470 research outputs found
Edrabius uruguayensis Martinez-Villar, Gonzalez-Vainer & Tomasco 2020, sp. nov.
No full textEdrabius uruguayensis Martínez-Villar, González-Vainer & Tomasco, sp. nov. (Fig. 1) Diagnosis. Edrabius uruguayensis can be distinguished by the following combination of characters: head trapezoidal with posterior angles rounded to front; short antenna, article 11 with apical edge oblique; pronotum moderately transverse, integument with fine and weak microsculpture; elytra with thick black setae on the humeral angle and a bunch of long golden fine setae at the outer rear corner; hind coxa longer than broad, with prominent rounded external basal angle; apex of the middle lobe of the aedeagus quadrangular with straight anterior margin. Description. Body average length 5.4–6.5mm. Coloration: uniformly light reddish-brown (Fig. 1). Head: (HW= 1.15mm; HL= 0.69mm; HW/HL= 1.66) trapezoidal, with lateral margins narrowing uniformly from rounded posterior angles to front (Fig. 2. A); integument of head with fine punctation; micropunctures arranged in pairs that consist of two types of sensillae: campaniform and coeloconic (Fig. 2. B). Microsculpture barely apparent with fine, short and broken stripes that do not form a reticulum, more closely compacted towards the anterior and posterior margins (Fig. 2. B); 1–2 rows of microsetae directed forward near the posterior margin (Fig. 2. A). Antenna: as long as the head and half of the pronotum with 11 articles, 2 longer than 3, 4 10 trapezoidal, moniliform, 11 longer than 10 with oblique apical edge (Figs. 2.A; 3.A). Pronotum: moderately transverse, wider than long (PW= 1.41mm; PL= 0.99mm; PW/PL= 1.42), with antero—lateral macroseta (Figs. 2. A; 3. B); very small microsetae extend from the antero—lateral margins to about half of the lateral margin. Integument microsculpture similar to the head; fine and relatively sparse micropunctures that represent sensillae similar to those in the head (Fig. 2. C); golden pubescence over the antero—lateral margin and more abundant over the humeral angle to the anterior half of the lateral margin (Fig. 3. B). Elytra: (EW= 0.71mm; EL= 0.67mm; EW/EL= 1.05mm) with a dense covering of fine, golden short setae, with thick black setae in the humeral angle and with long golden setae on the external posterior angles; in addition with a long and golden macroseta close to antero-lateral margin; outer posterior angles well defined (Fig. 2. A); micropunctures coarser than the head and pronotum. Hind coxa longer than broad, with prominent rounded external basal angle (Fig. 3. C). Abdomen: dorsally uniformly covered with a golden fine pubescence; each tergite with two setae on each side of the posterior margin; long golden fine setae all along the posterior margin. Apices of the lateral plates of tergum IX with a distinctive cluster of extremely long and aciculate setae (Fig. 3. D). Aedeagus: as in Figs. 2. D-F; apex of median lobe quadrangular in lateral view, with apical margin straight and upper and lower margins parallel; 8 short spurs along the bottom edge and 4 thick and longer spurs on the posterior margin (Fig. 2.E); 2 lateral macrosetae close to apical margin and two others in a row backwards. Surface of the apex with numerous basiconic sensillae, more concentrated towards the end. Internal sac with a prominent sclerotized tooth (Figs. 2. F). Length of median lobe about 1.45 mm. Male tergite 8 trapezoidal, lateral margins straight in the anterior half and with slightly pronounced curvature in the posterior half; posterior margin shallowly and broadly emarginated; posterior half with two long hairs near the lateral margin (one each); sternite 8 with posterior margin strongly emarginated; width of emargination about 2.6 times depth (Fig. 3. E, F). Female tergite 8 trapezoidal with apical margin straight; sternite 8 similar to tergite (Fig. 3. G, H). Material examined: Holotype (male), Uruguay: Departamento Río Negro, Estancia El Tabaré (33° 21´36.4´´ S 58° 18´52.1´´ W), sobre Ctenomys rionegrensis, 15.III.2017, M. Martínez-Villar, I.H. Tomasco and N. Boullosa (label 4409) (FCE). Four paratypes (1 male, 3 females): same data as holotype (labels 4410 ─ 4413). Holotype and paratypes were deposited in the Entomological Collection of Facultad de Ciencias (FCE), Universidad de la República (Montevideo, Uruguay). Other material examined: 2 males and 2 females, same data as holotype, were prepared for the scanning electron microscopic