Efficiency in inventories of ants in a forest reservein Central Amazonia

The objective of this work was to evaluate an inventory method efficiency for ants. We used subsamples collected in 24 transects of 100 m, distributed in 6 plots of 600 ha each in primary forest, as part of a long-term project. Ten litter subsamples were extracted per transect using Winkler extractors. Ants were identified to genus level, and Crematogaster, Gnamptogenys and Pachycondyla genera to species/morphospecies level. To evaluate the consequences of reduced sampling on the retention of ecological information, we estimated the lowest number of subsamples needed to detect the effects of environmental variables. Multidimensional scaling (MDS) was used to generate dissimilarity matrices, and Mantel correlations between each reduced-sampling effort and maximum effort were used as an index of how much information was maintained and could still be used in multivariate analyses. Lower p-values was observed on the effect of soil pH in the community of genera, and on the effect of the litter volume for the community of Crematogaster. The trend was still detectable in the analysis based on reduced-sampling. The number of subsamples can be reduced, and the cost-efficiency of the protocol can be improved with little loss of information.

A genome-wide association study of anorexia nervosa.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a complex and heritable eating disorder characterized by dangerously low body weight. Neither candidate gene studies nor an initial genome-wide association study (GWAS) have yielded significant and replicated results. We performed a GWAS in 2907 cases with AN from 14 countries (15 sites) and 14 860 ancestrally matched controls as part of the Genetic Consortium for AN (GCAN) and the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium 3 (WTCCC3). Individual association analyses were conducted in each stratum and meta-analyzed across all 15 discovery data sets. Seventy-six (72 independent) single nucleotide polymorphisms were taken forward for in silico (two data sets) or de novo (13 data sets) replication genotyping in 2677 independent AN cases and 8629 European ancestry controls along with 458 AN cases and 421 controls from Japan. The final global meta-analysis across discovery and replication data sets comprised 5551 AN cases and 21 080 controls. AN subtype analyses (1606 AN restricting; 1445 AN binge-purge) were performed. No findings reached genome-wide significance. Two intronic variants were suggestively associated: rs9839776 (P=3.01 × 10(-7)) in SOX2OT and rs17030795 (P=5.84 × 10(-6)) in PPP3CA. Two additional signals were specific to Europeans: rs1523921 (P=5.76 × 10(-)(6)) between CUL3 and FAM124B and rs1886797 (P=8.05 × 10(-)(6)) near SPATA13. Comparing discovery with replication results, 76% of the effects were in the same direction, an observation highly unlikely to be due to chance (P=4 × 10(-6)), strongly suggesting that true findings exist but our sample, the largest yet reported, was underpowered for their detection. The accrual of large genotyped AN case-control samples should be an immediate priority for the field.

Acclimatization of Tapeinochilos ananassae plantlets in association with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

The objective of this work was to assess the potential of three isolates of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to promote growth of micropropagated plantlets of Tapeinochilos ananassae during acclimatization. The experiment was carried out in greenhouse, in a completely randomized block design, with four inoculation treatments: non‑inoculated control and plants inoculated with Glomus etunicatum, Acaulospora longula or Gigaspora albida, with ten replicates. After 90 days, the following parameters were evaluated: survival rate, height, leaf and tiller number, leaf area, fresh and dry biomass, contents of macro‑ and micronutrients in the root and shoot, glomerospore number, and mycorrhizal colonization. The survival percentage was 100%, except for plants inoculated with G. albida (80%). The isolate G. etunicatum is more suitable for plant development, since it improves survival, growth, dry matter production, nutritional status, and vigor of T. ananassae micropropagated plants.

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This chapter looks at the place of the Gothic in Batman's history and current revival via the Nolan films. It examines the specificity of comic book characters, which exist in a wide variety of texts, forms and media, and focuses on the way that Batman has oscillated between light and dark versions while always returning to the Gothic as a means of commercial reanimation when the franchise seems to wane.

