Size at maturity and egg capsules of the softnose skates Bathyraja brachyurops (Fowler, 1910) and Bathyraja macloviana (Norman, 1937) (Elasmobranchii: Rajidae) in the SW Atlantic (37 degrees 00'-39 degrees 30'S)

P>The softnose skates Bathyraja brachyurops and Bathyraja macloviana represent an important portion of the skate catches of the Uruguayan trawling fleet in the southwestern Atlantic. From March to October 2004, specimens of these species were collected at 75-200 m depth range in the area situated between latitudes 37 degrees 00'-39 degrees 30'S. For B. brachyurops, total length at which 50% of the specimens were retained by the gear was 68.0 cm for both sexes; T(L50) was estimated at 65.4 cm for males and 67.0 cm for females. For B. macloviana, total length at which 50% of the specimens were retained was 56.0-57.0 cm for both sexes; T(L50) was estimated at 53.5 cm for males and 52.0 cm for females. Egg capsule length varied from 79-91 mm in B. brachyurops and 69-75.5 mm in B. macloviana. In both species, capsules displayed striated surfaces and similar gross morphology, although egg capsules of B. macloviana had more robust anterior horns and a smaller size than those of B. brachyurops. Egg capsules of the latter also exhibited microscopical prickles. Capsule edges were laterally keeled with a groove along the keel, and a straight and transverse velum was present in the egg capsules of both species.

The moving gardens: Reef fishes grazing, cleaning, and following green turtles in SW Atlantic

Reef fishes may associate with marine turtles and graze on their shells, or clean their head, neck and flippers. on a reef flat at Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, SW Atlantic, we recorded green turtles (Chelonia mydas) grazed, cleaned and followed by reef fishes. The green turtle seeks specific sites on the reef and pose there for the grazers and/or cleaners. Fishes recorded associated to green turtles included omnivorous and herbivorous reef species such as the dam-selfish Abudefduf saxatilis and the surgeonfishes Acanthurus chirurgus and A. coeruleus. The turtle is followed by the wrasse Thalassoma noronhanum only while engaged in foraging bouts on benthic algae. Following behaviour is a previously unrecorded feeding association between turtles and fishes.

Chemopreventive activity of compounds extracted from Casearia sylvestris (Salicaceae) Sw against DNA damage induced by particulate matter emitted by sugarcane burning near Araraquara, Brazil

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

Population structure, distribution and abundance patterns of the patagonian smoothhound Mustelus schmitti Springer, 1939 (Chondrichthyes, Elasmobranchii, Triakidae) in the rio de La Plata and inner continental shelf , sw Atlantic ocean (34º30'-39º30'S)

Um total de 4824 Mustelus schmitti foi amostrado. As fêmeas apresentaram comprimento total de 25-93 cm na primavera e 28-90 cm no verão enquanto os machos apresentaram 34-82 e de 28-77 cm, respectivamente. A composição de comprimentos da população mostrou diferenças significativas entre primavera e verão sendo as fêmeas maiores do que os machos. A distribuição de comprimento total não variou significativamente entre cruzeiros. A densidade variou significativamente entre cruzeiros nos machos sendo que a variação não foi expressiva nas fêmeas. No cruzeiro da primavera, ambos os sexos ocorreram em profundidades menores do que 50 m, as fêmeas ocorrendo em toda a área de estudo, as adultas somente acima da latitude 35°30'S. Os machos adultos foram observados em toda a área sendo que os imaturos somente em dois arrastos na Bahia de Samborombón. O cruzeiro de verão mostrou uma distribuição descontínua da espécie ao longo da área de estudo, resultando na segregação espacial em dois grupos, com predominância de fêmeas imaturas em ambos.

