Local diversity of tropical and temperature ant faunas (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

Qualitative and quantitative collections of ants made in the region of Manaus, Brazil (evergreen tropical humid forest), and in western North Carolina, USA (deciduous temperate/wet forest), were undertaken to investigate. latitudinal patterns of ant diversity and community organization on regional and local scales. We have found to date 307 ant species in the Municipality of Manaus. Totals ranging from 134 to 270+ species have been reported in the literature for other tropical regions of less than 10,000km2. In contrast, temperate ant surveys generally report only SO to 150 species in similar or larger areas. Sampling at sardine baits set 10m apart on square grids, we found forest ecosystems near Manaus to be much richer and more diverse in ants than those sampled in North Carolina: 28 species vs. 5-10 species in 50 collections and 16 vs. 3 previously unrecorded species discovered with each doubling of sample size. Room's (1975a) results from climatically simllar Papua New Guinea forest agree closely with those from Manaus. We suggest that one important factor contributing to the increased diversity of tropical, omnivorous ants may be greater variety of nest sites available for specialization.

Experimental and numerical approaches for structural assessment in new footbridge designs (SFRSCC–GFPR hybrid structure)

Within the civil engineering field, the use of the Finite Element Method has acquired a significant importance, since numerical simulations have been employed in a broad field, which encloses the design, analysis and prediction of the structural behaviour of constructions and infrastructures. Nevertheless, these mathematical simulations can only be useful if all the mechanical properties of the materials, boundary conditions and damages are properly modelled. Therefore, it is required not only experimental data (static and/or dynamic tests) to provide references parameters, but also robust calibration methods able to model damage or other special structural conditions. The present paper addresses the model calibration of a footbridge bridge tested with static loads and ambient vibrations. Damage assessment was also carried out based on a hybrid numerical procedure, which combines discrete damage functions with sets of piecewise linear damage functions. Results from the model calibration shows that the model reproduces with good accuracy the experimental behaviour of the bridge.

Leaf micronutrient concentrations and potential photosynthesis in Ochroma pyramidale established in a degraded land

In the Brazilian Amazon, large areas of abandoned lands may revert to secondary forest. In the process, pioneer tree species have an important role to restore productivity in old fields and improve environmental conditions. To determine potential photosynthesis (Apot), stomatal conductance (g), transpiration (E), and leaf micronutrient concentrations in Ochroma pyramidale (Cav. ex Lam.) Urban a study was carried out in the Brazilian Amazon (01o 51' S; 60o 04' W). Photosynthetic parameters were measured at increasing [CO2], saturating light intensity (1 mmol (photons) m-2 s-1), and ambient temperature. The rate of electron-transport (J), Apot,and water-use efficiency (WUE) increased consistently at increasing internal CO2 concentration (Ci). Conversely, increasing [CO2] decreased gs, E, and photorespiration (Pr). At the CO2-saturated region of the CO2 response curve (1.1 mmol (CO2) mol-1(air), J was 120 μmol (e-) m-2s-1 and Apot reached up to 24 μmol (CO2) m-2s-1. Likewise, at saturating C1 g and E were 30 and 1.4 mmol (H2O) m-2s-1, respectively, and P 2 r about 1.5 μmol (CO2) m-2s-1. Foliar nutrients were 185, 134, 50, and 10 μmol (element) m-2 (leaf area) for Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu, respectively. It was concluded that [CO ] probably limits light saturated photosynthesis in this site. Furthermore, from a nutritional point of view, the low Fe to Cu ratio (15:1) may reflect nutritional imbalance in O. pyramidale at this site.

Estimativa de biomassa de sistemas agroflorestais das várzeas do rio juba, Cametá, Pará

Este trabalho apresenta uma estimativa da biomassa seca (BS) acima do solo e estoque de carbono (EC) de sistemas agroflorestais (SAF) estudados nas várzeas do rio Juba, Cametá, Pará. A BS foi estimada pelo método indireto a partir dos dados de um inventário florestal realizado em sete parcelas de 0,25 ha (50 m x 50 m). Foram inventariados em média 2594 indivíduos/ha com DAP >5 cm. Euterpe oleracea Mart.(açaí) e Theobroma cacao L. (cacau), foram as espécies mais importantes e representaram 80 % dos indivíduos (54 % e 26 %, respectivamente) e as outras espécies (árvores) 20 %. Em média a BS dos SAF foi de 298,44 t/ha. O açaí apresentou BS de 4,47 t/ha (43 % nas folhas e 57 % nos estipes), o cacau 1,45 t/ha (18 % nas folhas e 82 % na madeira) e as árvores 292,52 t/ha (1 % nas folhas e 99 % na madeira). O EC contido na BS total média foi de 134,30 t/ha; as árvores estocaram 131,63 t/ha (98 %), o açaí 2,01 t/ha (1,5 %) e o cacau 0,65 t/ha (0,5 %). O EC médio dos SAF estudados (idade média de 12 anos) representou, em média, cerca de 96 % do carbono que é estocado numa floresta primária de terra firme; cerca de 62 % a mais do estocado em florestas secundárias enriquecidas (idade média de 26 meses) e 23 % a mais do estocado em florestas de várzeas na Amazônia brasileira.