photographs and then stored in FCE. Distribution. Species known only from Estancia El Tabaré (33° 21´36.4´´S 58° 18´52.1´´W), Rio Negro Department, Uruguay. Etymology. The specific name is derived from the country, where the type specimens were collected. Biology. The adults of Edrabius uruguayensis were found living on the fur of Ctenomys rionegrensis. Molecular analyses. We were able to sequence a fragment of 646 base pairs of the COI gen. We reported two haplotypes for the species, which form a monophyletic group. All phylogenetic reconstruction methods applied were concordant among them (Fig. 4), and show the inclusion of Edrabius uruguayensis sp. nov. in the family Staphylinidae, and a closer relationship with the genus Heterothops, from the same tribe, and also confirm the monophyly of most genera included, except for Heterothops that seems to be polyphyletic. However, bootstrap values are low, and no strong conclusions can be hold.Published as part of Martínez-Villar, Mauro, González-Vainer, Patricia & Tomasco, Ivanna H., 2020, A new species of Edrabius Fauvel (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Staphylininae) from Uruguay, pp. 393-400 in Zootaxa 4819 (2) on pages 396-398, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4819.2.11, http://zenodo.org/record/439681
Sensitivity, reproducibility, and accuracy in short tandem repeat genotyping using capillary array electrophoresis.
No full textThe Human Genome Initiative has increased significantly the rate at which disease-causing genes are being mapped and sequenced. New cost-effective methods to locate the genes and to characterize disease-causing mutations require robust, reproducible, and accurate protocols for measuring DNA fragment lengths. Capillary array electrophoresis (CAE) offers rapid, high-resolution separations, high throughput, and sensitive detection. To assess the utility of CAE for the accumulation of genetic information, we tested both sizing accuracy and reproducibility using 48-capillary prototype systems. Two multiplex PCR allelic ladder standards and several CA-repeat markers were analyzed in > 100 runs. Reproducibility in typing > 8000 genotypes reveals a standard deviation of less than 0.2 bp on these systems under optimized conditions. However, sequence-dependent migration anomalies were observed at most simple sequence loci even when analyzed under denaturing conditions, resulting in a systematic bias in estimated fragment sizes. We show here that, by normalizing results to known typing controls, one can obtain locus-averaged accuracies of < 0.06 bp and normalized results within 1 bp of actual. We detect as little as a 1:30,000 dilution of a DNA quantitation standard stained with highly sensitive intercalating dyes, indicating an 80-zeptomole sensitivity limit. However, to obtain reproducible electrokinetic injection, approximately 200 attomoles of fluorescein-labeled DNA is required. These sensitivity limits, sizing precision, and accuracy, together with the 1-hr run times for 48-96 samples, indicate that CAE is a viable method for high-throughput genetic analysis of simple sequence repeat polymorphisms
Infrared Thermography: Recent Advances and Future Trends
No full textThe book is organised in two main parts: Part I and Part II and into several chapters.
The Part I includes two chapters. The first one, by the Editor, deals with basic theory, which is described following the historical steps by eminent scientists, from Herschel, to Nobili, Melloni, Stefan, Boltzmann, Planck and others. The radiation mechanisms with the most important parameters, which play a key role in acquisition and interpretation of thermal images are recalled and discussed. A section is devoted to detectors used for infrared technology. The main steps in detectors development following the technological progress are also drawn. The second chapter is by Roberto Rinaldi of the Infrared Training Center (ITC) by Flir Systems in Milan (Italy). This chapter is concerned with an overview of infrared imaging devices from the first prototype developed in 1958 to the multitude of models, which are today available. The historical evolution of the infrared technology is traced within the key features of each model. In particular, some basic characteristics and performance are described which may help the reader in the choice of the most appropriate device for the specific application.
Part II is subdivided into four sections and many chapters.
