Botutatu: nova cultivar de amendoim (Arachis hypogaea L.)

Botutatu is a new released peanut cultivar, selected from the Brazilian cultivar Tatu by progeny testing. It belongs to Valencia type and has similar characteristics of cultivar Tatu, differing from the late by being 23.7% superior in pod yield.

A new island species of Scinax (Anura; Hylidae) from southeastern Brazil

A new species of hylid frog, from the genus Scinax, is described from Ilha de Porcos Pequena at the southern coast of São Paulo State, southeastern Brazil. The new species belongs to the Scinax perpusillus species group and is diagnosed by the following set of characters: moderate-size (males 16.2-18.8 turn SVL, female 18.8-20.6 mm SVL); canthus rostralis distinct and well defined; V-shaped depression between nostrils; eyes protruding and prominent, glandular skin surface of legs. This new species is found only on Ilha de Porcos Pequena, an island of approximately 24 ha and, therefore, is threatened because of restricted range size and susceptibility to habitat modification.

Anatomy of the oral cavity of hylid larvae from the genera Aplastodiscus, Bokermannohyla, and Hypsiboas (Amphibia, anura): Description and systematic implications

Internal larval oral anatomy was used to explore morphological diversity and its contribution to the systematics of the genera Aplastodiscus, Bokerinannohyla, and Hypsiboas, belonging to the tribe Cophomantini. Internal oral morphology was examined for tadpoles of 12 species. All species have a large pair of infralabial papillae on the buccal floor and other papillae on the prelingual region. In Aplastodiscus and Bokerinannohyla, the large infralabial papillae have digitiform secondary projections. The number and arrangement of the buccal floor papillae varies among species, but they are more numerous in Aplastodiscus and Bokerinannohyla. The arrangement of the postnarial papillae is variable, but in Aplastodiscus and Bokerinannohyla, they show a definite, inverted V-shape pattern. The lateral ridge papillae are more complex in larvae of Bokertnannohyla with long digitiform secondary projections. Tadpoles of only Aplastodiscus albofrenatus, Aplastodiscus eugenioi, and Bokerinannohyla luctuosa have papillae on the buccal roof arena and larvae of all species have lateral roof papillae except Hypsiboas albomarginatus and Hypsiboas cinerascens. Larvae of Aplastodiscus, Bokermannohyla, and Hypsiboas presumably share the presence of vacuities anterior to the internal nares; although this character state is clearly synapomorphic within hylids, it is still uncertain whether it is exclusive of these three genera or whether it is present in the other genera of the tribe Cophomantini (Hyloscirtus and Myersiohyla). The inclusion of internal oral anatomy characters, such as the narial vacuities, in systematic studies is certainly valuable because it will provide additional information toward the understanding of phylogenetic relationships.

A New Species of Proceratophrys (Anura: Cycloramphidae) from Midwestern Brazil

We describe adult morphology, advertisement call, and natural history aspects of a new frog species from riparian habitats alongside intermittent headwater streams in southwestern Cerrado, the second largest biome in Brazil. Presently known from three localities in Mato Grosso State, the new species belongs to the Proceratophrys cristiceps group. It is characterized mainly by small size (adult snout vent length approximately 46 mm), snout rounded in dorsal view and obtuse in lateral view, absence of flared lips, dorsal skin granular, and absence of both postocular swellings and prominent palpebral appendages. The advertisement call of the new species consists of a single note with 19-25 pulses. Calls are repeated at mean intervals of 0.7 sec. Mean dominant frequency is 1,250.2 Hz, with ascendant modulation.

Natural History of the Lutz's Frog Cycloramphus lutzorum Heyer, 1983 (Anura: Cycloramphidae) in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest: Description of the Advertisement Call, Tadpole, and Karyotype