Distance perception in immersive environments: the role of photorealism

Immersive environments (IE) are being increasingly used in order to perform psychophysical experiments. The versatility in terms of stimuli presentation and control and the less time-consuming procedures are their greatest strengths. However, to ensure that IE results can be generalized to real world scenarios we must first provide evidence that performance in IE is quantitatively indistinguishable from performance in real-world. Our goal was to perceptually validate distance perception for CAVE-like IEs. Participants performed a Frontal Matching Distance Task (Durgin & Li, 2011) in three different conditions: real-world scenario (RWS); photorealistic IE (IEPH) and non-photorealistic IE (IENPH). Underestimation of distance was found across all the conditions, with a significant difference between the three conditions (Wilks’ Lambda = .38, F(2,134)= 110.8, p<.01, significant pairwise differences with p<.01). We found a mean error of 2.3 meters for the RWS, 5 meters for the IEPH, and of 6 meters for the IENPH in a pooled data set of 5 participants. Results indicate that while having a photorealistic IE with perspective and stereoscopic depth cues might not be enough to elicit a real-world performance in distance judgment tasks, nevertheless this type of environment minimizes the discrepancy between simulation and real-world when compared with non-photorealistic IEs.

Estrutura de florestas secundárias após dois diferentes sistemas agrícolas no nordeste do estado do Pará, Amazônia Oriental

O objetivo deste trabalho foi caracterizar e comparar a estrutura de florestas secundárias com quatro anos de idade, que foram formadas após a utilização de dois diferentes sistemas de eliminação da cobertura vegetal - o sistema alternativo (SA) que tritura a biomassa e o sistema tradicional (ST) que utiliza o fogo. O estudo foi conduzido na região Bragantina que está localizada no nordeste do Pará. Para tal, foram selecionadas três áreas amostrais para cada sistema de uso da terra. Dentro de cada área amostral foram alocadas aleatoriamente quatro parcelas de 15 m² (3 x 5 m), totalizando 60 m² por área de estudo e 180 m² por sistema de uso. Foi encontrada uma diversidade média (H') de 2,94 para o SA e 3,32 para o ST, a densidade média foi 459.556 ind. ha-1 no SA e 466.833 ind. ha-1 no ST, a área basal do estrato superior do SA foi de 8,48 m² ha-1 e a do ST 3,07 m² ha-1, a biomassa seca estimada para o SA foi de 6,68 ton ha-1 e 2,80 ton ha-1 para o ST. Ocorreram diferenças estatísticas (ANOVA; P < 0,05) em parâmetros da estrutura vertical e biomassa indicando que o SA facilita o desenvolvimento do componente arbóreo das florestas.

Fine litter accumulation in Central Amazonian Tropical Rainforest canopy

Fine litter dynamics within the canopy differ from litter dynamics on the forest floor for reasons such as differences in microclimate, substrate, disturbance level, stratum influence and decomposition rates. This study is the first attempt to quantify the fine litter accumulated in the canopy of Central Amazonian forests. We compared the canopy litter accumulation to fine litter-layer on forest floor and to other forests and also investigated which were the mostly accumulated litter omponents. We found that Central Amazonian Rainforest intercepts greater fine litter in the canopy (294 g.m-2) compared to other forest formations with higher winds speed as in a Costa Rican Cloud Forest (170 g.m-2). The mean canopy fine litter accumulated at the end of the dry season was less than a half of that on soil surface (833 g.m-2) and the fine wood component dominates the canopy samplings (174 g.m-2) while leafy component predominate on soil surface litter (353 g.m-2).

