Foraging by the omnivorous crab Pachygrapsus transversus affects the structure of assemblages on sub-tropical rocky shores

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

A review of complete albinism in bats with five new cases from Brazil

Complete albinism is a rare phenomenon that occurs in all vertebrate groups. In bats, albinism has been recorded in several species but this information has not previously been reviewed in detail nor has there been an analysis of its importance. In this study, cases of albinism from the literature are checked and new cases are presented. Complete albinism in bats is documented in eight families, 38 species, and at least 64 individuals (47.4% female female and 52.6% males; n = 38). of these, 39 individuals were observed and/or captured in sheltered roosts, such as caves (51.3%), mines and galleries (20.5%), buildings (17.9%), and hollow-trees and bird boxes (7.7%). Only one albino bat (2.6%) was captured in an external roost (foliage). This individual is the fruit bat, Artibeus planirostris, which is recorded here for the first time. Information on four additional cases of albino individuals of the common vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus, is also presented. It is suggested that sheltered roosts favour survival of albino bars, offering protection against sunlight, water loss, and visually hunting predators.

Zooplankton composition, dominance and abundance as indicators of environmental compartmentalization in Jurumirim Reservoir (Paranapanema River), São Paulo, Brazil

Spatial and temporal patterns in the distribution of the zooplankton in a large tropical reservoir were investigated for a year. The zooplankton was sampled at 10 limnetic stations. Rotifera were richest in number of species and individuals, especially in transitional river-lake zones. They were dominant during the summer in nine sampling stations, and decreased in spring. The main species were Polyarthra vulgaris, Keratella americana, K. cochlearis and Conochilus unicornis. Polyarthra vulgaris was widely distributed. Keratella was more abundant at upstream stations, and a dense population of C. unicornis was observed in a lateral, sheltered compartment. Among copepods, Calanoida were more abundant in spring and Cyclopoida in autumn. Longitudinal gradients in the Calanoida/Cyclopoida relation were observed, with the predominance of Cyclopoida at upstream sampling stations and Calanoida in more lacustrine zones towards the dam. Notodiaptomus iheringi, Thermocyclops minutus and T. decipiens were the main species. Diaphanosoma birgei, the most abundant cladoceran, mainly occurred in lacustrine zones, while Moina minuta was more abundant at riverine sampling stations, generally in association with Bosminopsis deitersi. Peaks of tintinnid protozoans were observed in upstream zones during summer and spring.

Abundance and ecologic distribution of the shrimp Rimapenaeus constrictus (Crustacea : Penaeidae) on the northern coast of São Paulo State, Brazil

The abundance and ecologic distribution of the shrimp R. constrictus were compared among three different embayments within the northern coast of São Paulo State (23degreesS, 45degreesW); i.e. Mar Virado (MV), Ubatuba (UBA) and Ubatumirim (UBM). Key environmental factors were monitored for a better understanding of the distributional patterns of this species, namely temperature, salinity, depth, organic matter content and texture of sediments. In each bay, six transects were delimited, four parallel to the coastline and the other two in areas adjacent to rocky shores. Monthly samples were taken over a 2-year period (1998 and 1999), using a shrimp fishing boat equipped with double-rig nets. Abundance data were treated separately according to environmental characteristics. A total of 4978 specimens was obtained; 921 at MV, 1948 at UBA and 2109 at UBM. The spatial distribution of R. constrictus differed among bays. Higher abundance values were recorded at areas where silt and clay comprised less than 70% of the sediment. A more diversified sediment at UBM and UBA apparently favours the establishment of this species in the region. Its abundance also followed a seasonal trend, higher during spring and summer when intrusions of cold South Atlantic Coastal Waters (SACW) are frequent, promoting the migration of this shrimp to more sheltered areas. These results suggest that sediment type and temperature are the most important variables affecting the spatial and seasonal distribution of this species.