We describe the advertisement call, tadpole, karyotype, and additional information on the natural history of Cycloramphus lutzorum from southern Brazil. Sonograms were generated from digitally recorded calls. Tadpoles were collected in the field for description in the lab, and an adult was collected for karyotyping. Data on seasonal activity were gathered monthly from November 2005 to November 2007. All tadpoles (N = 21), juveniles (N = 18), and adults (N = 52) were found exclusively in streams. Reproduction, as identified by calling frogs, occurred from July through November. Frogs call all day long, but mostly at dusk, from rock crevices inside the stream edges near the splash zone. The call is short and loud, with 11 pulsed notes, of 491-641 ms, with a dominant frequency of 0.98-1.39 kHz. We describe the exotrophic and semiterrestrial tadpoles, always found in constantly humid vertical rock walls in the stream. Tadpoles of C. lutzorum are recognized by differences in labial tooth row formula, eye diameter, body shape, position of nares, and development of tail. Like congeneric species, the karyotype of C. lutzorum comprises 26 metacentric and submetacentric chromosomes. Cycloramphus lutzorum is restricted to and adapted for living in fast flowing streams, many of which are threatened by deforestation, pollution, and habitat loss. Therefore, we recommend the status of C. lutzorum be changed from its current "Data Deficient" to "Near Threatened (NT)" in the IUCN species red list.

New Species of Brachycephalus (Anura: Brachycephalidae) from the Atlantic Rain Forest in São Paulo State, Southeastern Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Structural refinement, optical and microwave dielectric properties of BaZrO3

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

Morphological and Molecular Variation in the Pumpkin Toadlet, Brachycephalus ephippium (Anura: Brachycephalidae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Testes size in leptodactylid frogs and occurrence of multimale spawning in the genus Leptodactylus in Brazil

Although rare, some anurans show multimale spawning. Herein we present data on testes mass relative to body mass for 11 leptodactylids and report multimale spawning in Leptodactylus chaquensis and Leptodactylus podicipinus. Testes mass averaged 4.13% of body mass for L. chaquensis and 0.75% for L. podicipinus. Testes size of both leptodactylid species with multimale spawning show that they are large and close to values recorded for rhacophorid frogs with multimale breeding (0.71-7.79%). Large testes size in frogs with multimale spawning supports the sperm competition hypothesis.

Redescription and reevaluation of the generic status of Leptodactylus dantasi (Amphibia, Anura, Leptodactylidae) and description of its unusual advertisement call

Leptodactylus dantasi Bokermann is redescribed from adult specimens collected in Parque Nacional da Serra do Divisor, State of Acre, Brazil, near the border between the Brazilian state of Acre and Peru. We propose the inclusion of this species in the genus Hydrolaetare. A new diagnostic character observed for the genus is the presence of fringes of fingers, and fringes and webbing of toes, finely serrate; the serrate edge of the fringe and webbing can be keratinized in males, females, and subadults. Hydrolaetare dantasi (Bokermann) is characterized by robust body and limbs, a broad and depressed head, slightly shorter than wide, and long, pointed and basally webbed toes. Hydrolaetare dantasi differs from the only other species in this genus, Hydrolaetare schmidti (Cochran and Goin), mainly by having toes webbed basally (fully webbed in H. schmidti). The advertisement call of H. dantasi is composed of two components; an initial note produced by the impact of the vocal sac against the ground and a second note corresponding to a long whistle of ascending frequency. The initial note is a percussive sound and represents an unusual form of sound emission in anurans; the second note is a vocalization.

Acoustic repertoire and calling behavior of Scinax fuscomarginatus (Anura, Hylidae)

Vocalizations are important in anuran communication, especially during the breeding season. Calling affects spatial organization of males at breeding sites, promotes attraction of new individuals to the chorus, and attracts mature females for reproduction. We describe four distinct vocalizations (advertisement calls, sporadic calls, and two types of aggressive calls) emitted by adult males of Scinax fuscomarginatus. With the exception of the advertisement call, the remaining descriptions are novel. We also describe calling sites, calling season, and nightly calling activity. Fieldwork was made in a fragment of Cerrado (Estação Ecológica de Itirapina), Municipalities of Itirapina and Brotas, State of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil. At this ecological station, S. fuscomarginatus exhibits a complex acoustic repertoire, social interactions and a prolonged reproductive pattern similar to observations of congeneric species at other localities. Copyright 2005 Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles.

