Diversidade de peixes do reservatório da UHE Escola Engenharia Mackenzie (Capivara), Rio Paranapanema, bacia do alto rio Paraná, Brasil, e a importância dos grandes tributários na sua manutenção

As espécies foram coletadas em quatro trechos ao longo de um gradiente formado pelo reservatório UHE Escola Engenharia Mackenzie (Capivara). A diversidade de espécies foi analisada pela constância, índice de Shannon-Wiener e similaridade da composição entre trechos através do coeficiente de Jaccard. O reservatório tem uma riqueza de peixes composta por 67 espécies incluídas em 5 ordens; 47% das espécies são constantes, 15 % são acessórias e 28% são acidentais. Os maiores índices de diversidade de Shannon-Wiener e similaridade de Jaccard foram obtidos em Cinzas e Tibagi, que são os trechos mais distantes da barragem e que apresentam grandes tributários. Os menores índices foram encontrados em Cruzália e Porecatu, os quais correspondem aos trechos com características, respectivamente, de ambientes lótico e semi-lótico. Este trabalho demonstra a extrema importância da presença dos tributários para a manutenção da diversidade das espécies em um reservatório, em função da preservação das características originais do sistema lótico naqueles trechos e conseqüente redução do impacto do represamento.

Diversidade e estimativas de riqueza de aranhas em quatro fitofisionomias na Serra do Cachimbo, Pará, Brasil

Um inventário da fauna de aranhas foi realizado na Serra do Cachimbo, no Campo de Provas Brigadeiro Velloso, município de Novo Progresso, Pará. As coletas ocorreram em duas expedições, uma na estação seca (agosto e setembro de 2003) e outra na chuvosa (março e abril de 2004). Cada expedição contou com a participação de três coletores. O esforço de amostragem foi de 240 amostras, sendo 96 através de guarda-chuva entomológico e rede de varredura, 96 através de coleta manual noturna e 48 por triagem manual e extratores de Winkler. Foi comparada a diversidade de aranhas de quatro tipos de vegetação, Floresta Ombrófila Aberta, mata de galeria, áreas de Cerrado (Savana Arbórea) e de Campina. As coletas resultaram em um total de 4.990 indivíduos, dos quais 2.750 adultos. Foram identificadas 427 morfoespécies em 37 famílias, sendo as mais abundantes Theridiidae, Salticidae e Araneidae e as mais ricas em espécies Araneidae, Salticidae e Theridiidae. As espécies representadas por apenas um indivíduo somaram 40% do total e apenas duas ultrapassaram cem indivíduos. A curva de riqueza específica estimada (ACE) atingiu 614 espécies. A maior diversidade alfa (índice de Shannon-Wiener) foi encontrada em Floresta Ombrófila, seguida pela mata de galeria, Campina e Cerrado. Tais diferenças entre as vegetações podem ser explicadas devido a variações na complexidade da vegetação e na disponibilidade de microhábitats em cada fitofisionomia.

Composição e estrutura da comunidade de peixes de uma praia arenosa da Ilha do Frade, Vitória, Espírito Santo

A ictiofauna de uma praia arenosa da Ilha do Frade, Vitória, ES, foi amostrada mensalmente entre maio/2004 e abril/2005. Foram coletados 2.689 indivíduos de 26 famílias e 45 espécies de Teleostei, a maioria em estágio juvenil. A família Sciaenidae apresentou o maior número de espécies. As capturas mensais evidenciaram que as espécies numericamente mais importantes foram: Lutjanus synagris (Linnaeus, 1758), Archosargus rhomboidalis (Linnaeus, 1758), Eucinostomus lefroyi (Goode, 1874) e Paralonchurus brasiliensis (Steindachner, 1875); com relação ao peso, Cyclichthys spinosus (Linnaeus, 1758), A. rhomboidalis, E. lefroyi e L. synagris dominaram. O número de indivíduos e a biomassa variaram significativamente (p<0,01) entre os meses. O índice de Shannon-Wiener (H') apresentou pequenas variações mensais, não evidenciando uma tendência sazonal.

Taxonomic and numeric structure of Chironomidae (Diptera) in different habitats of a Neotropical floodplain

We characterized the local benthic Chironomidae by analyzing the numerical density, biomass, diversity index of Shannon-Wiener and dominance of larvae in the main channel of the Ivinhema River, in a secondary channel, in five lakes connected to the main channel and in five lakes without connection. Of the 68 taxa identified, Aedokritus sp., Tanytarsus sp., Chironomus strenzkei Fittkau, 1968 and Procladius sp.1 were found in all sampling sites and were considered morphospecies with greater of greatest ecological plasticity. Chironomus strenzkei Fittkau, 1968, contributed with the greatest biomass in the central region of lakes without connection, whereas Aedokritus sp. dominated in the littoral of lakes. The greater values of diversity indices in the littoral region of channels were due to the greater water flow and to the higher food availability in these areas. The dominance indices, by contrast, were greater on the central region of these environments. The littoral region has exclusive characteristics, representing habitats that could play important controlling in the numerical density and index diversity on the ecosystem, whereas that the biomass of benthic invertebrates in the central region in some biotopes would have different spatial probably according organisms drift.

