty-four (82.76%) children needed psychological or psychiatric intervention; 17 of them presented neurotic disorders and 7 children presented antisocial disorders. Six (20.70%) children presented significant physical and psychological manifestations of stress. The findings of the present study suggest that behavioral problems and potential emotional problems can be risk factors to bruxism in children.

Neonatally induced mild diabetes: influence on development, behavior and reproductive function of female Wistar rats

Abstract Background Neonatal STZ treatment induces a state of mild hyperglycemia in adult rats that disrupts metabolism and maternal/fetal interactions. The aim of this study was investigate the effect of neonatal STZ treatment on the physical development, behavior, and reproductive function of female Wistar rats from infancy to adulthood. Methods At birth, litters were assigned either to a Control (subcutaneous (s.c.) citrate buffer, n = 10) or STZ group, (streptozotocin (STZ) - 100 mg/kg-sc, n = 6). Blood glucose levels were measured on postnatal days (PND) 35, 84 and 120. In Experiment 1 body weight, length and the appearance of developmental milestones such as eye and vaginal opening were monitored. To assess the relative contribution of the initial and long term effects of STZ treatment this group was subdivided based on blood glucose levels recorded on PND 120: STZ hyperglycemic (between 120 and 300 mg/dl) and STZ normoglycemic (under 120 mg/dl). Behavioral activity was assessed in an open field on PND 21 and 75. In Experiment 2 estrous cyclicity, sexual behavior and circulating gonadotropin, ovarian steroid, and insulin levels were compared between control and STZ-hyperglycemic rats. In all measures the litter was the experimental unit. Parametric data were analyzed using one-way or, where appropriate, two-way ANOVA and significant effects were investigated using Tukey’s post hoc test. Fisher’s exact test was employed when data did not satisfy the assumption of normality e.g. presence of urine and fecal boli on the open field between groups. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05 for all data. Results As expected neonatal STZ treatment caused hyperglycemia and hypoinsulinemia in adulthood. STZ-treated pups also showed a temporary reduction in growth rate that probably reflected the early loss of circulating insulin. Hyperglycemic rats also exhibited a reduction in locomotor and exploratory behavior in the open field. Mild hyperglycemia did not impair gonadotropin levels or estrous cylicity but ovarian steroid concentrations were altered. Conclusions In female Wistar rats, neonatal STZ treatment impairs growth in infancy and results in mild hyperglycemia/hypoinsulinemia in adulthood that is associated with changes in the response to a novel environment and altered ovarian steroid hormone levels.

Computational methods for the analysis of protein structure and function

The vast majority of known proteins have not yet been experimentally characterized and little is known about their function. The design and implementation of computational tools can provide insight into the function of proteins based on their sequence, their structure, their evolutionary history and their association with other proteins. Knowledge of the three-dimensional (3D) structure of a protein can lead to a deep understanding of its mode of action and interaction, but currently the structures of <1% of sequences have been experimentally solved. For this reason, it became urgent to develop new methods that are able to computationally extract relevant information from protein sequence and structure. The starting point of my work has been the study of the properties of contacts between protein residues, since they constrain protein folding and characterize different protein structures. Prediction of residue contacts in proteins is an interesting problem whose solution may be useful in protein folding recognition and de novo design. The prediction of these contacts requires the study of the protein inter-residue distances related to the specific type of amino acid pair that are encoded in the so-called contact map. An interesting new way of analyzing those structures came out when network studies were introduced, with pivotal papers demonstrating that protein contact networks also exhibit small-world behavior. In order to highlight constraints for the prediction of protein contact maps and for applications in the field of protein structure prediction and/or reconstruction from experimentally determined contact maps, I studied to which extent the characteristic path length and clustering coefficient of the protein contacts network are values that reveal characteristic features of protein contact maps. Provided that residue contacts are known for a protein sequence, the major features of its 3D structure could be deduced by combining this knowledge with correctly predicted motifs of secondary structure. In the second part of my work I focused on a particular protein structural motif, the coiled-coil, known to mediate a variety of fundamental biological interactions. Coiled-coils are found in a variety of structural forms and in a wide range of proteins including, for example, small units such as leucine zippers that drive the dimerization of many transcription factors or more complex structures such as the family of viral proteins responsible for virus-host membrane fusion. The coiled-coil structural motif is estimated to account for 5-10% of the protein sequences in the various genomes. Given their biological importance, in my work I introduced a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) that exploits the evolutionary information derived from multiple sequence alignments, to predict coiled-coil regions and to discriminate coiled-coil sequences. The results indicate that the new HMM outperforms all the existing programs and can be adopted for the coiled-coil prediction and for large-scale genome annotation. Genome annotation is a key issue in modern computational biology, being the starting point towards the understanding of the complex processes involved in biological networks. The rapid growth in the number of protein sequences and structures available poses new fundamental problems that still deserve an interpretation. Nevertheless, these data are at the basis of the design of new strategies for tackling problems such as the prediction of protein structure and function. Experimental determination of the functions of all these proteins would be a hugely time-consuming and costly task and, in most instances, has not been carried out. As an example, currently, approximately only 20% of annotated proteins in the Homo sapiens genome have been experimentally characterized. A commonly adopted procedure for annotating protein sequences relies on the "inheritance through homology" based on the notion that similar sequences share similar functions and structures. This procedure consists in the assignment of sequences to a specific group of functionally related sequences which had been grouped through clustering techniques. The clustering procedure is based on suitable similarity rules, since predicting protein structure and function from sequence largely depends on the value of sequence identity. However, additional levels of complexity are due to multi-domain proteins, to proteins that share common domains but that do not necessarily share the same function, to the finding that different combinations of shared domains can lead to different biological roles. In the last part of this study I developed and validate a system that contributes to sequence annotation by taking advantage of a validated transfer through inheritance procedure of the molecular functions and of the structural templates. After a cross-genome comparison with the BLAST program, clusters were built on the basis of two stringent constraints on sequence identity and coverage of the alignment. The adopted measure explicity answers to the problem of multi-domain proteins annotation and allows a fine grain division of the whole set of proteomes used, that ensures cluster homogeneity in terms of sequence length. A high level of coverage of structure templates on the length of protein sequences within clusters ensures that multi-domain proteins when present can be templates for sequences of similar length. This annotation procedure includes the possibility of reliably transferring statistically validated functions and structures to sequences considering information available in the present data bases of molecular functions and structures.

