Bilateral anomaly in the style of Sciopemyia sordellii (Shannon & Del Ponte) (Diptera, Psychodidae)

This paper presents a male specimen of Sciopemyia sordellii with a rare bilateral anomaly, consisting in eight spines in a style and five in the other. This species has four spines in each style as its normal number. The specimen was captured using a CDC light trap, in a forested area in the State Park ""Floresta Estadual Edmundo Navarro de Andrade"", in May 2004, located in the city of Rio Claro, Sao Paulo State, Brazil. Similar anomaly was once described but this is the first specimen found with a bilateral alteration. It may cause confusion in taxonomic identification and even lead to description of new species, increasing the number of synonymies.

Magnetotelluric deep soundings, gravity and geoid in the south Sao Francisco craton: Geophysical indicators of cratonic lithosphere rejuvenation and crustal underplating

In the south Sao Francisco craton a circular and 8-m amplitude geoid anomaly coincides with the outcropping terrain of an Archean-Paleoproterozoic basement. Broadband magnetotelluric (MT) data inversions of two radial profiles within the positive geoid and Bouguer gravity anomaly yield geo-electrical crustal sections, whereby the lower crust is locally more conductive (10 to 100 Omega m) in spatial coincidence with a denser lower crust modeled by the gravity data. This anomalous lower crust may have resulted from magmatic underplating, associated with Mesoarchean and Proterozoic episodes of tholeiitic dike intrusion. Long-period MT soundings reveal a low electrical resistivity mantle (20 to 200 Omega m) from depths beyond 120 km. Forward geoid modeling, using the scope of the low electrical resistivity region within the mantle as a constraint, entails a density increase (40 to 50 kg/m(3)) possibly due to Fe enrichment of mantle minerals. However, this factor alone does not explain the observed resistivity. A supplemented presence of small amounts of percolated carbonatite melting (similar to 0.005 vol.%), dissolved water and enhanced oxygen fugacity within the peridotitic mantle are viable agents that could explain the less resistive upper mantle. We propose that metasomatic processes confined in the sub-continental lithospheric mantle foster the conditions for a low degree melting with variable CO(2), H(2)O and Fe content. Even though the precise age of this metasomatism is unknown it might be older than the Early Cretaceous based on the evidence that a high-degree of melting in a lithospheric mantle impregnated with carbonatites originated the tholeiitic dike intrusions dispersed from the southeastern border of the Sao Francisco craton, during the onset of the lithosphere extension and break-up of the western Gondwana. The proxies are the NE Parana and Espinhaco (130 Ma, Ar/Ar ages) tholeiitic dikes, which contain (similar to 3%) carbonatites in their composition. The occurrence of a positive geoid anomaly (+ 10 m) and pre-tholeiites (age > 138 Ma), carbonatites and kimberlites along the west African continental margin (Angola and Namibia) reinforces the presumed age of the Sao Francisco-Congo craton rejuvenation to be prior to its fragmentation in the Lower Cretaceous. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reappraisal of the effective elastic thickness for the sub-Andes using 3-D finite element flexural modelling, gravity and geological constraints

P>Estimates of effective elastic thickness (T(e)) for the western portion of the South American Plate using, independently, forward flexural modelling and coherence analysis, suggest different thermomechanical properties for the same continental lithosphere. We present a review of these T(e) estimates and carry out a critical reappraisal using a common methodology of 3-D finite element method to solve a differential equation for the bending of a thin elastic plate. The finite element flexural model incorporates lateral variations of T(e) and the Andes topography as the load. Three T(e) maps for the entire Andes were analysed: Stewart & Watts (1997), Tassara et al. (2007) and Perez-Gussinye et al. (2007). The predicted flexural deformation obtained for each T(e) map was compared with the depth to the base of the foreland basin sequence. Likewise, the gravity effect of flexurally induced crust-mantle deformation was compared with the observed Bouguer gravity. T(e) estimates using forward flexural modelling by Stewart & Watts (1997) better predict the geological and gravity data for most of the Andean system, particularly in the Central Andes, where T(e) ranges from greater than 70 km in the sub-Andes to less than 15 km under the Andes Cordillera. The misfit between the calculated and observed foreland basin subsidence and the gravity anomaly for the Maranon basin in Peru and the Bermejo basin in Argentina, regardless of the assumed T(e) map, may be due to a dynamic topography component associated with the shallow subduction of the Nazca Plate beneath the Andes at these latitudes.