Hipersensibilidade e necrose sistêmica em Nicotiana benthamiana transformada com o gene de resistência Sw-5 de tomateiro

O gene Sw-5 do tomateiro confere resistência a várias espécies de tospovírus e codifica uma proteína contendo domínios de ligação a nucleotídeos e repetições ricas em leucina. Tomateiros com Sw-5 exibem reações necróticas nas folhas inoculadas com tospovírus. Estas reações e a estrutura da proteína Sw-5 indicam que a resistência ocorre por meio do reconhecimento do patógeno e desencadeamento da resposta de hipersensibilidade. A capacidade de Sw-5 de conferir resistência a tospovírus em tabaco selvagem (Nicotiana benthamiana Domin.) foi avaliada em plantas transgênicas. Uma construção com a seqüência aberta de leitura de Sw-5 e sua região 3 não-traduzida sob controle do promotor 35S do CaMV foi utilizada para transformação de N. benthamiana via Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Plantas de progênies R1 foram inoculadas com um isolado de tospovírus e avaliadas quanto à ocorrência de reação de hipersensibilidade e resistência à infecção sistêmica. em uma progênie com segregação 3:1 (resistente:suscetível), foi selecionada uma planta homozigota e sua progênie avaliada quanto ao espectro da resistência a tospovírus. Plantas com o transgene exibiram resposta de hipersensibilidade 48 h após a inoculação, sendo resistentes à infecção sistêmica. O fenótipo da resistência foi dependente do isolado viral e um isolado de Tomato chlorotic spot virus (TCSV) causou necrose sistêmica em todas as plantas inoculadas, enquanto que isolados de Groundnut ringspot virus (GRSV) e um isolado relacionado a Chrysanthemum stem necrosis virus (CSNV) ficaram restritos ao sítio de infecção. Comparações do espectro da resistência obtido neste trabalho com aquele observado em outros membros da família Solanaceae indicam que as vias de transdução de sinais e as respostas de defesa ativadas por Sw-5 são conservadas dentro desta família e polimorfismos genéticos nas vias de transdução de sinais ou em componentes das respostas de defesa podem resultar em diferentes níveis de resistência.

EFFECT OF WATER POTENTIAL ON GERMINATION OF SEEDS OF STYLOSANTHES-GUIANENSIS (AUBL) SW

Effect of water potential on germination of seeds of Slylosanthes guianensis (Aubl.) Sw. To evaluate the water potential effect on germination of S. guianensis two experiments were performed.The first one used osmotic pre-treatment in the imbibition phase and after this period (14 h) the seeds were germinated on filter paper moistened with distilled water. In the second experiment, besides the imbibition phase, seeds were kept in a range of water potentials during all the process. The potentials ranged from 0 to -18 bars, with 3 bars increments, induced by mannitol or by polyethylene glycol. Each treatment was replicated 3 times with 100 seeds per replication. The seeds pre-treated during imbibition had high germination percentage, the highest being the ones in polhyetylene glycol. In the second experiment the polyethylene glycol solutions reduced dramatically the germination percentage in relation to mannitol. From -12 bars on germination ceased in the polyethylene glycol treatments, while in mannitol solution there was 52,67% of germination, in the same water potential.

Geological evolution of the basement rocks in the east-central part of the Rondonia Tin Province, SW Amazonian craton, Brazil: U-Pb and Sm-Nd isotopic constraints