Estudo etnofarmacognóstico da saracuramirá (Ampelozizyphus amazonicus Ducke), uma planta medicinal usada por comunidades quilombolas do Município de Oriximiná-PA, Brasil

Um levantamento etnobotânico realizado em comunidades quilombolas de Oriximiná, Pará, destacou a saracuramirá (SAR), Ampelozizyphus amazonicus Ducke, com vasto uso popular no tratamento da malária, como tônica e depurativa. Por este motivo, o presente trabalho objetivou realizar um estudo etnofarmacognóstico da SAR nas respectivas comunidades. Por meio de uma análise etnobotânica quantitativa, foi verificado que SAR apresentou-se dentre as 10 espécies mais versáteis pela elevada importância relativa (1,3), dentre as cinco espécies com maior importância cultural pelo elevado índice de saliência (0,311) e a espécie com maior concordância de uso principal para malária (85,7%). Uma análise do índice de espuma e do índice de hemólise para SAR demonstra a presença de saponinas com elevado índice de espuma (833) e uma baixa atividade hemolítica (CH50 2,6 mg mL-1). Para realizar uma análise das agliconas das saponinas de SAR, a bebida preparada pelo método tradicional quilombola (BMT) foi hidrolisada e, após reação com diazometano, foi analisada por cromatografia gasosa. Dois sinais majoritários foram caracterizados por espectrometria de massas, um referente a um triterpeno de esqueleto damarânico, característico das saponinas da SAR, e outro referente ao éster metílico do ácido betulínico. Partindo das informações de uso popular da SAR, foi avaliada in vitro a atividade inibidora da acetilcolinesterase. Apesar de BMT não ter mostrado atividade neste ensaio, é possível supor que as indicações de uso desta planta pelos quilombolas como fortificante e contra malária podem estar relacionadas a uma possível atividade adaptógena e imunoestimulante, dada à presença das saponinas e do ácido betulínico em BMT.

Mosaic maternal ancestry in the Great Lakes region of East Africa

The Great Lakes lie within a region of East Africa with very high human genetic diversity, home of many ethno-linguistic groups usually assumed to be the product of a small number of major dispersals. However, our knowledge of these dispersals relies primarily on the inferences of historical, linguistics and oral traditions, with attempts to match up the archaeological evidence where possible. This is an obvious area to which archaeogenetics can contribute, yet Uganda, at the heart of these developments, has not been studied for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation. Here, we compare mtDNA lineages at this putative genetic crossroads across 409 representatives of the major language groups: Bantu speakers and Eastern and Western Nilotic speakers. We show that Uganda harbours one of the highest mtDNA diversities within and between linguistic groups, with the various groups significantly differentiated from each other. Despite an inferred linguistic origin in South Sudan, the data from the two Nilotic-speaking groups point to a much more complex history, involving not only possible dispersals from Sudan and the Horn but also large-scale assimilation of autochthonous lineages within East Africa and even Uganda itself. The Eastern Nilotic group also carries signals characteristic of West-Central Africa, primarily due to Bantu influence, whereas a much stronger signal in the Western Nilotic group suggests direct West-Central African ancestry. Bantu speakers share lineages with both Nilotic groups, and also harbour East African lineages not found in Western Nilotic speakers, likely due to assimilating indigenous populations since arriving in the region ~3000 years ago.

Summary of the ATLAS experiment's sensitivity to supersymmetry after LHC Run 1-interpreted in the phenomenological MSSM

A summary of the constraints from the ATLAS experiment on R-parity-conserving supersymmetry is presented. Results from 22 separate ATLAS searches are considered, each based on analysis of up to 20.3 fb−1 of proton-proton collision data at centre-of-mass energies of s√=7 and 8 TeV at the Large Hadron Collider. The results are interpreted in the context of the 19-parameter phenomenological minimal supersymmetric standard model, in which the lightest supersymmetric particle is a neutralino, taking into account constraints from previous precision electroweak and flavour measurements as well as from dark matter related measurements. The results are presented in terms of constraints on supersymmetric particle masses and are compared to limits from simplified models. The impact of ATLAS searches on parameters such as the dark matter relic density, the couplings of the observed Higgs boson, and the degree of electroweak fine-tuning is also shown. Spectra for surviving supersymmetry model points with low fine-tunings are presented.

Alcohol-dependent patients receiving specialised outpatient care: an overview of gender issues

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study, with focus on gender, was aimed at evaluating alcohol-dependent individual in terms of socio-demographic variables related to alcohol consumption and therapeutic interventions. METHODS: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study of 1,051 patients (833 men and 218 women), with diagnosis of alcohol dependence syndrome, according to ICD-10 criteria, who had sought treatment for the first time at a specialised health centre between 2000 and 2006. RESULTS: The results showed that women, compared to men, are more likely to be unemployed and without partner, in addition to having higher educational level, latter age of alcohol initiation, needing less outpatient alcohol detoxification program, consuming more fermented beverage, presenting less psychiatric comorbidities, and using less coadjutant medications during treatment. CONCLUSION: We can state that some peculiarities exist permeating both gender and alcohol consumption. A further focus on the characteristics of each population is needed to facilitate the adequate use of therapeutic interventions according to gender specificities.

