Simulium (Chirostilbia) bifenestratum (Diptera, Simuliidae), a new black-fly species from the Atlantic forest, State of São Paulo, Brazil

The larva, pupa, male, and female of Simulium bifenestratum n. sp. are described and illustrated. The pupae of the new species have 10 gill filaments, thick at their base and arranged in a three-dimensional way, surrounding the head and thorax. Its pupal cocoon is peculiar, not found in any of the known Brazilian black-fly species; it is very thick and hard with two openings in the anterior region. S. bifenestratum n. sp. was collected in one stream in the Bocaina mountain chain, Atlantic forest, in São José do Barreiro county, state of São Paulo, in a high (1500 m) natural grassland. Larvae and pupae were collected on the edges of small waterfalls and in places with-high speed laminar water flow, attached to the bedrock.

Denudation history of the Bocaina Plateau, Serra do Mar, southeastern Brazil: Relationships to Gondwana breakup and passive margin development

The Bocaina Plateau, which is situated on the eastern flank of the continental rift of southeastern Brazil, is the highest part of the Serra do Mar. Topographic relief in this area is suggested to be closely related to its complex tectono-magmatic evolution since the breakup of Western Gondwana and opening of the South Atlantic Ocean. Apatite fission track ages and track length distributions from 27 basement outcrops were determined to assess these hypotheses and reconstruct the denudation history of the Bocaina Plateau. The ages range between 303 +/- 32 and 46 +/- 5 Ma, and are significantly younger than the stratigraphic ages. Mean track lengths vary from 13.44 +/- 1.51 to 11.1 +/- 1.48 mu m, with standard deviations between 1.16 and 1.83 mu m. Contrasting ages within a single plateau and similar ages at different altitudes indicate a complex regional tectonothermal evolution. The thermal histories inferred from these data imply three periods of accelerated cooling related to the Early Cretaceous continental breakup, Early Cretaceous alkaline magmatism, and the Paleogene evolution of the continental rift of southeastern Brazil. The oldest fission track ages (>200 Ma) were obtained in the Serra do Mar region, suggesting that these areas were a long-lived source of sediments for the Parana, Bauru, and Santos basins. (C) 2010 International Association for Gondwana Research. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Denudation history of the Bocaina Plateau, Serra do Mar, southeastern Brazil: Relationships to Gondwana breakup and passive margin development

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

Anurans from the Serra da Bocaina National Park and surrounding buffer area, southeastern Brazil

Here, we review the species of anuran amphibian from the Serra da Bocaina National Park and its buffer area, in the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil, comparing the data from a recent survey with museum records. We surveyed adult and larval anurans in ponds, marshes, and streams discontinuously from May 2008 to January 2011. In total, 63 anuran species were previously known to occur at the Park and its surrounding buffer area. In our survey, we recorded 46 species, of which five represented new records, and 22 appeared only in the historical list. Seven topotypic populations were not found in the present study. We suggest that conservation strategies for anurans in the Serra da Bocaina should also consider the surrounding areas that are subjected to anthropogenic pressure, due to the high diversity recorded, high altitudinal variation in species distribution, and various vegetation formations.

Siphonaptera parasites of wild rodents and marsupials trapped in three mountain ranges of the Atlantic Forest in Southeastern Brazil

A study of the associations between small mammals and fleas was undertaken in three areas of the Atlantic Forest in Souhtheastern Brazil: Serra da Fartura, SP, Serra da Bocaina, SP, and Itatiaia, RJ. Trapping of small rodents and marsupials was done every 3 months during 2 years, from June 1999 to May 2001. A total 502 rodents (13 species) and 50 marsupials (7 species) were collected, and 185 hosts out of 552 (33.5%) captured in the traps were parasitized by 327 fleas belonging to 11 different species. New host records were determined for several flea species, and 5 significant associations between fleas and hosts were also found.

Triplectides larvae in empty cases of Nectopsyche (Trichoptera, Leptoceridae) at Parque Estadual Intervales, São Paulo State, Brazil

The frequent occurrence of Triplectides sp. larvae in cases of Nectopsyche Müller in Ribeirão Bocaina, Parque Estadual Intervales, São Paulo, Brazil is recorded. Leaf packs were collected from November 1999 to June 2000 in riffles and pools. Triplectides sp. larvae in cases of Nectopsyche were found mostly in pools.