On the basis of geologic, petrologic, and U-Pb geochronologic data the basement rocks in the east-central part of the Rondonia Tin Province (RTP, southwestern Amazonian craton) are grouped into five lithologic associations: (1) tonalitic gneiss (1.75 Ga); (2) enderbitic granulite (1.73 Ga); (3) paragneiss; (4) granitic and charnockitic augen gneisses (1.57-1.53 Ga); and (5) fine-grained granitic gneiss and charnockitic granulite (1.43-1.42 Ga). The first three are related to development of the Paleoproterozoic Rio Negro-Juruena Province and represent the oldest crust in the region. The tonalitic gneisses and enderbitic granulites show calc-alkaline affinities and Nd isotopic compositions (initial epsilon(Nd) = +0-1 to -1.5; T-DM of 2.2-2.1 Ga) that suggest a continental arc margin setting for the original magmas. The paragneisses yield T-DM values of 2.2-2.1 Ga suggesting that source material was primarily derived from the Ventuari-Tapajos and Rio Negro-Juruena crusts, but detrital zircon ages and an intrusive granitoid bracket deposition between 1.67 and 1.57 Ga. The granitic and charnockitic augen gneisses show predominantly A-type and within-plate granite affinities, but also some volcanic arc granite characteristics. The initial epsilon(Nd) values (+0.6 to +2.0) indicate mixing of magmas derived from depleted mantle and older crustal sources. These rocks are correlated to the 1.60-1.53 Ga Serra da Providencia intrusive suite that reflects inboard magmatism coeval with the Cachoeirinha orogen located to the southeast. The fine-grained granitic gneiss and charnockitic granulites represent the first record of widespread magmatism at 1.43-1.42 Ga in northern Rondonia. Their geochemical signatures and the slightly positive initial epsilon(Nd) values (+0.7 to +1.2) are very similar to those of the most evolved granites of the calc-alkaline Santa Helena batholith farther southeast. U-Pb monazite and Sm-Nd whole-rock-garnet ages demonstrate that a high-grade tectonometa-morphic episode occurred in this region at 1.33-1.30 Ga. This episode attained upper-amphibolite conditions and is interpreted as the peak of the Rondonian-San Ignacio orogeny. The U-Pb and Sm-Nd data presented here and data published on rapakivi granites elsewhere indicate that the east-central part of the RTP is a poly-orogenic region characterized by successive episodes of magmatism, metamorphism, and deformation between 1.75 and 0.97 Ga. (C) 2002 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

The Rondonian-San Ignacio Province in the SW Amazonian Craton: An overview

The Rondonian-San Ignacio Province (1.56-1.30 Ga) is a composite orogen created through successive accretion of arcs, ocean basin closure and final oblique microcontinent-continent collision. The effects of the collision are well preserved mostly in the Paragua Terrane (Bolivia and Mato Grosso regions) and in the Alto Guapore Belt and the Rio Negro-Juruena Province (Rondonia region), considering that the province was affected by later collision-related deformation and metamorphism during the Sunsas Orogeny (1.25-1.00 Ga). The Rondonian-San Ignacio Province comprises: (1) the Jauru Terrane (1.78-1.42 Ga) that hosts Paleoproterozoic basement (1.78-1.72 Ga), and the Cachoeirinha (1.56-1.52 Ga) and the Santa Helena (1.48-1.42 Ga) accretionary orogens, both developed in an Andean-type magmatic arc; (2) the Paragua Terrane (1.74-1.32 Ga) that hosts pre-San Ignacio units (>1640 Ma: Chiquitania Gneiss Complex, San Ignacio Schist Group and Lomas Manechis Granulitic Complex) and the Pensamiento Granitoid Complex (1.37-1.34 Ga) developed in an Andean-type magmatic arc; (3) the Rio Alegre Terrane (1.51-1.38 Ga) that includes units generated in a mid-ocean ridge and an intra-oceanic magmatic arc environments; and (4) the Alto Guapore Belt (<1.42-1.34 Ga) that hosts units developed in passive marginal basin and intra-oceanic arc settings. The collisional stage (1.34-1.32 Ga) is characterized by deformation, high-grade metamorphism, and partial melting during the metamorphic peak, which affected primarily the Chiquitania Gneiss Complex and Lomas Manechis Granulitic Complex in the Paragua Terrane, and the Colorado Complex and the Nova Mamore Metamorphic Suite in the Alto Guapore Belt. The Paragua Block is here considered as a crustal fragment probably displaced from its Rio Negro-Juruena crustal counterpart between 1.50 and 1.40 Ga. This period is characterized by extensive A-type and intra-plate granite magmatism represented by the Rio Crespo Intrusive Suite (ca. 1.50 Ga), Santo Antonio Intrusive Suite (1.40-1.36 Ga), and the Teotonio Intrusive Suite (1.38 Ga). Magmatism of these types also occur at the end of the Rondonian-San Ignacio Orogeny, and are represented by the Alto Candeias Intrusive Suite (1.34-1.36 Ga), and the Sao Lourenco-Caripunas Intrusive Suite (1.31-1.30 Ga). The cratonization of the province occurred between 1.30 and 1.25 Ga. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Proveniência e idade do metamorfismo das rochas da faixa Brasilia, na região de tapira (SW de Minas Gerais)

