Unusual early morning development of the equatorial anomaly in the Brazilian sector during the Halloween magnetic storm

The solar events that occurred at the end of October 2003 gave rise to very strong geomagnetic disturbances that peaked twice with Dst values reaching -345 nT around 0000 UT on 30 October and -400 nT around 2300 UT, on the same day. Disturbances in several ionospheric parameters were observed over Brazil. This work will focus on the ionospheric response to the initial westward prompt penetration electric field and on the strong intensification of the equatorial ionization anomaly that occurred because of the electric field polarity reversal that followed in the early morning hours of 29 October. The F layer peak height over the equator first decreased under the strong prompt penetration westward electric field, which was followed by significant height increase under eastward electric field. We have used Sheffield University Plasmasphere Ionosphere Model (SUPIM) with an intensified westward disturbed electric field in the presunrise hours, presumably due to prompt penetration from the magnetosphere, in order to study the effect of such a field in the ionosphere. The simulation results showed that prompt penetration of magnetospheric electric fields of westward polarity to the nightside equatorial region seems to be the most probable cause of the initial F layer height decreases. The intensification of the equatorial ionization anomaly and the unusual enhancement on F layer peak density, which was not modeled by the SUPIM, are explained as caused by the strong eastward electric field that followed the initial phase in combination with a highly variable disturbed meridional/transequatorial wind system as inferred from the F2 layer peak height variations. The highly dynamic wind pattern, with a short-term response (2-4 hours), is compatible with the predictions of some previous theoretical model calculations reported in the literature.

Flowering phenology, nectary structure and breeding system in Corymborkis flava (Spiranthoideae : Tropidieae), a terrestrial orchid from a Neotropical forest

Flowering phenology, breeding system and nectary structure of Corymborkis flava (Sw.) Kuntze were studied in a fragment of the Atlantic Forest in south-eastern Brazil. The flowering period extended from March (end of rainy season) to early June and seed dispersal occurred from June to September (dry season). Flowering peak occurred mainly in April, with up to 34 open flowers per plant being observed. The yellow, odourless and tubular flowers lasted similar to 7.8 days. The flowers present a perigonal nectary located in the basal lateral parts of the labellum; this is the first report on the nectary location and characterisation in the Tropidieae tribe. At the pre-anthesis stage, cells of both secretory parenchyma and epidermis of the nectary are filled with compound amyloplasts. However, starch grains were not observed in these tissues in senescent flowers, indicating that these starch grains are hydrolysed and used as source of sugars for nectar production. The nectar accumulates between the cuticle and the outer periclinal wall of the epidermal cells before. owing out into the nectar chamber. C. flava is a self-compatible species and spontaneous self-pollination does not occur because of hercogamy. The high pollinia removal (0.80) and insertion (0.82) per flower, as well as the high natural fruit-set indicate an efficient natural pollination system. The present study contributes for the knowledge of the diversity of reproductive strategies and nectary structures in Orchidaceae.

Simultaneous solidification of two catalyst wastes and their effect on the early stages of cement hydration

Two catalyst wastes (RNi and RAI) from polyol production were considered as hazardous, due to their respective high concentration of nickel and aluminum contents. This article presents the study, done to avoid environmental impacts, of the simultaneous solidification/stabilization of both catalyst wastes with type II Portland cement (CP) by non-conventional differential thermal analysis (NCDTA). This technique allows one to monitor the initial stages of cement hydration to evaluate the accelerating and/or retarding effects on the process due to the presence of the wastes and to identify the steps where the changes occur. Pastes with water/cement ratio equal to 0.5 were prepared, into which different amounts of each waste were added. NCDTA has the same basic principle of Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA), but differs in the fact that there is no external heating or cooling system as in the case of DTA. The thermal effects of the cement paste hydration with and without waste presence were evaluated from the energy released during the process in real time by acquiring the temperature data of the sample and reference using thermistors with 0.03 A degrees C resolution, coupled to an analog-digital interface. In the early stages of cement hydration retarding and accelerating effects occur, respectively due to RNi and RAl presence, with significant thermal effects. During the simultaneous use of the two waste catalysts for their stabilization process by solidification in cement, there is a synergic resulting effect, which allows better hydration operating conditions than when each waste is solidified separately. Thermogravimetric (TG) and derivative thermogravimetric analysis (DTG) of 4 and 24 h pastes allow a quantitative information about the main cement hydrated phases and confirm the same accelerating or retarding effects due to the presence of wastes indicated from respective NCDTA curves.