Características de carcaça e qualidade da carne de novilhas alimentadas com silagem de capim-marandu

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar as características de carcaça e da carne de novilhas ¾ Zebu x Holandês submetidas a dieta com substituição da silagem de sorgo por silagem de capim-marandu. Utilizou-se o delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado. Os tratamentos consistiram da substituição da fração volumosa da dieta de 100, 70 e 30% de silagem de sorgo por, respectivamente, 100, 70 e 30% de silagem de capim-marandu. Foi adicionado concentrado na proporção de 1,2% de peso corporal, e as dietas foram isoproteicas. A substituição da silagem de sorgo pela silagem de capim-marandu aumentou a perda de água por cozimento até o ponto máximo de 49,98% de substituição, elevou a força de cisalhamento e a capacidade de retenção de água da carne, mas não influenciou os pesos e os rendimentos das carcaças, os percentuais de cortes, as medidas de carcaça, a área de olho de lombo, o pH das carcaças, a espessura de gordura e as características de cor de músculo e gordura. A substituição da silagem de sorgo por silagem de capim-marandu diminui o ganho de peso de corpo vazio e reduz a maciez da carne de novilhas ¾ Zebu x Holandês, mas não afeta as características quantitativas da carcaça.

Power supply noise and logic error probability

Voltage fluctuations caused by parasitic impedances in the power supply rails of modern ICs are a major concern in nowadays ICs. The voltage fluctuations are spread out to the diverse nodes of the internal sections causing two effects: a degradation of performances mainly impacting gate delays anda noisy contamination of the quiescent levels of the logic that drives the node. Both effects are presented together, in thispaper, showing than both are a cause of errors in modern and future digital circuits. The paper groups both error mechanismsand shows how the global error rate is related with the voltage deviation and the period of the clock of the digital system.

Voltage fluctuations in IC power supply distribution

The supply voltage decrease and powerconsumption increase of modern ICs made the requirements for low voltage fluctuation caused by packaging and on-chip parasitic impedances more difficult to achieve. Most of the research works on the area assume that all the nodes of the chip are fed at thesame voltage, in such a way that the main cause of disturbance or fluctuation is the parasitic impedance of packaging. In the paper an approach to analyze the effect of high and fast current demands on the on-chip power supply network. First an approach to model the entire network by considering a homogeneous conductive foil is presented. The modification of the timing parameters of flipflops caused by spatial voltage drops through the IC surface are also investigated.

Armazenamento de goiabas 'Paluma' sob refrigeração e em condição ambiente, com e sem tratamento com cera de carnaúba

Objetivou-se com o presente trabalho avaliar os efeitos de coberturas de cera de carnaúba Premium citrus® na conservação de goiabas 'Paluma', armazenadas sob refrigeração e em condição ambiente, pelo período de 12 dias. As características avaliadas foram perda de massa, deterioração, teores de sólidos solúveis totais (SST), acidez titulável (AT), teor de ácido ascórbico, clorofila total e firmeza da polpa. Revestimento com cera de carnaúba diminuiu a perda de massa e a degradação de clorofila das goiabas, contudo sua aplicação propiciou aumento de vida útil apenas para as frutas mantidas sob condição ambiente.

Sobrevivência de Xanthomonas campestris pv. viticola em tecido infectado de videira

Tecidos de plantas infectados constituem uma importante fonte de inóculo primário para fitobacterioses. O objetivo deste trabalho foi investigar a sobrevivência de Xanthomonas campestris pv. viticola (Xcv), agente do cancro bacteriano da videira, em tecidos infectados na superfície do solo e durante a compostagem de restos de poda. Mudas de videira 'Festival' foram inoculadas com mutante resistente à rifampicina Xcv2Rif e mantidas em casa de vegetação até apresentarem alta severidade da doença. No primeiro experimento, ramos fragmentados e folhas inteiras destas plantas foram acondicionados em bolsas de malha plástica e colocados na superfície de microparcelas. No segundo experimento, ramos e folhas fragmentados foram acondicionados em bolsas plásticas e depositados no interior de pilhas de compostagem de restos de poda de videira. A sobrevivência de Xcv2Rif em tecidos infectados foi monitorada a intervalos de 8 e 10 dias a partir do início do primeiro e segundo experimentos, respectivamente. No primeiro experimento, foi também avaliada a decomposição de tecidos, e no segundo, as curvas de temperatura das pilhas, conteúdo de fenóis e microbiota antagonista a Xcv2Rif. O patógeno sobreviveu em altas populações até 80 dias em tecidos infectados na superfície do solo. A compostagem eliminou Xcv2Rif de restos culturais em 10 dias, devido às altas temperaturas, liberação de compostos fenólicos e antagonismo microbiano. Concluindo, em tecidos infectados de videira Xcv sobrevive na superfície do solo por, pelo menos, 80 dias mas é eliminada pela compostagem em 10 dias.