The first section regards applications to medicine (Chap. 1) and veterinary (Chap. 2). The study of the temperature of the human body has been associated with health as far back as the 1st century BC, when Hypocrites, (the father of medicine), used the sense of touch to skin surface temperature anomalies and to determine the health of his patients. Still today, monitoring the body temperature variation, aides in both diagnosis and treatment planning. Chapter one was prepared by Boris G. Vainer of the Institute of Semiconductor Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. This chapter reports on the IRT’s state of art in medicine with methodological approaches and a variety of applications such as in the diagnosis of breast cancer, in ophthalmologic surgery, in cardiovascular surgery, in the visualization of ischemic tissues and in many others. Chapter two presents application and use of infrared thermography in farm animals and veterinary medicine. This chapter was supplied by Petr Kunc and Ivana Knizkova of the Institute of Animal Science - University of Prague (The Czech Republic). The addressed areas include reproduction, thermoregulation, animal welfare and the milking process. The application of IRT to veterinary medicine is particularly useful to predict inflammation since, contrary to human beings, animals cannot reveal any symptom before the illness has become important.
Section two includes a chapter on the use of Infrared thermography in foodstuff conservation by Klaus Gottschalk of the Leibniz-Institut für Agrartechnik Potsdam (Germany). It is shown the usefulness of IRT to control the conservation conditions of fruits and vegetables. The main advantage of using an infrared device lies in the possibility to control and improve the climate, which is essential in prolonging the shelf life of crops.
Section three regards applications of IRT to industrial engineering. The first chapter, prepared by Giovanni M. Carlomagno of the Department of Aerospace Engineering - University of Naples Federico II (Italy), is an overview on IRT to thermo-fluid-dynamics. After recalling the first historical attempts in measuring heat transfer coefficients, this chapter describes the most useful heat flux sensors, supplies information about thermal restoration of data and shows several examples of convective heat transfer measurements in complex fluid flows, ranging from natural convection to hypersonic regime. The attention of chapter two is focused on the application of IRT to combustion. This contribution is by Christophe Allouis and Rocco Pagliara of the Combustion Institute CNR in Naples (Italy). It is demonstrated the usefulness of an infrared imaging system for understanding fluid-dynamics phenomena associated with combustion processes in turbine burners. The third chapter by Ralph A. Rotolante of Vicon Infrared in Boxborough, MA (USA) regards the use of IRT for nondestructive inspection purposes. The main pulse and lockin techniques are described with some application examples including also the inspection of real aircraft parts. Indeed, a remote imaging system offers many advantages over other methodologies since it is fast and two-dimensional with safeguard of the part integrity.
Section four is concerned with the application of IRT in architecture and civil engineering. This is a relevant topic for infrared thermography applications after Building Regulation (2007) for Conservation of Fuel and Energy. A chapter by Ermanno Grinzato of CNR-ITC in Padua (Italy) reports some examples of structural analysis aided by IR thermography. In particular, it is stressed the impressive help, which is given to the comfort monitoring by the distributed temperature map measured by an infrared device. The attention goes also to the possibility, using a novel method, to “see” the environmental main quantities as air temperature, relative humidity and velocity, obtained from thermographic readings.
Besides those herein described, an infrared imaging system can be advantageously used for many other applications. Infrared thermography is an excellent condition monitoring tool to assist in the reduction of maintenance costs on mechanical equipment. One of the biggest problems in mechanical systems is heat generated by friction, cooling degradation, material loss or blockages. The infrared technique allows for the monitoring of temperatures and thermal patterns, on a wide variety of equipments including pumps, motors, bearings, pulleys, fans, drives, conveyors etc, and while the equipment is online and running under full load. Information acquired from thermographic images enable a company to predict equipment failure and to plan corrective actions before a costly shutdown, equipment damage, or personal injury occurs. What it is more, the inspection can be performed far away from any dangerous condition without additional costs in terms of workers health care.