Tectono-sedimentary evolution of the Neoproterozoic BIF-bearing Jacadigo Group, SW-Brazil

The Jacadigo Group contains one of the largest sedimentary iron and associated manganese deposits of the Neoproterozoic. Despite its great relevance, no detailed sedimentological study concerning the unit has been carried out to date. Here we present detailed sedimentological data and interpretation on depositional systems, system tracts, external controls on basin evolution, basin configuration and regional tectonic setting of the Jacadigo Basin. Six depositional systems were recognized: (I) an alluvial fan system; (II) a siliciclastic lacustrine system; (III) a fan-delta system; (IV) a bedload-dominated river system; (V) an iron formation-dominated lacustrine or marine gulf system; and (VI) a rimmed carbonate platform system. The interpreted depositional systems are related to three tectonic system tracts. The first four depositional systems are mainly made of continental siliciclastics and refer to the rift initiation to early rift climax stage; the lake/gulf system corresponds to the mid to late rift climax stage and the carbonate platform represents the immediate to late post rift stage (Bocaina Formation deposits of the Ediacaran fossil-bearing Corumba Group). The spatial distribution of the depositional systems and associated paleocurrent patterns indicate a WNW-ESE orientation of the master fault zone related to the formation of the Jacadigo Basin. Thus, the iron formations of the Jacadigo Group were deposited in a starved waterbody related to maximum fault displacement and accommodation rates in a restricted continental rift basin. The Fe-Si-Mn source was probably related to hydrothermal plume activity that reached the basin through the fault system during maximum fault displacement phases. Our results also suggest a restricted tectono-sedimentary setting for the type section of the Puga Formation. The Jacadigo Group and the Puga Formation, usually interpreted as glacial deposits, are readdressed here as basin margin gravitational deposits with no necessary relation to glacial processes. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera assemblages in litter in a mountain stream of the Atlantic Rainforest from Southeastern Brazil

A fauna de Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera e Trichoptera associadas ao folhiço em um riacho do sudeste do Brasil foi estudada com o objetivo de responder às seguintes questões: 1) A riqueza e a composição faunística de EPT difere entre os dois mesohabitats (corredeira-remanso) mesmo quando associadas ao mesmo substrato, folhiço? 2) A similaridade da fauna de EPT entre os dois mesohabitas muda temporalmente? 3) A estrutura funcional de EPT difere entre os dois mesohabitats (corredeira-remanso)? Para responder essas questões, coletas mensais, de novembro de 1999 a junho de 2000, foram feitas no Ribeirão Bocaina com rede D (10 acúmulos de folhas em remanso e 10 em corredeira). A fauna de EPT do Ribeirão Bocaina foi mais diversificada e mais abundante no folhiço em corredeira do que no folhiço em remanso, no entanto, quando a riqueza foi padronizada para o mesmo número de indivíduos essa se tornou similar para as duas condições. A fauna de EPT foi bastante diferente entre os dois mesohabitats, tanto em termos da composição faunística quanto em termos funcionais. Isso provavelmente ocorreu devido às diferenças de velocidade da água, no tempo de residência do folhiço e na taxa de oxigênio da água entre os dois mesohabitats.

Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera assemblages in two Atlantic Rainforest streams, Southeastern Brazil

Comunidades de Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera e Trichoptera (EPT) em substrato rochoso foram estudadas em dois riachos do Parque Estadual Intervales. Coletas com um amostrador de Surber (10 subamostras aleatórias, 1 m²) foram feitas mensalmente de setembro de 1999 a setembro de 2000 e trimestralmente de dezembro de 2000 a setembro de 2001 nos Ribeirões Bocaina e Água Comprida. A fauna de EPT do Ribeirão Bocaina foi mais diversificada e mais abundante do que a do Ribeirão Água Comprida. A fauna de EPT foi bastante diferente entre os dois riachos, tanto do ponto de vista da composição faunística quanto do ponto de vista funcional. Os resultados indicaram que não houve um padrão sazonal claro da variação temporal da densidade.