Phytoplankton composition, dominance and abundance as indicators of environmental compartmentalization in Jurumirim Reservoir (Paranapanema River), São Paulo, Brazil

Patterns in the spatial and temporal composition, dominance and abundance of the phytoplankton community of the Jurumirim Reservoir (Brazil) were studied during one year at ten different sampling stations. The main phytoplankton associations were characterized by diatoms and blue-green algae, in distinctive patterns of dominance. The main species were Microcystis aeruginosa Kuetz, Anabaena circinalis Rabenhorst, A. spiroides Kleb., A. solitaria Kleb., Aulacoseira cf. italica Grunow and A. granulata (Ehr.) Simon. A high growth of Aulacoseira was observed in the upstream zones of the reservoir in spring, at the beginning of the seasonal rainy period. This growth was a response to increased flow rates and input of fresh nutrients by the main feeder rivers. A high concentration of blue-green algae, especially Anabaena circinalis and A. spiroides, was observed in winter (dry season) in the lacustrine part of the reservoir, towards the dam. These algae benefitted from the longer water retention times and greater internal circulation of nutrients in the absence of a thermocline at this time of the year. Among the Cyanophyceae, there was an alternation between M. aeruginosa, more abundant in summer, and Anabaena, dominant in autumn and winter. A conspicuous growth of Anabaena occurred in a diverticle of the reservoir, sheltered from the main advective processes that predominate in the central channel. Higher phytoplankton diversity was associated with the contact zone between riverine and lacustrine systems.

Marine anomurans (Decapoda) from the non-consolidated sublittoral bottom at the southeastern coast of Brazil

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

Microhabitat use by species of the genera Bothrops and Crotalus (Viperidae) in semi-extensive captivity

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Interações socioculturais com a fauna silvestre em uma unidade de conservação na Amazônia: relações de gênero e geração

Este artigo descreve as interações socioculturalmente estabelecidas entre os moradores do rio Unini, Parque Nacional do Jaú, Amazônia central, com o conjunto da fauna silvestre local. Analisa a diversidade dessas interações e a reprodução das mesmas quando influenciadas por fatores de gênero e geração. Os procedimentos metodológicos adotados foram observação participativa e oficinas de grupos focais. Nessas oficinas, foram produzidas free-listings de animais silvestres relacionados a um determinado habitat. O grau de similaridade e dissimilaridade entre as listas foi analisado utilizando-se o Índice de Jaccard, ilustrado em dendrogramas. de maneira geral, as associações mentais entre elementos da fauna, habitat da floresta e nichos ecológicos que expressam as interações socioculturais dos indivíduos com os animais silvestres são bastante similares entre os membros da comunidade. No entanto, os efeitos de geração e de gênero são perceptíveis. A reprodução dessas interações perpassa pela questão do habitus, que estrutura o processo de socialização das interações culturais com a fauna local.

Preparação para o trabalho na Fundação CASA: as oficinas profissionalizantes

Este artigo, pensado a partir de nossa pesquisa de mestrado, pretende discutir a utilização das oficinas profissionalizantes oferecidas aos adolescentes da Unidade de Internação como possibilidade de reinserção social, com base em documentos da Fundação CASA e de entrevistas realizadas com ex-internos, professores e dirigentes da Unidade Modelo de Araraquara (SP).

Tetanorhynchus leonardosi (Mello-Leitão) (Orthoptera: Proscopiidae), nova praga em eucaliptos

We report for the first time the attack of the walking stick Tetanorhynchus leonardosi (Mello-Leitão) (Orthoptera: Proscopiidae) on young eucalyptus, Eucalyptus urophylla, in Brazil. The upper third of the trees was attacked (apical meristems and new leaves). During the hottest hours of the day the insects were found sheltered between leaves on the median third of the plants, and feeding when temperatures were milder. The attack was heterogeneous in the stand, being more concentrated when it was neighbouring an area of native 'Cerrado' vegetation. Mean defoliation was 5.8%, with an average of 5.2% of plants with apical meristems cut by the walking sticks. An application of Methyl Parathion was not effective against the pest. Apparently plants older than 6 months were less attacked by the insects, that preferred 3-month old trees. The reduction of native vegetation may explain the dispersion of T. leonardosi from its native host plants to the exotic eucalyptus.