Virtual Pole from Magnetic Anomaly (VPMA): A procedure to estimate the age of a rock from its magnetic anomaly only

Virtual Pole from Magnetic Anomaly (VPMA) is a new multi-disciplinary methodology that estimates the age of a source rock from its magnetic anomaly, taken directly from available aeromagnetic data. The idea is to use those anomalies in which a strong remanent magnetic component is likely to occur. Once the total magnetization of the anomaly is computed through any of the currently available methods, the line that connects all virtual paleogeographic poles is related with the position, on a paleogeographic projection, of the appropriate age fragment of the APWT curve. We applied this procedure to five (5) well-known magnetic anomalies of the South American plate in SE Brazil, all of them associated to alkaline complexes of Mesozoic age. The apparent ages obtained from VPMA on three of the anomalies where the radiometric age of the source rock is known - Tapira, Araxa and Juquia were inside the error interval of the published ages. The VPMA apparent ages of the other two, where the age of the source rock is not known (Registro and Pariqueracu magnetic anomalies) were geologically coherent. We expect that the application of the VPMA methodology as a reconnaissance geochronological tool may contribute to geological knowledge over continental areas, especially when the source rocks of the magnetic anomalies am unknown or buried below superficial sediments. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Infrared chiral anomaly at finite temperature

We study the Schwinger model at finite temperature and show that a temperature dependent chiral anomaly may arise from the long distance behavior of the electric field. At high temperature this anomaly depends linearly on the temperature T and is present not only in the two point function, but also in all even point amplitudes. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Can a habit formation model really explain the Forward Premium Anomaly?

Verdelhan (2009) mostra que desejando-se explicar o comporta- mento do prêmio de risco nos mercados de títulos estrangeiros usando- se o modelo de formação externa de hábitos proposto por Campbell e Cochrane (1999) será necessário especi car o retorno livre de risco de equilíbrio de maneira pró-cíclica. Mostramos que esta especi cação só é possível sobre parâmetros de calibração implausíveis. Ainda no processo de calibração, para a maioria dos parâmetros razoáveis, a razão preço-consumo diverge. Entretanto, adotando a sugestão pro- posta por Verdelhan (2009) - de xar a função sensibilidade (st) no seu valor de steady-state durante a calibração e liberá-la apenas du- rante a simulação dos dados para se garantir taxas livre de risco pró- cíclicas - conseguimos encontrar um valor nito e bem comportado para a razão preço-consumo de equilíbrio e replicar o foward premium anom- aly. Desconsiderando possíveis inconsistências deste procedimento, so- bre retornos livres de risco pró-cíclicos, conforme sugerido por Wachter (2006), o modelo utilizado gera curvas de yields reais decrescentes na maturidade, independentemente do estado da economia - resultado que se opõe à literatura subjacente e aos dados reais sobre yields.

Can a habit formation model really explain the forward premium anomaly?

Verdelhan (2009) shows that if one is to explain the foreign exchange forward premium behavior using Campbell and Cochrane (1999)’s habit formation model one must specify it in such a way to generate pro-cyclical short term risk free rates. At the calibration procedure, we show that this is only possible in Campbell and Cochrane’s framework under implausible parameters specifications given that the price-consumption ratio diverges in almost all parameters sets. We, then, adopt Verdelhan’s shortcut of fixing the sensivity function λ(st) at its steady state level to attain a finite value for the price-consumption ratio and release it in the simulation stage to ensure pro-cyclical risk free rates. Beyond the potential inconsistencies that such procedure may generate, as suggested by Wachter (2006), with procyclical risk free rates the model generates a downward sloped real yield curve, which is at odds with the data.

Tricuspid valve dysplasia and Ebstein's anomaly in dogs: case report

Dois casos de displasia da valva tricúspide são relatados neste trabalho. Os cães foram avaliados devido à fraqueza e presença de ascite. em ambos os casos, o exame ecocardiográfico mostrou insuficiência tricúspide e, em um deles, a inserção dos folhetos da valva tricúspide encontrava-se deslocada para baixo do ventrículo direito, caracterizando a anomalia de Ebstein. A terapia medicamentosa para insuficiência cardíaca congestiva foi iniciada, mas um dos animais veio a óbito subitamente alguns dias após o diagnóstico. O outro cão, apesar de inicialmente ter apresentado melhora significativa do quadro clínico, apresentou morte súbita. A necropsia dos animais revelou dilatação atrioventricular direita e folhetos tricúspides espessados. As características clínicas, métodos de diagnóstico e terapia medicamentosa são discutidas neste artigo.