Modelling and Design of Advanced Reliable Circuits and Devices for Energy Efficiency

Reliable electronic systems, namely a set of reliable electronic devices connected to each other and working correctly together for the same functionality, represent an essential ingredient for the large-scale commercial implementation of any technological advancement. Microelectronics technologies and new powerful integrated circuits provide noticeable improvements in performance and cost-effectiveness, and allow introducing electronic systems in increasingly diversified contexts. On the other hand, opening of new fields of application leads to new, unexplored reliability issues. The development of semiconductor device and electrical models (such as the well known SPICE models) able to describe the electrical behavior of devices and circuits, is a useful means to simulate and analyze the functionality of new electronic architectures and new technologies. Moreover, it represents an effective way to point out the reliability issues due to the employment of advanced electronic systems in new application contexts. In this thesis modeling and design of both advanced reliable circuits for general-purpose applications and devices for energy efficiency are considered. More in details, the following activities have been carried out: first, reliability issues in terms of security of standard communication protocols in wireless sensor networks are discussed. A new communication protocol is introduced, allows increasing the network security. Second, a novel scheme for the on-die measurement of either clock jitter or process parameter variations is proposed. The developed scheme can be used for an evaluation of both jitter and process parameter variations at low costs. Then, reliability issues in the field of “energy scavenging systems” have been analyzed. An accurate analysis and modeling of the effects of faults affecting circuit for energy harvesting from mechanical vibrations is performed. Finally, the problem of modeling the electrical and thermal behavior of photovoltaic (PV) cells under hot-spot condition is addressed with the development of an electrical and thermal model.

The influence of individual and colony level variation in behavior on colony performance in ants

In my dissertation I investigated the influence of behavioral variation between and within ant colonies on group performance. In particular, I analyzed how evolution shapes behavior in response to ecological conditions, and whether within-group diversity improves productivity as suggested by theory. Our field and laboratory experiments showed that behavioral diverse groups are more productive. Different aggression levels within colonies were beneficial under competitive field situations, whereas diversity in brood care and exploratory behavior were favored in non-competitive laboratory situations. We then examined whether population density and social parasite presence shape aggression through phenotypic plasticity and/or natural selection. The importance of selection was indicated by the absence of density or parasite effects on aggression in a field manipulation. Indeed, more aggressive colonies fared better under high density and during parasite attack. When analyzing the proximate causes of individual behavioral variation, ovarian development was shown to be linked to division of labor and aggressiveness. Finally, our studies show that differences in the collective behavior can be linked to immune defense and productivity. My dissertation demonstrates that behavioral variation should be studied on multiple scales and when possible combined with physiological analyses to better understand the evolution of animal personalities in social groups.rn