Modulation of Maternal Immune System During Pregnancy in the Cow

There is a molecular crosstalk between the trophoblast and maternal immune cells of bovine endometrium. The uterine cells are able to secrete cytokine/chemokines to either induce a suppressive environment for establishment of the pregnancy or to recruit immune cells to the endometrium to fight infections. Despite morphological differences between women and cows, mechanisms for immune tolerance during pregnancy seem to be conserved. Mechanisms for uterine immunesuppression in the cow include: reduced expression of major histocompatability proteins by the trophoblast; recruitment of macrophages to the pregnant endometrium; and modulation of immune-related genes in response to the presence of the conceptus. Recently, an eGFP transgenic cloned embryo model developed by our group showed that there is modulation of foetal proteins expressed at the site of syncytium formation, suggesting that foetal cell can regulate not only by the secretion of specific factors such as interferon-tau, but also by regulating their own protein expression to avoid excessive maternal recognition by the local immune system. Furthermore, foetal DNA can be detected in the maternal circulation; this may reflect the occurrence of an invasion of trophoblast cells and/or their fragment beyond the uterine basement membrane in the cow. In fact, the newly description of exosome release by the trophoblast cell suggests that could be a new fashion of maternal-foetal communication at the placental barrier. Additionally, recent global transcriptome studies on bovine endometrium suggested that the immune system is aware, from an immunological point of view, of the presence of the foetus in the cow during early pregnancy.

A radar reflectivity-runoff model for use in flood warning

This model connects directly the radar reflectivity data and hydrological variable runoff. The catchment is discretized in pixels (4 Km × 4 Km) with the same resolution of the CAPPI. Careful discretization is made so that every grid catchment pixel corresponds precisely to CAPPI grid cell. The basin is assumed a linear system and also time invariant. The forecast technique takes advantage of spatial and temporal resolutions obtained by the radar. The method uses only the measurements of the factor reflectivity distribution observed over the catchment area without using the reflectivity - rainfall rate transformation by the conventional Z-R relationships. The reflectivity values in each catchment pixel are translated to a gauging station by using a transfer function. This transfer function represents the travel time of the superficial water flowing through pixels in the drainage direction ending at the gauging station. The parameters used to compute the transfer function are concentration time and the physiographic catchment characteristics. -from Authors

Effect of different plot coverings on emergence and early development of seven palm species (arecaceae)

The Arecaceae family comprises plants with economical importance in many Brazilian regions, for agricultural exploration or for landscaping. In great portion, species of this family present low germination velocity and percentage. This work meant to evaluate the germination and early development of seven palm species (Archontophoenix alexandrae H. Wendl. et Drude, Copernicia prunifera (Miller) H.E. Moore, Latania commersonii Gmel., Livistona chinensis R. Br., Syagrus campos-portoana Bondar, Syagrus coronata (Mart.) Beccari, Syagrus picrophylla Barb. Rod.), submitted to three kinds of seed bed plot coverings. Three 10 x 2 m seedbeds were built and filled with a mixture of sand, soil and chicken manure (1:3:0.5 proportion), where two lines were sown with each specie. On top of each seedbed, plastic covering and fifty percent screen were set allowing one third of the seedbed to full sunlight exposure. Seedbeds were irrigated by dripping system. All species had the same germination rate, regardless of the covering, by the end of the experiment (146 days after sowing), eventhough, A. alexandrae under plastic covering conditions, L. commersonii at full sunlight exposure and Syagrus campos-portoana under fifty percent shade, had reached that percentage around 51 days after sowing. The remaining species reached the greatest germination percentage earlier with some of the coverings, rather than at full sunlight exposure. For the studied conditions, covering type had no effect in leaf length and width. For leaf number, there was interaction between species x covering type for Livistona chinensis and Copernicia prunifera.

Automatic system for thermal damage detection in manufacturing process with Internet monitoring

This work involved the development of a smart system dedicated to surface burning detection in the grinding process through constant monitoring of the process by acoustic emission and electrical power signals. A program in Visual Basic® for Windows® was developed, which collects the signals through an analog-digital converter and further processes them using burning detection algorithms already known. Three other parameters are proposed here and a comparative study carried out. When burning occurs, the newly developed software program sends a control signal warning the operator or interrupting the process, and delivers process information via the Internet. Parallel to this, the user can also interfere in the process via Internet, changing parameters and/or monitoring the grinding process. The findings of a comparative study of the various parameters are also discussed here. Copyright © 2006 by ABCM.

Early onset obsessive-compulsive disorder with and without tics

Introduction: Research suggests that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is not a unitary entity, but rather a highly heterogeneous condition, with complex and variable clinical manifestations. Objective: The aims of this study were to compare clinical and demographic characteristics of OCD patients with early and late age of onset of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS); and to compare the same features in early onset OCD with and without tics. The independent impact of age at onset and presence of tics on comorbidity patterns was investigated. Methods: Three hundred and thirty consecutive outpatients meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria for OCD were evaluated: 160 patients belonged to the early onset group (EOG): before 11 years of age, 75 patients had an intermediate onset (IOG), and 95 patients were from the late onset group (LOG): after 18 years of age. From the 160 EOG, 60 had comorbidity with tic disorders. The diagnostic instruments used were: the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale and the Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (DY-BOCS), Yale Global Tics Severity Scale; and Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders-patient edition. Statistical tests used were: Mann-Whitney, full Bayesian significance test, and logistic regression. © MBL Communications Inc.