Inversió cega de funcions no-lineals mitjançant un procés de Gaussianització

En aquest treball es presenta un nou mètode per a la inversió cega de funcions no-lineals mitjançant la gaussianització del senyal observat. El mètode es basa en restituir el caràcter aproximadament gaussià que presenta un senyal filtrat, gràcies al teorema del límit central,que ha vist canviada la seva distribució per l’efecte d’una funció no-lineal. Inicialment, doncs,aquest mètode és útil per a la inversió de sistemes de Wiener, tot i que en els darrers experiments realitzats s’han obtingut resultats interessants en sistemes purament no-lineals. El treball presenta dues possibles parametritzacions, la primera basada en xarxes neurals i la segona en polinomis. En els dos casos s’aconsegueix invertir la funció desconeguda sense tenir cap coneixement a priori ni del senyal original, ni del filtre, ni de la funció no-lineal que volem invertir.

Evaluation of cumulative PCB exposure estimated by a job exposure matrix versus PCB serum concentrations.

Although polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been banned in many countries for more than three decades, exposures to PCBs continue to be of concern due to their long half-lives and carcinogenic effects. In National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health studies, we are using semiquantitative plant-specific job exposure matrices (JEMs) to estimate historical PCB exposures for workers (n = 24,865) exposed to PCBs from 1938 to 1978 at three capacitor manufacturing plants. A subcohort of these workers (n = 410) employed in two of these plants had serum PCB concentrations measured at up to four times between 1976 and 1989. Our objectives were to evaluate the strength of association between an individual worker's measured serum PCB levels and the same worker's cumulative exposure estimated through 1977 with the (1) JEM and (2) duration of employment, and to calculate the explained variance the JEM provides for serum PCB levels using (3) simple linear regression. Consistent strong and statistically significant associations were observed between the cumulative exposures estimated with the JEM and serum PCB concentrations for all years. The strength of association between duration of employment and serum PCBs was good for highly chlorinated (Aroclor 1254/HPCB) but not less chlorinated (Aroclor 1242/LPCB) PCBs. In the simple regression models, cumulative occupational exposure estimated using the JEMs explained 14-24% of the variance of the Aroclor 1242/LPCB and 22-39% for Aroclor 1254/HPCB serum concentrations. We regard the cumulative exposure estimated with the JEM as a better estimate of PCB body burdens than serum concentrations quantified as Aroclor 1242/LPCB and Aroclor 1254/HPCB.

HSU-Robbins and Spitzer's theorems for the variations of fractional Brownian motion

Using recent results on the behavior of multiple Wiener-Itô integrals based on Stein's method, we prove Hsu-Robbins and Spitzer's theorems for sequences of correlated random variables related to the increments of the fractional Brownian motion.

Amino acid coevolution reveals three-dimensional structure and functional domains of insect odorant receptors.

Insect odorant receptors (ORs) comprise an enormous protein family that translates environmental chemical signals into neuronal electrical activity. These heptahelical receptors are proposed to function as ligand-gated ion channels and/or to act metabotropically as G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Resolving their signalling mechanism has been hampered by the lack of tertiary structural information and primary sequence similarity to other proteins. We use amino acid evolutionary covariation across these ORs to define restraints on structural proximity of residue pairs, which permit de novo generation of three-dimensional models. The validity of our analysis is supported by the location of functionally important residues in highly constrained regions of the protein. Importantly, insect OR models exhibit a distinct transmembrane domain packing arrangement to that of canonical GPCRs, establishing the structural unrelatedness of these receptor families. The evolutionary couplings and models predict odour binding and ion conduction domains, and provide a template for rationale structure-activity dissection.

Avaluació i impacte de les respostes penals al fenomen de la violència de gènere a Catalunya (2007-2008)

La recerca vol fer una aproximació empírica a les respostes que des del sistema penal a Catalunya s’ofereix al fenomen de la violència de gènere. S’han explorat de forma transversal les diverses fonts estadístiques quantitatives dels diferents serveis, des del Consejo del Poder Judicial, el Departament d’Interior i el Departament de Justícia, fins a l’ Institut Català de les Dones en el període 2007-2008. Tanmateix s’ha elaborat una base de dades jurisprudencial amb totes les sentències dictades per les Audiències Provincials a Catalunya durant aquest període. L’avaluació qualitativa es realitza a partir de l’anàlisi dels programes d’intervenció existents, un focus group amb els operadors jurídics de la xarxa i l’anàlisi i buidat jurisprudencial.

