Genetic structure of red-handed howler monkey populations in the fragmented landscape of Eastern Brazilian Amazonia

We genotyped 15 microsatellite loci in order to evaluate the effects of habitat fragmentation, caused by flooding of the Tucuruí reservoir, on the genetic structure of Alouatta belzebul in eastern Amazonia. The analysis included two populations sampled in 1984, representing both margins of the Tocantins river, and three populations sampled 18 years later. Minimal differences in the diversity levels between present-day (Ho = 0.62-0.69 and AR = 6.07-7.21) and pre-flooding (Ho = 0.60-0.62 and AR = 6.27-6.77) populations indicated there was no significant loss of genetic variability, possibly because of successful management strategies applied during the flooding. The changes observed were limited to shifts in the composition of alleles, which presumably reflect the admixture of subpopulations during flooding. Given this, there were significant differences in the Rst values (p = 0.05) in all but one between-site comparison. Both present-day and original populations showed a deficit of heterozygotes, which suggests that this may be typical of the species, at least at a local level, perhaps because of specific ecological characteristics. The relatively large number of private alleles recorded in all populations may be a consequence of the Wahlund effect resulting from population admixture or a process of expansion rather than the loss of rare alleles through genetic drift. Additionally, the levels of genetic variability observed in this study were higher than those reported for other species of Neotropical primates, suggesting good fitness levels in these A. belzebul populations. Regular genetic monitoring of remnant populations, especially on islands, should nevertheless be an integral component of long-term management strategies.

Environmental changes in the western Amazônia: morphological framewor, geochemistry, palynology and radiocarbon dating data

Os sedimentos do lago Coari, de ambiente de terra firme esculpido nos depósitos do Plio-Pleistocenos, e o Acará, típico lago de várzea e ambos formados nos sedimentos quaternários da planície de inundação do médio Solimões, no oeste da Amazônia, Brasil, foram estudados para investigar as condições ambientais durante sua formação. Este estudo inclui dados da composição mineralógica, química, isótopos de Pb, palinologia, datações de radiocarbono e a configuração morfológica dos lagos obtida por imagens SRTM. As condições geológica e ambiental dos lagos variam e sugerem que suas evoluções refletem processos autogenéticos em condições de floresta úmida e chuvosa. Embora caulinita, quartz, muscovita, illita e esmectita sejam os principais minerais em ambos os lagos, a geoquímica indica fonte distinta, os sedimentos do lago Acará têm maior concentração de Al2O3, Fe2O3, FeO, CaO, K2O, MgO, Na2O, P2O5, Ba, V, Cu, Ni, Zn, Pb, Sr, Li, Y e La e têm mais Pb radiogênico que os sedimentos do lago Coari. As idades de radiocarbono sugerem que há aproximadamente 10160 anos AP o lago Coari iniciou o desenvolvimento devido a avulsão do rio Solimões, enquanto o lago Acará foi formado devido ao abandono de meandro do rio Solimões e retendo o domínio das gramíneas nas suas praias há aproximadamente 3710 anos AP.

Social movement, public policy changes and partnerships building for local development

O artigo discute a influência do movimento social rural sobre as mudanças na política de apoio ao pequeno produtor rural e para a criação de parcerias entre o Governo e as Organizações Locais para o desenvolvimento local na Amazônia, em particular no estado do Pará. O objetivo do artigo é examinar a parceria como um resultado de um processo interativo entre as mudanças nas políticas públicas e as demandas dos movimentos sociais. O artigo mostra que embora os movimentos sociais façam parte de uma relação conflituosa entre o Estado e a sociedade civil, tais movimentos no estado do Pará foram uma pré-condição para mudanças na política pública, estrutura de financiamento e prioridades das agencias regionais que resultaram em proposições para cooperação entre o Governo e as Organizações Locais em nível municipal.