Anomaly mediated supersymmetry breaking without R-parity

We analyze the low energy features of a supersymmetric standard model where the anomaly-induced contributions to the soft parameters are dominant in a scenario with bilinear R-parity violation. This class of models leads to mixings between the standard model particles and supersymmetric ones which chance the low energy phenomenology and searches for supersymmetry. In addition, R-parity violation interactions give rise to small neutrino masses which we show to be consistent with the present observations. (C) 2002 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

CERN LHC signals for a neutrino mass model with bilinear R-parity violating minimal anomaly mediated supersymmetry

We investigate a neutrino mass model in which the neutrino data is accounted for by bilinear R-parity violating supersymmetry with anomaly mediated supersymmetry breaking. We focus on the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) phenomenology, studying the reach of generic supersymmetry search channels with leptons, missing energy and jets. A special feature of this model is the existence of long-lived neutralinos and charginos which decay inside the detector leading to detached vertices. We demonstrate that the largest reach is obtained in the displaced vertices channel and that practically all of the reasonable parameter space will be covered with an integrated luminosity of 10 fb(-1). We also compare the displaced vertex reaches of the LHC and Tevatron.

Arcabouço geofísico, isostasia e causas do magmatismo cenozóico da província Borborema e de sua margem continental (Nordeste do Brasil)