VET: a strategic approach for economic, organisational and personal development in EU countries

Vocational Education and Training (VET) is a continuous long-term process of economic, organisational and personal development. It envisions the construction of dynamic skills to improve performance, productivity and organisational, personal and social development. This article focuses on generating skills. It frames training as a process of work-linked training and as a primary source for generating skills whilst seeking to boost creativity. It sheds light upon the discussion pertaining to learning transfer as a necessary condition to structure performance and competitiveness. It highlights the Learning Transfer System Inventory (LTSI), because it allows to measure the effectiveness of training and it identifies the organisations' weaknesses. The data used were collected from the Eurostat Database.

Hemograma, sódio, potássio, cálcio, osmolalidade e viscosidade durante angiocardiografia pediátrica com ioxaglato

OBJETIVO: Os meios de contraste (MC) introduzem alterações em alguns parâmetros sangüíneos, adquirindo, assim, mais importância na angiocardiografia pediátrica. MÉTODOS: Estudamos a presença e a severidade das mudanças no hematócrito, hemoglobina, leucócitos, sódio, potássio, cálcio, osmolalidade e viscosidade, em 35 crianças submetidas a angiocardiografia com ioxaglato, identificando, também, as variáveis independentes responsáveis por essas alterações. As amostras sangüíneas foram colhidas no início do procedimento (S1), no fim (S2) e 2h após (S3). RESULTADOS: Hematócrito: S1= 47,3±6,9%; S2= 40,7±7,4% (p<0,001) (relacionado com o ioxaglato r=0,37, p<0,05). Hemoglobina: S1= 15±2,1g%; S2= 13,2±2,4g% (p<0,001). Leucócitos: S1= 7940±3040 leucócitos/mm³; S2= 6950± 2700/mm³ (NS); S3= 10830± 4690, (p<0,001). Identificamos a duração do procedimento (r=0,38, p<0,05) e o volume total de soro glicosado (r=0,49, p<0,05). Sódio: S1= 134,5±0,4mEq/L; S2= 130,7±0,4mEq/L (p<0,001) relacionado à solução glicosada (r=0,61, p<0,01). Potássio: S1= 4,22± 0,45mEq/L; S2= 3,83±0,4mEq/L (p<0,001). Nenhuma variável foi isolada. Cálcio; S1= 9,13±1,03mg%; S2= 8,4±0,91mg% (relacionado ao ioxaglato r=0,43, p<0,01). Osmolalidade: S1= 293,3±12,5mOsm/kg; S2= 300,6±13,3mOsm/kg (p<0,001). Nenhuma das variáveis independentes foi isolada. Viscosidade: S1= 3,36±0,81; S2= 3,09±0,74 (p<0,01); S3= 3,87±0,89, p<0,001 (devido a uma regressão linear indireta com o MC). CONCLUSÃO: Variações significativas nas variáveis dependentes medidas foram observadas durante e após o procedimento. O uso do ioxaglato foi parcialmente relacionado a mudanças no hematócrito/hemoglobina, cálcio total e viscosidade mas não as das variáveis restantes.

Experimental analysis of Maritime pine and Iroko single shear dowel-type connections

"Available online 21 March 2016"

Distribution of cardiac geometric patterns on echocardiography in essential hypertension. Impact of two criteria of stratification

PURPOSE: To evaluate 2 left ventricular mass index (LVMI) normality criteria for the prevalence of left ventricular geometric patterns in a hypertensive population ( HT ) . METHODS: 544 essential hypertensive patients, were evaluated by echocardiography, and different left ventricular hypertrophy criteria were applied: 1 - classic : men - 134 g/m² and women - 110 g/m² ; 2- obtained from the 95th percentil of LVMI from a normotensive population (NT). RESULTS: The prevalence of 4 left ventricular geometric patterns, respectively for criteria 1 and 2, were: normal geometry - 47.7% and 39.3%; concentric remodelying - 25.4% and 14.3%; concentric hypertrophy - 18.4% and 27.7% and excentric hypertrophy - 8.8% and 16.7%, which confered abnormal geometry to 52.6% and 60.7% of hypertensive. The comparative analysis between NT and normal geometry hypertensive group according to criteria 1, detected significative stuctural differences,"( *p < 0.05):LVMI- 78.4 ± 1.50 vs 85.9 ±0.95 g/m² *; posterior wall thickness -8.5 ± 0.1 vs 8.9 ± 0.05 mm*; left atrium - 33.3 ± 0.41 vs 34.7 ± 0.30 mm *. With criteria 2, significative structural differences between the 2 groups were not observed. CONCLUSION: The use of a reference population based criteria, increased the abnormal left ventricular geometry prevalence in hypertensive patients and seemed more appropriate for left ventricular hypertrophy detection and risk stratification.