Zerebrale Probleme in der pädiatrischen Intensivmedizin [Cerebral problems in pediatric intensive care]

This paper presents a review of different methods enabling the monitoring of cerebral function in neonatal and paediatric intensive care. EEG, evoked potentials, conventional radiological studies, computerized tomography, ultrasound, intracranial pressure measurements, nuclear magnetic resonance, Doppler ultrasound, radioisotope studies, angiography, infra-red spectral analysis and last, but not least, clinical examination produce information regarding the neurological state of the patient which must be critically analysed in order to ensure optimal management of the case. Unfortunately, and in spite of impressive progress in non-invasive monitoring of the cerebral function, we are still forced to make important medical and ethical decisions without precise information about the neurological state of our patients.

Skin permeation and metabolism of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP).

Phthalates are suspected to be endocrine disruptors. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is assumed to have low dermal absorption; however, previous in vitro skin permeation studies have shown large permeation differences. Our aims were to determine DEHP permeation parameters and assess extent of skin DEHP metabolism among workers highly exposed to these lipophilic, low volatile substances. Surgically removed skin from patients undergoing abdominoplasty was immediately dermatomed (800 μm) and mounted on flow-through diffusion cells (1.77 cm(2)) operating at 32°C with cell culture media (aqueous solution) as the reservoir liquid. The cells were dosed either with neat DEHP or emulsified in aqueous solution (166 μg/ml). Samples were analysed by HPLC-MS/MS. DEHP permeated human viable skin only as the metabolite MEHP (100%) after 8h of exposure. Human skin was able to further oxidize MEHP to 5-oxo-MEHP. Neat DEHP applied to the skin hardly permeated skin while the aqueous solution readily permeated skin measured in both cases as concentration of MEHP in the receptor liquid. DEHP pass through human skin, detected as MEHP only when emulsified in aqueous solution, and to a far lesser degree when applied neat to the skin. Using results from older in vitro skin permeation studies with non-viable skin may underestimate skin exposures. Our results are in overall agreement with newer phthalate skin permeation studies.

Evaluation of exposure biomarkers in offshore workers exposed to low benzene and toluene concentrations.

Characterize ethylbenzene and xylene air concentrations, and explore the biological exposure markers (urinary t,t-muconic acid (t,t-MA) and unmetabolized toluene) among petroleum workers offshore. Offshore workers have increased health risks due to simultaneous exposures to several hydrocarbons present in crude oil. We discuss the pooled benzene exposure results from our previous and current studies and possible co-exposure interactions. BTEX air concentrations were measured during three consecutive 12-h work shifts among 10 tank workers, 15 process operators, and 18 controls. Biological samples were collected pre-shift on the first day of study and post-shift on the third day of the study. The geometric mean exposure over the three work shifts were 0.02 ppm benzene, 0.05 ppm toluene, 0.03 ppm ethylbenzene, and 0.06 ppm xylene. Benzene in air was significantly correlated with unmetabolized benzene in blood (r = 0.69, p < 0.001) and urine (r = 0.64, p < 0.001), but not with urinary t,t-MA (r = 0.27, p = 0.20). Toluene in air was highly correlated with the internal dose of toluene in both blood (r = 0.70, p < 0.001) and urine (r = 0.73, p < 0.001). Co-exposures were present; however, an interaction of metabolism was not likely at these low benzene and toluene exposures. Urinary benzene, but not t,t-MA, was a reliable biomarker for benzene at low exposure levels. Urinary toluene was a useful biomarker for toluene exposure. Xylene and ethylbenzene air levels were low. Dermal exposure assessment needs to be performed in future studies among these workers.

Generation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during woodworking operations.

Occupational exposures to wood dust have been associated with an elevated risk of sinonasal cancer (SNC). Wood dust is recognized as a human carcinogen but the specific cancer causative agent remains unknown. One possible explanation is a co-exposure to; wood dust and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs could be generated during incomplete combustion of wood due to heat created by use of power tools. To determine if PAHs are generated from wood during common wood working operations, PAH concentrations in wood dust samples collected in an experimental chamber operated under controlled conditions were analyzed. In addition, personal air samples from workers exposed to wood dust (n = 30) were collected. Wood dust was generated using three different power tools: vibrating sander, belt sander, and saw; and six wood materials: fir, Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF), beech, mahogany, oak and wood melamine. Monitoring of wood workers was carried out by means of personal sampler device during wood working operations. We measured 21 PAH concentrations in wood dust samples by capillary gas chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Total PAH concentrations in wood dust varied greatly (0.24-7.95 ppm) with the lowest being in MDF dust and the highest in wood melamine dust. Personal PAH exposures were between 37.5-119.8 ng m(-3) during wood working operations. Our results suggest that PAH exposures are present during woodworking operations and hence could play a role in the mechanism of cancer induction related to wood dust exposure.

La incidència de l’aprovació de la LO 1/2004, de mesures de protecció integral contra la violència de gènere, a nivell institucional

L’obligació a partir de la LO 1/2004 de realitzar programes formatius en cas de suspensió o substitució d’una pena imposada per un delicte de violència de gènere ha suposat que els operadors jurídics, malgrat el recolzament majoritari a aquesta mesura, es mostrin en desacord amb l’obligatorietat i demanin més discrecionalitat.