Feeding habits and habitat use in Bothrops pubescens (Viperidae, Crotalinae) from southern Brazil

Bothrops pubescens is a member of the neuwiedi complex that occurs in southern Brazil and Uruguay. We studied the ecology of B. pubescens from a field site (at Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil) and based on preserved specimens from the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. In Santa Maria, individuals were collected during visual encounter surveys (VES), in pitfall traps with drift fences and during incidental encounters. Most snakes found in the field were on the ground, mainly on leaf litter, in mosaics of light and shadow or in completely shaded areas. In disturbed areas, snakes were usually associated with country houses and agricultural fields. Snakes were found much more frequently in forests and forest edges than in open habitats. The diet of B. pubescens comprised small mammals (56.2% of individual prey found), anurans (21.2%), lizards (7.5%), snakes (7.5%), birds (5.0%), and centipedes (2.5%). Prey predator mass ratios ranged from 0.002-0.627, and larger snakes tended to consume larger prey. Bothrops pubescens seems to be able to survive in disturbed areas, mainly those close to forests, and this ability may be facilitated by its generalized feeding habits. Copyright 2005 Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles.

Apoptosis in different gastric lesions and gastric cancer: Relationship with Helicobacter pylori, overexpression of p53 and aneuploidy

Apoptosis has an essential function in maintaining the integrity of the gastrointestinal mucosa. Its deregulation is associated with the occurrence of lesions such as in atrophic gastritis, peptic ulcers, intestinal metaplasia, and stomach tumorigenesis. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the frequency of apoptotic cells (apoptotic index, AI) by using two different immunohistochemical techniques, TUNEL and anti-activated caspase-3 antibody (CPP32), in gastric dyspepsia [chronic gastritis (CG, N = 34), chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG, N = 11), gastric ulcer (GU, N = 17), and intestinal metaplasia (IM, N = 15)], normal gastric mucosae (NM, N = 8), and gastric adenocarcinoma (GC, N = 12). The relationship was investigated between the AI and Helicobacter pylori infection, diagnosed by PCR, overexpression of p53 protein determined by immunohistochemistry, and aneuploidy by fluorescence in situ hybridization, as performed by our laboratory in previous studies. No significant differences were observed in AI between the different groups, whether by the TUNEL technique (F = 1.60; P = 0.1670) or by CPP32 antibody (F = 1.70; P = 0.1420). Nonetheless, CAG and CG groups had AI statistically higher than those of normal mucosae. These two groups (CAG and CG) also showed a higher frequency of apoptosis-positive cases (TUNEL+ or CPP32+). Generally, there was no correlation between the AI detected by the TUNEL and CPP32 techniques in the groups studied, except in the GC group (r = 0.70). Moreover, there was no significant association between apoptosis and H. pylori infection, overexpression of p53 protein and aneuploidy, but the H. pylori-positive cases only of GU (P = 0.0233) and IM (P = 0.0253) groups displayed a statistically higher AI compared to H. pylori-negative NM, when the CPP32 antibody technique was used. Thus, CG and CAG have increased apoptosis, which may occur independent of an association with H. pylori infection, aneuploidy and overexpression of p53 protein. ©FUNPEC-RP.

In vitro evaluation of the effect of natural orange juices on dentin morphology

The patient's diet has been considered an important etiological factor of dentin hypersensitivity. The frequent ingestion of acidic substances can promote the loss of dental structure or remove the smear layer. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the degree of smear layer removal and dentinal tubules exposure by different natural orange juices. Extracted human teeth were submitted to manual scaling in order to develop the smear layer. Seventy dentin samples were obtained and distributed into the following groups: Control, lime orange, lime, valência orange, navel orange, mandarin, and tangerine. Each group included 2 methods of application: Topical and topical + friction. After preparation for SEM analysis, photomicrographs were assessed by a blind calibrated examiner using an index system. The Kruskal-Wallis test indicated a significant influence of the orange juices on smear layer removal. Significant difference was observed between navel orange, valência orange, mandarin and the control group (p < 0.05). These orange juices resulted in greater removal of the smear layer and greater opening of dentinal tubules. The comparison between the application methods for each group using the Mann-Whitney test showed that friction increased smear layer removal significantly only for lime orange and lime. The data suggest that certain natural orange juices are more effective in terms of smear layer removal and dentinal tubules exposure than others.

Experiencias y problemas de la planificación en América Latina: trabajos presentados al Seminario de Planificación

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