The Borborema Province (BP) is a geologic domain located in Northeastern Brazil. The BP is limited at the south by the São Francisco craton, at the west by the Parnaíba basin, and both at the north and east by coastal sedimentary basins. Nonetheless the BP surface geology is well known, several key aspects of its evolution are still open, notably: i)its tectonic compartmentalization established after the Brasiliano orogenesis, ii) the architecture of its cretaceous continental margin, iii) the elastic properties of its lithosphere, and iv) the causes of magmatism and uplifting which occurred in the Cenozoic. In this thesis, a regional coverage of geophysical data (elevation, gravity, magnetic, geoid height, and surface wave global tomography) were integrated with surface geologic information aiming to attain a better understanding of the above questions. In the Riacho do Pontal belt and in the western sector of the Sergipano belt, the neoproterozoic suture of the collision of the Sul domain of the BP with the Sanfranciscana plate (SFP) is correlated with an expressive dipolar gravity anomaly. The positive lobule of this anomaly is due to the BP lower continental crust uplifting whilst the negative lobule is due to the supracrustal nappes overthrusting the SFP. In the eastern sector of the Sergipano belt, this dipolar gravity anomaly does not exist. However the suture still can be identified at the southern sector of the Marancó complex arc, alongside of the Porto da Folha shear zone, where the SFP N-S geophysical alignments are truncated. The boundary associated to the collision of the Ceará domain of the BP with the West African craton is also correlated with a dipolar gravity anomaly. The positive lobule of this anomaly coincides with the Sobral-Pedro II shear zone whilst the negative lobule is associated with the Santa Quitéria magmatic arc. Judging by their geophysical signatures, the major BP internal boundaries are: i)the western sector of the Pernambuco shear zone and the eastern continuation of this shear zone as the Congo shear zone, ii) the Patos shear zone, and iii) the Jaguaribe shear zone and its southwestern continuation as the Tatajuba shear zone. These boundaries divide the BP in five tectonic domains in the geophysical criteria: Sul, Transversal, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará, and Médio Coreaú. The Sul domain is characterized by geophysical signatures associated with the BP and SFP collision. The fact that Congo shear zone is now proposed as part of the Transversal domain boundary implies an important change in the original definition of this domain. The Rio Grande do Norte domain presents a highly magnetized crust resulted from the superposition of precambrian and phanerozoic events. The Ceará domain is divided by the Senador Pompeu shear zone in two subdomains: the eastern one corresponds to the Orós-Jaguaribe belt and the western one to the Ceará-Central subdomain. The latter subdomain exhibits a positive ENE-W SW gravity anomaly which was associated to a crustal discontinuity. This discontinuity would have acted as a rampart against to the N-S Brasiliano orogenic nappes. The Médio Coreaú domain also presents a dipolar gravity anomaly. Its positive lobule is due to granulitic rocks whereas the negative one is caused by supracrustal rocks. The boundary between Médio Coreaú and Ceará domains can be traced below the Parnaíba basin sediments by its geophysical signature. The joint analysis of free air anomalies, free air admittances, and effective elastic thickness estimates (Te) revealed that the Brazilian East and Equatorial continental margins have quite different elastic properties. In the first one 10 km < Te < 20 km whereas in the second one Te ≤ 10 km. The weakness of the Equatorial margin lithosphere was caused by the cenozoic magmatism. The BP continental margin presents segmentations; some of them have inheritance from precambrian structures and domains. The segmentations conform markedly with some sedimentary basin features which are below described from south to north. The limit between Sergipe and Alagoas subbasins coincides with the suture between BP and SFP. Te estimates indicates concordantly that in Sergipe subbasin Te is around 20 km while Alagoas subbasin has Te around 10 km, thus revealing that the lithosphere in the Sergipe subbasin has a greater rigidity than the lithosphere in the Alagoas subbasin. Additionally inside the crust beneath Sergipe subbasin occurs a very dense body (underplating or crustal heritage?) which is not present in the crust beneath Alagoas subbasin. The continental margin of the Pernambuco basin (15 < Te < 25 km) presents a very distinct free air edge effect displaying two anomalies. This fact indicates the existence in the Pernambuco plateau of a relatively thick crust. In the Paraíba basin the free air edge effect is quite uniform, Te ≈ 15 km, and the lower crust is abnormally dense probably due to its alteration by a magmatic underplating in the Cenozoic. The Potiguar basin segmentation in three parts was corroborated by the Te estimates: in the Potiguar rift Te ≅ 5 km, in the Aracati platform Te ≅ 25 km, and in the Touros platform Te ≅ 10 km. The observed weakness of the lithosphere in the Potiguar rift segment is due to the high heat flux while the relatively high strength of the lithosphere in the Touros platform may be due to the existence of an archaean crust. The Ceará basin, in the region of Mundaú and Icaraí subbasins, presents a quite uniform free air edge effect and Te ranges from 10 to 15 km. The analysis of the Bouguer admittance revealed that isostasy in BP can be explained with an isostatic model where combined surface and buried loadings are present. The estimated ratio of the buried loading relative to the surface loading is equal to 15. In addition, the lower crust in BP is abnormally dense. These affirmations are particularly adequate to the northern portion of BP where adherence of the observed data to the isostatic model is quite good. Using the same above described isostatic model to calculate the coherence function, it was obtained that a single Te estimate for the entire BP must be lower than 60 km; in addition, the BP north portion has Te around 20 km. Using the conventional elastic flexural model to isostasy, an inversion of crust thickness was performed. It was identified two regions in BP where the crust is thickened: one below the Borborema plateau (associated to an uplifting in the Cenozoic) and the other one in the Ceará domain beneath the Santa Quitéria magmatic arc (a residue associated to the Brasiliano orogenesis). On the other hand, along the Cariri-Potiguar trend, the crust is thinned due to an aborted rifting in the Cretaceous. Based on the interpretation of free air anomalies, it was inferred the existence of a large magmatism in the oceanic crust surrounding the BP, in contrast with the incipient magmatism in the continent as shown by surface geology. In BP a quite important positive geoid anomaly exists. This anomaly is spatially correlated with the Borborema plateau and the Macaú-Queimadas volcanic lineament. The integrated interpretation of geoid height anomaly data, global shear velocity model, and geologic data allow to propose that and Edge Driven Convection (EDC) may have caused the Cenozoic magmatism. The EDC is an instability that presumably occurs at the boundary between thick stable lithosphere and oceanic thin lithosphere. In the BP lithosphere, the EDC mechanism would have dragged the cold lithospheric mantle into the hot asthenospheric mantle thus causing a positive density contrast that would have generated the main component of the geoid height anomaly. In addition, the compatibility of the gravity data with the isostatic model, where combined surface and buried loadings are present, together with the temporal correlation between the Cenozoic magmatism and the Borborema plateau uplifting allow to propose that this uplifting would have been caused by the buoyancy effect of a crustal root generated by a magmatic underplating in the Cenozoic

First Description of a Cluster of Acute/Subacute Paracoccidioidomycosis Cases and Its Association with a Climatic Anomaly

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