Wet and dry model granulates under mechanical load : a confocal microscopy study

Granular matter, also known as bulk solids, consists of discrete particles with sizes between micrometers and meters. They are present in many industrial applications as well as daily life, like in food processing, pharmaceutics or in the oil and mining industry. When handling granular matter the bulk solids are stored, mixed, conveyed or filtered. These techniques are based on observations in macroscopic experiments, i.e. rheological examinations of the bulk properties. Despite the amply investigations of bulk mechanics, the relation between single particle motion and macroscopic behavior is still not well understood. For exploring the microscopic properties on a single particle level, 3D imaging techniques are required.rnThe objective of this work was the investigation of single particle motions in a bulk system in 3D under an external mechanical load, i.e. compression and shear. During the mechanical load the structural and dynamical properties of these systems were examined with confocal microscopy. Therefor new granular model systems in the wet and dry state were designed and prepared. As the particles are solid bodies, their motion is described by six degrees of freedom. To explore their entire motion with all degrees of freedom, a technique to visualize the rotation of spherical micrometer sized particles in 3D was developed. rnOne of the foci during this dissertation was a model system for dry cohesive granular matter. In such systems the particle motion during a compression of the granular matter was investigated. In general the rotation of single particles was the more sensitive parameter compared to the translation. In regions with large structural changes the rotation had an earlier onset than the translation. In granular systems under shear, shear dilatation and shear zone formation were observed. Globally the granular sediments showed a shear behavior, which was known already from classical shear experiments, for example with Jenike cells. Locally the shear zone formation was enhanced, when near the applied load a pre-diluted region existed. In regions with constant volume fraction a mixing between the different particle layers occurred. In particular an exchange of particles between the current flowing region and the non-flowing region was observed. rnThe second focus was on model systems for wet granular matter, where an additional binding liquid is added to the particle suspension. To examine the 3D structure of the binding liquid on the micrometer scale independently from the particles, a second illumination and detection beam path was implemented. In shear and compression experiments of wet clusters and bulk systems completely different dynamics compared to dry cohesive models systems occured. In a Pickering emulsion-like system large structural changes predominantly occurred in the local environment of binding liquid droplets. These large local structural changes were due to an energy interplay between the energy stored in the binding droplet during its deformation and the binding energy of particles at the droplet interface. rnConfocal microscopy in combination with nanoindentation gave new insights into the single particle motions and dynamics of granular systems under a mechanical load. These novel experimental results can help to improve the understanding of the relationship between bulk properties of granular matter, such as volume fraction or yield stress and the dynamics on a single particle level.rnrn

The Costs of Municipal Curbside Recycling and Waste Collection

This paper estimates cost functions for both municipal solid waste collection and disposal services and curbside recycling programs. Cost data are obtained from a national survey of randomly selected municipalities. Results suggest, perhaps unsurprisingly, that both marginal and average costs of recycling systems exceed those of waste collection and disposal systems. Economies of scale are estimated for all observed quantities of waste collection and disposal. Economies of scale for recycling disappear at high levels of recycling - marginal and average cost curves for recycling take on the usual U-shape. Waste and recycling costs are also estimated as functions of factor costs and program attributes.

The Effects of Altered Prenatal Melatonin Signaling on Adult Behavior and Hippocampal Gene Expression of the Male Rat: A Circadioneuroendocrine-Axis Hypothesis of Psychopathology

Disturbances in melatonin - the neurohormone that signals environmental darkness as part of the circadian circuit of mammals - have been implicated in various psychopathologies in humans. At present, experimental evidence linking prenatal melatonin signaling to adult physiology, behavior, and gene expression is lacking. We hypothesized that administration of melatonin (5 mg/kg) or the melatonin receptor antagonist luzindole (5 mg/kg) to rats in utero would permanently alter the circadian circuit to produce differential growth, adult behavior, and hippocampal gene expressionin the male rat. Prenatal treatment was found to increase growth in melatonin-treated animals. In addition, subjects exposed to melatonin prenatally displayed increased rearing in the open field test and an increased right turn preference in the elevated plusmaze. Rats administered luzindole prenatally, however, displayed greater freezing and grooming behavior in the open field test and improved learning in the Morris water maze. Analysis of relative adult hippocampal gene expression with RT-PCR revealed increasedexpression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) with a trend toward increased expression of melatonin 1A (MEL1A) receptors in melatonin-exposed animals whereas overall prenatal treatment had a significant effect on microtubule-associated protein 2(MAP2) expression. Our data support the conclusion that the manipulation of maternal melatonin levels alters brain development and leads to physiological and behavioral abnormalities in adult offspring. We designate the term circadioneuroendocrine (CNE)axis and propose the CNE-axis hypothesis of psychopathology.