Continuous measurement of cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO 2) for assessment of cardiovascular status during hemorrhagic shock in a swine model

Background: Early trauma care is dependent on subjective assessments and sporadic vital sign assessments. We hypothesized that near-infrared spectroscopy-measured cerebral oxygenation (regional oxygen saturation [rSO 2]) would provide a tool to detect cardiovascular compromise during active hemorrhage. We compared rSO 2 with invasively measured mixed venous oxygen saturation (SvO2), mean arterial pressure (MAP), cardiac output, heart rate, and calculated pulse pressure. Methods: Six propofol-anesthetized instrumented swine were subjected to a fixed-rate hemorrhage until cardiovascular collapse. rSO 2 was monitored with noninvasively measured cerebral oximetry; SvO2 was measured with a fiber optic pulmonary arterial catheter. As an assessment of the time responsiveness of each variable, we recorded minutes from start of the hemorrhage for each variable achieving a 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% change compared with baseline. Results: Mean time to cardiovascular collapse was 35 minutes ± 11 minutes (54 ± 17% total blood volume). Cerebral rSO 2 began a steady decline at an average MAP of 78 mm Hg ± 17 mm Hg, well above the expected autoregulatory threshold of cerebral blood flow. The 5%, 10%, and 15% decreases in rSO 2 during hemorrhage occurred at a similar times to SvO2, but rSO 2 lagged 6 minutes behind the equivalent percentage decreases in MAP. There was a higher correlation between rSO 2 versus MAP (R =0.72) than SvO2 versus MAP (R =0.55). Conclusions: Near-infrared spectroscopy- measured rSO 2 provided reproducible decreases during hemorrhage that were similar in time course to invasively measured cardiac output and SvO2 but delayed 5 to 9 minutes compared with MAP and pulse pressure. rSO 2 may provide an earlier warning of worsening hemorrhagic shock for prompt interventions in patients with trauma when continuous arterial BP measurements are unavailable. © 2012 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Reform to health system financing in Chile

Includes bibliography

South American transport statistics system (Setas)

A meeting of experts was held in Santiago, Chile on 27 and 28 October 1999 to mark the start of the project for the development of the South American Transport Statistics System (SETAS). The main objective of the meeting was to analyse different elements for the development of a SETAS pilot project. The meeting was attended by representatives of Bolivia, Brazil and Chile, the countries chosen to participate in this early stage of the project's development. Officials from the Latin American Integration Association (LAIA), and from the Statistics and Economic Projections Division and the Transport Unit, Natural Resources and Infrastructure Division of ECLAC also participated. This edition of the FAL Bulletin focuses on this regional effort, listing the specifications and components of the SETAS pilot plan and the results expected from its implementation.

Neostructuralism and heterodox thinking in Latin America and the Caribbean in the early twenty-first century

The thinking that has unilaterally dominated economic science for over five decades has recently come under intensive scrutiny and its validity and conceptual and empirical coherence are the subject of controversy. Thus the limitations of the prevailing paradigm for addressing the failures of free market economies have been laid bare. For Latin America and the Caribbean, these failures are structural in nature, as indeed structuralism proposed in its time. Neostructuralism delves more deeply into the issues addressed in structuralism, aiming to improve positioning in the international economy, boost productive employment creation, reduce structural heterogeneity and improve income distribution, while maintaining financial balances capable of sustaining changes in the sphere of production by means of social and State support. Far from being an insular system of thinking, neostructuralism is an open system that lends itself to dialogue with other philosophies that recognize the limitations of the dominant paradigm and object to its methodological monism. This book offers a fresh look at neostructuralism and heterodox thinking at the start of the twenty-first century. In a context shaped by the impacts of the worst economic and financial crisis since the Great Depression and by paradigmatic changes at the global level, it aims to carve out arenas for discussion between alternative lines of thinking in order to lay the foundations for a socioeconomically inclusive and environmentally sustainable model of development for the region.

Intercropping soybean and palisade grass for enhanced land use efficiency and revenue in a no till system

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

Development of a CAD system for automatic classification of microcalcifications based on FPGA

This paper presents a Computer Aided Diagnosis (CAD) system that automatically classifies microcalcifications detected on digital mammograms into one of the five types proposed by Michele Le Gal, a classification scheme that allows radiologists to determine whether a breast tumor is malignant or not without the need for surgeries. The developed system uses a combination of wavelets and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and is executed on an Altera DE2-115 Development Kit, a kit containing a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) that allows the system to be smaller, cheaper and more energy efficient. Results have shown that the system was able to correctly classify 96.67% of test samples, which can be used as a second opinion by radiologists in breast cancer early diagnosis. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

An Inherited Small Microdeletion at 15q13.3 in a Patient with Early- Onset Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

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