Contribuições das técnicas projetivas gráficas para a compreensão da personalidade de andarilhos de estrada

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

A criança abrigada: considerações acerca do sentido da filiação

O presente artigo discute os sentidos da filiação para crianças abrigadas, vítimas de violência doméstica. O desejo dessas crianças de recuperar a filiação familiar é analisado como busca de um lugar psicossocial. As crianças abrigadas, que sofreram uma ruptura na filiação primeva e história de vida, flutuam entre vinculações efêmeras, sem referências de seu passado e sem pontos fixos e sólidos para seu assentamento no presente que lhes possam servir de guia ou de novas filiações. Tal condição de desfiliação é focalizada como tendência da sociedade contemporânea em afrouxar vinculações, movimentar os ancoradouros psicossociais e produzir desterritorializações, favorecendo uma subjetividade móvel, não identitária, desenlaçada de encaixes e conexões duradouros. Como conclusão, é apontada a continuidade histórica da vitimização da infância realizada pela condição de trânsito e passagem na qual vive, impeditiva de constituições de vínculos duradouros e sólidos que permitam uma suficiente estabilidade e segurança para a prospecção do mundo.

A oficina terapêutica como intercessão em problemáticas de sujeitos constituídos por foraclusão

O presente estudo é uma reflexão crítica sobre um estágio realizado para pensar o dispositivo Oficina na Atenção Psicossocial (CAPS), levantando, a partir da teoria psicanalítica lacaniana, questões que permitiram desenvolver um trabalho sobre o laço social de Lacan para refletir a posição de estagiários e usuários dentro da oficina e problematizar a melhor maneira de trabalhar quando tratamos de sujeitos constituídos pela foraclusão. A forma de trabalhar o sofrimento mental também é discutida a partir da clínica ampliada, que coloca a doença entre parênteses para enxergar o sujeito. A criação de uma oficina, destinada a sujeitos constituídos pela foraclusão, trabalha com a hipótese de reestruturação psíquica através da criação artística. Funcionaria como delírio para a saída do desmoronamento foraclusivo e na diminuição do gozoOutro. Considera-se a dimensão da enunciação, sempre atenta ao surgimento de significantes, com o objetivo de dar maior suporte aos usuários da instituição. O Dispositivo Oficina seria o lugar onde se realizaria esta importante forma de subjetivação.

Mapping oil spill environmental sensitivity in cardoso island state park and surroundings areas, São Paulo, Brazil

This study presents an environmental oil spill sensitivity map of Cardoso Island State Park, located in São Paulo state, Brazil, including some of its surrounding areas. This map was designed following the procedures determined by the Brazilian Federal Environment Organ (Ministry of the Environment), which separates coastal habitats in different littoral sensitivity indexes (LSI) to oil spills. We have also analysed some seasonal variations in morphologic and textural parameters at the local marine beaches that could affect their sensitivity, having found that they are more sensitive during summer due to a wider foreshore zone during these periods. Local most sensitive habitats are estuarine mangroves (LSI 10) and estuarine mud banks (LSI 9). Marine beaches were ranked LSI 3, and littoral rocky shores were subdivided in exposed flat rocky shores (LSI 1), boulder rocky shores (LSI 6) and sheltered rocky shores (LSI 8). Due to the elevated sensitivity of an estuarine system in the area, we considered necessary the installation of an Environmental Emergency Centre and the design of an emergency plan for the region in case of an accident resulting in oil spills within its vicinities. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A multimedia environment for supporting the teaching of robotics systems

This paper aims at describing an educational system for teaching and learning robotic systems. Multimedia resources were used to construct a virtual laboratory where users are able to use functionalities of a virtual robotic arm, by moving and clicking the mouse without caring about the detailed internal robot operation. Moreover through the multimedia system the user can interact with a real robot arm. The engineering students are the target public of the developed system. With its contents and interactive capabilities, it has been used as a support to the traditional face-to-face classes on the subject of robotics.. In the paper it is first introduced the metaphor of Virtual Laboratory used in the system. Next, it is described the Graphical and Multimedia Environment approach: an interactive graphic user interface with a 3D environment for simulation. Design and implementation issues of the real-time interactive multimedia learning system, which supports the W3C SMIL standard for presenting the real-time multimedia teaching material, are described. Finally, some preliminary conclusions and possible future works from this research are presented.