The Brasilia Fold Thrust Belt at Tapira area (SW of Minas Gerais State, Brazil) has four different litho-tectonic domains imbricated by thrust faults with vergency to the São Francisco Craton. Sm/Nd isotopic studies were undertaken and the results show different model and metamorphic ages for the thrust sheets. Rocks from the lower thrust sheet yield a metamorphic age of 543 Ma while the upper thrust sheet has a metamorphic age of 581 Ma. The TDM model ages are similar for both thrust sheets, between 1.7 and 2.2 Ga. Because of their lithologic characteristics, the thrust sheets are interpreted as having been deposited in a distal continental platform environment, their main source being Paleoproterozoic rocks of the São Francisco Craton. The upper thrust sheet rocks presents a metamorphism age of 612 Ma and a bimodal distribution of TDM model ages between 1.3 and 1.9 - 2.0 Ga, respectively. The lithologic and isotopic characteristics of this thrust sheet the rocks are interpreted as a result of deposition on a continental slope or oceanic floor environment, with mixed contributions from Paleo - and Mesoproterozoic rocks of the São Francisco Craton. In spite of the small number of analyzed samples and the uncertainties inherent to the Sm/Nd method the metamorphisms are not considered to be synchronous in the different thrust sheets. This is to be expected in a thrust belt system, in which the more metamorphosed thrust sheets are juxtaposed to less metamorphosed ones.

Geologic e geoquímica do batólito Rapakivi Rio Branco, SW do Craton Amazônico - MT

The Rio Branco Rapakivi Batholith belongs to the Cachoeirinha Tectonic Domain, part of the Rio Negro-Juruena Geochronological Province located on the southwestern portion of the Amazonian Craton in Mato Grosso, Central Brasil. A systematic geological mapping on a 1:100.000 scale, coupled with petrographic and geochemical studies allowed to redefine this batholithic unit, to recognize faciological variations and to characterize the geochemical features of this rapakivi magmatism. The batholith is constituted by two major plutonic suites, the first forming a basic suite of fine-grained, equigranular, mesoto melanocratic gray to black lithotypes, with usually discontinuous porphyritic varieties located near the margins of the intrusion. The second one is characterized by acid to intermediate rocks constituted by porphyritic granites, in part granophyric, with rapakivi textures. They have K-feldspar phenocrysts of up to 4cm. Three distinct petrographic facies are recognized in this suite: 1. equigranular to pegmatitic monzogranites; 2. red rapakivi leuco-monzogranites; 3. dark red rapakivi monzogranites to quartz-monzonites. Rocks present SiO2 contents from 67% to 73%, show peraluminous to metaluminous compositions and define a high-K calc-alkaline to shoshonitic magmatism in an I- and A-type, post-orogenic to anorogenic intraplate environment. The magmatic processes are associated with the end of the collisional event that consolidated and stabilized the SW part of the Amazonian Craton.

Length-weight relationships, condition and population structure of the genus Atlantoraja (Elasmobranchii, Rajidae, Arhynchobatinae) in Southeastern Brazilian waters, SW Atlantic Ocean

During the present study, 107 specimens of Atlantoraja castelnaui, 188 of A. platana, and 770 of A. cyclophora, were obtained by commercial vessels operating in Southeastern Brazil from March 2005 to April 2006. Males of A. castelnaui ranged from 17.9-111.0 cm and females from 17.4-116.0 cm total length. Males of A. platana ranged from 13.1-70.0 cm and females from 12.5-76.0 cm total length. Males of A. cyclophora ranged from 13.3-58.5 cm and females from 11.5-68.0 cm total length. Length-weight curves were sexually dimorphic in the three species. The analysis of the angular coefficient (b) demonstrated that growth (in weight) in relation to length was allometric (b>3) in males of A. castelnaui and A. platana, while isometric (b = 3) in females of these species. Conversely, growth of A. cyclphora was isometric in males, while in females it was allometric (b>3). The condition factor varied significantly throughout the year only in females of A. castelnaui.