Suíte vulcânica serra da bocaina, grupo amoguijá, maciço rio apa-MS

The Rio Apa Massif corresponds to the southeastern portion of the Amazonian Craton and crops out in the Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil. It is constituted by rocks of paleoproterozoic age of Rio Apa Complex, Alto Tererê Group and the plutonic-volcanic suites of the Amoguijá Group, subdivided in Alumiador Intrusive suits and Serra da Bocaina Volcanic. The Volcanic Suite is represented by São Francisco and Bocaina mountains and is constituted by terms of the composition of alkali - rhyolitic to rhyolitic, including in minor amounts riodacite, andesite and dacite. It consists of a variety of textual subvolcanic rocks, volcanic and varied volcanoclastics. The pyroclastic deposits are very expressive and consist of pyroclastic particle immerse in aphanitic matrix, fine grained or amorphous, where quartz, feldspar, chlorite, sericite, microlithes of carbonate, sparse spherulites and reliquiar volcanic glass can be distinguished. The pyroclastic rocks are represented by breccias, ignimbrites, agglomerate, tuffs, lapillistones and pumices and contain commonly vitroclasts, lithoclasts and crystalloclasts, pumices, fiammes, glass shards, spherulites, vesicles and amygdales. They are calc-alkaline rocks with dominant peraluminous character high to middle potassium series and define a sin-colisional dominant tectonic and are genetically associated to the evolution of the Amoguijá Magmatic Arc.

Uso do zoneamento ambiental do Médio Rio Grande na sub-bacia hidrográfica do Ribeirão Bocaina - Passos/MG

Este trabalho é parte integrante do Projeto Grande Minas - União pelas Águas, que realizou o Zoneamento Ambiental das Sub-bacias Hidrográficas dos Afluentes Mineiros do Médio Rio Grande. Após a obtenção dos produtos finais do zoneamento, entra-se agora, na fase de “Implementação”, ou seja, de sua aplicação direta para contribuir no processo de gestão dos recursos hídricos das sub-bacias hidrográficas da área de estudo. Neste trabalho estuda-se, especificamente, a sub-bacia hidrográfica do Ribeirão Bocaina, considerada uma das 34 sub-bacias que envolvem a Bacia Hidrográfica dos Afluentes Mineiros do Médio Rio Grande e situa-se no município de Passos-MG, possuindo uma área de 457,9 km². O trabalho busca dar uma contribuição para a gestão dos recursos hídricos nesta sub-bacia, que vem sofrendo com a degradação do seu recurso hídrico. O objetivo é disponibilizar instrumentos cartográficos para subsidiar a gestão dos recursos hídricos e, com isto, contribuir com a sua preservação e uso sustentável. A sistemática metodológica envolve uma análise dos aspectos legais da área de estudo; a construção de um Banco de Dados Digital georreferenciado com informações sobre os meios físico, biótico e socioeconômico da sub-bacia e a produção de uma carta derivada, de cunho interpretativo e de fácil leitura, que possa ser utilizada diretamente pelo gestor público nas tomadas de decisões. A base digital produzida conta com uma série de mapas digitais, dentre eles: mapas climáticos, de solos, declividades, geomorfológico, geológico, de sistemas aquíferos, hidrográfico, uso e ocupação do solo. Com relação à carta derivada, destaca os terrenos que apresentam maior predisposição à alterações diretas nos recursos hídricos.

[the Sociology Of Health In Brazil - The Creation Of An Identity].

This article analyzes the historical, social and cognitive dimensions of the sociology of medicine in the construction of its identity, from Wolf Lepenies' perspective. It is understood that the construction of an identity does not end with the first historical manifestations, but is consolidated when it is institutionalized and structured as a field of knowledge by creating its own forms of cognitive expression. The text is divided into three parts: in the first the precursors are presented, highlighting the role played by some travelers, naturalists and folklore scholars, followed by social physicians-scientists and the first social scientists (1940-1969). In the second part, aspects of the consolidation of the social sciences in health are presented at two significant moments, namely the 1970s and 1980s. In the third part, the issues raised by the field are addressed in general terms. It is considered that once the main structural stages are in place there is still a need for the formation of new generations of social scientists in health. It is also essential to disseminate scientific production and to ensure that the relations are studied in depth and institutionalized with the sociological matrices on the one hand and with the field of health on the other.

The Burden Of Eclampsia: Results From A Multicenter Study On Surveillance Of Severe Maternal Morbidity In Brazil.