Limpeza clonal de mudas de videira infectadas por Xanthomonas campestris pv. viticola

O cancro bacteriano da videira é causado por Xanthomonas campestris pv. viticola (Xcv). Visando à limpeza clonal de mudas de 'Red Globe', foram estudados: tamanho ideal de ápices e gemas axilares para cultivo em meio de Galzy modificado (MGM); efeito da termoterapia (38ºC/30 dias); e ação de antibióticos na eliminação de Xcv em videiras infectadas. Os percentuais de contaminação por Xcv e de regeneração foram analisados, e as plantas obtidas foram indexadas em meio ágar nutritivo-dextrose-extrato de levedura-ampicilina (NYDAM), seguindo-se teste de patogenicidade. O cultivo de explantes com 3 mm possibilitou a obtenção de plantas livres da bactéria, com regeneração 14,3 vezes maior que explantes com 1 mm. A termoterapia de mudas infectadas, associada ao cultivo in vitro, não eliminou o patógeno. O cultivo de explantes com 10 mm, durante 40 dias em MGM + cefotaxima (300 mg L-1), proporcionou limpeza clonal das mudas. A indexação de plantas de videira regeneradas in vitro, quanto à infecção por Xcv utilizando NYDAM, seguida de teste de patogenicidade, é uma alternativa econômica e eficiente para produção de mudas de alta qualidade fitossanitária.

Sustained CTL activation by murine pulmonary epithelial cells promotes the development of COPD-like disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lethal progressive lung disease culminating in permanent airway obstruction and alveolar enlargement. Previous studies suggest CTL involvement in COPD progression; however, their precise role remains unknown. Here, we investigated whether the CTL activation receptor NK cell group 2D (NKG2D) contributes to the development of COPD. Using primary murine lung epithelium isolated from mice chronically exposed to cigarette smoke and cultured epithelial cells exposed to cigarette smoke extract in vitro, we demonstrated induced expression of the NKG2D ligand retinoic acid early tran - script 1 (RAET1)as well as NKG2D-mediated cytotoxicity. Furthermore, a genetic model of inducible RAET1 expression on mouse pulmonary epithelial cells yielded a severe emphysematous phenotype characterized by epithelial apoptosis and increased CTL activation, which was reversed by blocking NKG2D activation. We also assessed whether NKG2D ligand expression corresponded with pulmonary disease in human patients by staining airway and peripheral lung tissues from never smokers, smokers with normal lung function, and current and former smokers with COPD. NKG2D ligand expression was independent of NKG2D receptor expression in COPD patients, demonstrating that ligand expression is the limiting factor in CTL activation. These results demonstrate that aberrant, persistent NKG2D ligand expression in the pulmonary epithelium contributes to the development of COPD pathologies.

Climate change impacts on lakes: an integrated ecological perspective based on a multi-faceted approach, with special focus on shallow lakes

Freshwater ecosystems and their biodiversity are presently seriously threatened by global development and population growth, leading to increases in nutrient inputs and intensification of eutrophication-induced problems in receiving fresh waters, particularly in lakes. Climate change constitutes another threat exacerbating the symptoms of eutrophication and species migration and loss. Unequivocal evidence of climate change impacts is still highly fragmented despite the intensive research, in part due to the variety and uncertainty of climate models and underlying emission scenarios but also due to the different approaches applied to study its effects. We first describe the strengths and weaknesses of the multi-faceted approaches that are presently available for elucidating the effects of climate change in lakes, including space-for-time substitution, time series, experiments, palaeoecology and modelling. Reviewing combined results from studies based on the various approaches, we describe the likely effects of climate changes on biological communities, trophic dynamics and the ecological state of lakes. We further discuss potential mitigation and adaptation measures to counteract the effects of climate change on lakes and, finally, we highlight some of the future challenges that we face to improve our capacity for successful prediction.

Large-scale genomic analyses link reproductive aging to hypothalamic signaling, breast cancer susceptibility and BRCA1-mediated DNA repair.

Menopause timing has a substantial impact on infertility and risk of disease, including breast cancer, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. We report a dual strategy in ∼70,000 women to identify common and low-frequency protein-coding variation associated with age at natural menopause (ANM). We identified 44 regions with common variants, including two regions harboring additional rare missense alleles of large effect. We found enrichment of signals in or near genes involved in delayed puberty, highlighting the first molecular links between the onset and end of reproductive lifespan. Pathway analyses identified major association with DNA damage response (DDR) genes, including the first common coding variant in BRCA1 associated with any complex trait. Mendelian randomization analyses supported a causal effect of later ANM on breast cancer risk (∼6% increase in risk per year; P = 3 × 10(-14)), likely mediated by prolonged sex hormone exposure rather than DDR mechanisms.