Modular Hyperthermostable Bacterial Endo-beta-1, 4-Mannanase: Molecular Shape, Flexibility and Temperature-Dependent Conformational Changes

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

Er3+-doped Y2O3 obtained by polymeric precursor: Synthesis, structure and upconversion emission properties

The relentless pursuit for materials containing rare earth ions with photoluminescent properties has led to several studies with applications in the development of new technologies. The main focus of this work is the preparation of Er3+-doped polycrystalline Y2O3 with photoluminescent properties using PEG as an organic precursor and heat-treated at different temperatures. The methodology used in this synthesis is highly attractive due to its high feasibility for improved technology and low cost for preparing materials. The behavior of the viscous resin has been evaluated and the final compounds exhibited the formation of a cubic polycrystalline phase, which is able to support variations in Er3+ doping concentrations up to 10 mol%, without significant changes in the polycrystalline parameters. The values of the nanocrystallite size calculated by Scherrer's equation showed direct dependence on the heat-treatment temperature as well as the Er3+ concentration. Intense emission in the visible region under excitation at 980 nm was attributed to an upconversion phenomenon assigned to the intraconfigurational f-f transitions of Er3+ ions. The upconversion mechanism was investigated and it was demonstrated that the higher intense emission in the red region in comparison to the emission in the green region is related to the crystallite size. The studies about the intensity showed the dependence of upconversion emission of power source, indicating that two-photon are responsible for the green and red photoluminescence. These polycrystalline materials exhibit properties that make them promising for use in solar energy systems, C-telecom band or solid-state laser devices. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Insight into the Effects of Fe Addition on the Local Structure and Electronic Properties of SrTiO3

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Structural and functional characterization of the chaperone Hsp70 from sugarcane. Insights into conformational changes during cycling from cross-linking/mass spectrometry assays

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

Temporal and Spatial Scaling of the Genetic Structure of a Vector-Borne Plant Pathogen

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Changes in the synganglion of Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille,. 1806) (Acari: Ixodidae) female ticks exposed to permethrin: An ultrastructural overview

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

The structure of bird communities in areas revegetated after mining in southern Brazil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Selective DMSO-induced conformational changes in proteins from Raman optical activity

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

Reconstructing past ecological networks: the reconfiguration of seed-dispersal interactions after megafaunal extinction

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

Effect of Zn2+ ions on the structure, morphology and optical properties of CaWO4 microcrystals

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Elucidating the crystal structure of the antimalarial drug (+/-)-mefloquine hydrochloride: a tetragonal hydrated species

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

Investigation of chemical changes in sealers during application of the warm vertical compaction technique

Aim To assess (i) heat generated by pluggers during warm vertical compaction of gutta-percha and investigation of temperature changes on the external root surface during canal filling, and (ii) the chemical changes of root canal sealers induced by heat.Methodology Four sealers, namely AH Plus, MTA Plus and two other experimental sealers based on tricalcium silicate, were characterised. External temperatures generated on the root surface during warm vertical compaction of gutta-percha with different sealers inside the root canal were monitored using an infrared thermography camera. Chemical changes induced by heating the sealers were assessed by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy.Results MTA Plus and the experimental sealers were composed of a cement and radiopacifier, with epoxy resin or a water-soluble polymer as dispersant, whilst AH Plus was epoxy resin-based. The heat generated at the tips of the continuous wave pluggers was found to be lower than the temperature set and indicated on the device LCD display. The sealers reduced the heat generated on the external root surfaces during the heating phase. AH Plus sustained changes to its chemical structure after exposure to heat, whilst the other sealers were unaffected.Conclusions The temperatures recorded at the tips of continuous wave pluggers varied with their taper and were lower than the temperature set on the System B LCD display. Root canal sealers reduced the dissipation of heat generated during warm vertical compaction, with the temperature at the external root surface maintained at 37-41 degrees C, a temperature below that is necessary to cause irreversible damage to bone and periodontium. The use of AH Plus sealer during warm vertical compaction techniques results in chemical changes in the sealer. The effect on sealer properties needs to be further investigated.