Maternal mortality (MM) is a core indicator of disparities in women's rights. The study of Near Miss cases is strategic to identifying the breakdowns in obstetrical care. In absolute numbers, both MM and occurrence of eclampsia are rare events. We aim to assess the obstetric care indicators and main predictors for severe maternal outcome from eclampsia (SMO: maternal death plus maternal near miss). Secondary analysis of a multicenter, cross-sectional study, including 27 centers from all geographic regions of Brazil, from 2009 to 2010. 426 cases of eclampsia were identified and classified according to the outcomes: SMO and non-SMO. We classified facilities as coming from low- and high-income regions and calculated the WHO's obstetric health indicators. SPSS and Stata softwares were used to calculate the prevalence ratios (PR) and respective 95% confidence interval (CI) to assess maternal characteristics, clinical and obstetrical history, and access to health services as predictors for SMO, subsequently correlating them with the corresponding perinatal outcomes, also applying multiple regression analysis (adjusted for cluster effect). Prevalence of and mortality indexes for eclampsia in higher and lower income regions were 0.2%/0.8% and 8.1%/22%, respectively. Difficulties in access to health care showed that ICU admission (adjPR 3.61; 95% CI 1.77-7.35) and inadequate monitoring (adjPR 2.31; 95% CI 1.48-3.59) were associated with SMO. Morbidity and mortality associated with eclampsia were high in Brazil, especially in lower income regions. Promoting quality maternal health care and improving the availability of obstetric emergency care are essential actions to relieve the burden of eclampsia.

Geochemistry Of Acid Mine Drainage From A Coal Mining Area And Processes Controlling Metal Attenuation In Stream Waters, Southern Brazil.

Acid drainage influence on the water and sediment quality was investigated in a coal mining area (southern Brazil). Mine drainage showed pH between 3.2 and 4.6 and elevated concentrations of sulfate, As and metals, of which, Fe, Mn and Zn exceeded the limits for the emission of effluents stated in the Brazilian legislation. Arsenic also exceeded the limit, but only slightly. Groundwater monitoring wells from active mines and tailings piles showed pH interval and chemical concentrations similar to those of mine drainage. However, the river and ground water samples of municipal public water supplies revealed a pH range from 7.2 to 7.5 and low chemical concentrations, although Cd concentration slightly exceeded the limit adopted by Brazilian legislation for groundwater. In general, surface waters showed large pH range (6 to 10.8), and changes caused by acid drainage in the chemical composition of these waters were not very significant. Locally, acid drainage seemed to have dissolved carbonate rocks present in the local stratigraphic sequence, attenuating the dispersion of metals and As. Stream sediments presented anomalies of these elements, which were strongly dependent on the proximity of tailings piles and abandoned mines. We found that precipitation processes in sediments and the dilution of dissolved phases were responsible for the attenuation of the concentrations of the metals and As in the acid drainage and river water mixing zone. In general, a larger influence of mining activities on the chemical composition of the surface waters and sediments was observed when enrichment factors in relation to regional background levels were used.

Trypanosoma Cruzi Strains From Triatomine Collected In Bahia And Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil.

Collection of triatomines in domestic, peridomestic and sylvatic environments in states of Bahia and Rio Grande do Sul, Northeastern and Southern Brazil respectively, and isolation of Trypanosoma cruzi strains. First, the captured triatomines were identified using insect identification keys, then their intestinal content was examined by abdominal compression, and the samples containing trypanosomatid forms were inoculated in LIT medium and Swiss mice. Six triatomine species were collected in cities in Bahia, namely Panstrongylus geniculatus (01), Triatoma melanocephala (11), T. lenti (94), T. pseudomaculata (02), T. sherlocki (26) and T. sordida (460), and two in cities in Rio Grande do Sul, namely T. circummaculata (11) and T. rubrovaria (115). Out of the specimens examined, T. cruzi was isolated from 28 triatomine divided into four different species: T. melanocephala (one), T. lenti (one), T. rubrovaria (16) and T. sordida (10). Their index of natural infection by T. cruzi was 6.4%. The isolation of T. cruzi strains from triatomines found in domestic and peridomestic areas shows the potential risk of transmission of Chagas disease in the studied cities. The maintenance of those T. cruzi strains in laboratory is intended to promote studies that facilitate the understanding of the parasite-vector-host relationship.