The reproductive biology and cycle of Rioraja agassizi (Müller and Henle, 1841) (Chondrichthyes: Rajidae) in southeastern Brazil, SW Atlantic Ocean

Specimens of Rioraja agassizi were collected at Guarujá pier, São Paulo State, Brazil, from March 2005 to March 2006. A total of 275 males were captured. Based on the analysis of the clasper length, gonad weight, clasper gland length, alar thorns and lobule diameter, the size-at-maturity was estimated to be 32 cm. There were 1049 females in the record. Size-at-maturity was calculated in 40 cm. Sexual resting females were observed. Gonadosomatic and hepatosomatic indexes varied significantly in both sexes throughout the year. However, ovulation, egg-laying and presence of sperm in the seminal vesicle were observed all year round. For this reason, an annual cycle with at least one peak in the sexual activity is proposed for this species.

Geocronologia do maciço Granítico Sararé no SW do Cráton Amazônico

Sararé Massif occurs in the southwest Mato Grosso state intruded into Mesoproterozoic units of the Jauru Block inside the Amazonian Craton. It presents an extension of approximately 80 km2 and NW-SE tectonic structures control the elongated shape. It is constituted by three major monzogranitic petrographic facies, represented by leucocratic, reddish, isotropic, equi-inequigranular to locally porphyritic rocks. The composition indicates S-type, peraluminous, with indicatives of late- to post-kinematic magmatism. Geochronological studies with 40Ar/39Ar in biotites and muscovites resulted in ages of 903 to 906 Ma was interpreted as massif rocks cooling period and U-PB 917 ± 18 Ma. ages points to the crystallization of the intrusive body. The massif is formed by melting of material of the upper crust, in an environment of continental collision and/or of post-collisional decompression at the ending of the Aguapeí-Sunsás event, in more stable environments of consolidation and tectonic stabilization of the Amazonian Craton.

Magmatismo do batólito rapakivi Rio Branco, sw do Cráton Amazônico (MT)

Rio Branco Rapakivi Batholith is located on the southwestern portion of the Amazonian Craton in Mato Grosso and belongs to the Cachoeirinha Tectonic Domain, part of the Rio Negro-Juruena Geochronological Province, Central Brasil. The batholith is constituted by microgabbros to quartz microgabbros and microdiorites to quartz microdiorites, middle to fine-grained equigranular to porphyritic varieties form the Rio Branco Intrusive Basic Suite, showing a discontinuous distribution and located near the margins of the intrusion.Majorly constituted by porphyritic, granophyric and isotropic facies of Rio Branco Intrusive Acid Suit which is composed by older dark red rapakivi monzogranites to quartz monzonites and quartz sienites (1403±0.6 Ma) and the younger red rapakivi leuco-monzogranites (1382±49 Ma) and late equigranular to pegmatitic monzogranites. The magmatism is constituted by two distinct magmas related to the end of the collisional event of Cachoeirinha Orogeny, one with alkaline basalts generated in an intraplate environment and the other postorogenic to anorogenic with peraluminous to metaluminous compositions and define a high-K calc-alkaline to shoshonitic magmatism in transition among the I- and A-types. The contacts are marked by extensive mafic sills and dikes of alkaline basalts derived from intraplate environment of the Salto do Céu Intrusive Basic Suite (±808 Ma) associate to the Sunsás-Aguapei Orogenic Belt and metasedimentary rocks of the Aguapeí Grup.

HW/SW for an intelligent transducer network based on IEEE 1451 standard

This work describes a hardware/software co-design system development, named IEEE 1451 platform, to be used in process automation. This platform intends to make easier the implementation of IEEE standards 1451.0, 1451.1, 1451.2 and 1451.5. The hardware was built using NIOS II processor resources on Alteras Cyclone II FPGA. The software was done using Java technology and C/C++ for the processors programming. This HW/SW system implements the IEEE 1451 based on a control module and supervisory software for industrial automation. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.