However, it has to be pointed out that infrared thermography is still not completely exploited. It could be employed in a lot of other novel applications; it is only a matter of fantasy and skill
Mycetophylax simplex (Emery, 1888) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): first record in Uruguay and distribution extension
No full textThis study provides the first record of Mycetophylax simplex (Emery, 1888) for Uruguay and extends the known distribution of this species south in South America. Mycetophylax simplex is currently the only species of the genus that occurs in Uruguay. Workers and queens were captured with pitfall traps in a sandy beach on east coast of Uruguay. Data and figures of M. simplex for the recognition of the species and map of distribution are presented
Estudos de impacto de vizinhança: avaliação de sua aplicação em Florianópolis
No full textDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Tecnológico, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Urbanismo, História e Arquitetura da Cidade, Florianópolis, 2010No atual contexto de consumo do espaço, a implantação dos empreendimentos em Florianópolis tem contribuído de forma significativa para a desqualificação urbano-ambiental da cidade. Apesar de visíveis as consequências da ausência de estudos de previsão de impacto, permanece incipiente e insuficiente a utilização do Estudo de Impacto de Vizinhança em Florianópolis, instrumento previsto no Estatuto da Cidade (Lei Federal n° 10257/01). Mesmo quando exigidos, tais estudos não têm sido suficientes para garantir a devida mensuração dos impactos a serem ocasionados no meio ambiente urbano. Nesse sentido, o presente trabalho tem a finalidade de avaliar - a partir da análise de quatro Estudos de Impacto de Vizinhança de empreendimentos urbano-turísticos em Florianópolis - se a qualidade desses estudos possibilita aos órgãos responsáveis, e à população interessada, posicionarem-se de forma criteriosa sobre os possíveis impactos a serem ocasionados no meio ambiente urbano, bem como acerca da viabilidade ou não da implementação de tais projetos. Busca-se, portanto, questionar a premissa da existência de um consenso social quanto à importância desses empreendimentos, tendo em vista que abandonar os conflitos inerentes à implantação de um empreendimento significaria ignorar a capacidade das instituições públicas e dos atores envolvidos de atuar como planejadores e gestores do território. Nesse sentido, é necessário um avanço qualitativo dos Estudos de Impacto de Vizinhança, a fim de não sejam utilizados apenas para legitimar formalmente processos de licenciamento (in)questionáveis
Relationship between macular thickness measurement and signal strength using Stratus optical coherence tomography
No full textOri Segal,1 Yinon Shapira,2 Assaf Gershoni,1 Igor Vainer,2 Arie Y Nemet,1 Noa Geffen,1 Michael Mimouni2 1Department of Ophthalmology, Meir Medical Center, Kfar Saba, Israel and the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 2Department of Ophthalmology, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel Purpose: To examine the relationship between signal strength and macular thickness as measured by Stratus optical coherence tomography (OCT)’s fast macular thickness protocol in healthy subjects.Methods: In this prospective cross-sectional study 79 eyes of 42 healthy subjects were enrolled. The age, gender, and eye (right vs left) of each subject were recorded. The Stratus OCT fast macular thickness scan protocol was used and the macular thickness was measured with retinal thickness map analysis. Each eye was imaged at least six times to acquire images with signal strengths of 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 out of 10 via adjustment of the focusing knob. The OCT parameters included in the analysis were thickness in the central 1 mm and in the different quadrants in the 3-mm area.Results: Overall 79 eyes of 42 patients with a mean age of 38.4±12.4 were included. There was no significant difference between the signal strength measurements obtained with different signal strengths in the central thickness (P=0.20). In the superior, nasal, inferior, and temporal quadrants, a signal strength of 8 demonstrated up to 3 µm thicker measurements than a signal strength of 5 (P<0.05). In general linear regression analysis, after accounting for age and gender, signal strength did not remain a significant predictor of thickness in any quadrant.Conclusions: When using fast map macular measurements, a signal strength of 5 is clinically as efficient as a signal strength of 8 in measuring macular thickness in all quadrants. Insisting on higher signal strength may not be necessary. Keywords: macular thickness, signal strength, Stratus OCT, fast map macular measurement, retinal thicknes
EM BUSCA DAS ORIGENS: PENSANDO O PAPEL DA UNIVERSIDADE E SEUS COMPROMISSOS COM O DESENVOLVIMENTO LOCAL E DO PAÍS
No full textSerá a questão da gestão universitária o elemento mais importante a ser pensado quando discutimos o atual papel da universidade? Acreditamos que não, na medida em que uma universidade pode ter o melhor gestor que lhe é possível dispor, contudo, de nada adianta uma boa gestão se, esta, não estiver pautada em um projeto de universidade que vise a construção de conhecimentos socialmente referendados e válidos. Sobretudo, esse texto, trata-se de um artigo teórico-ensaístico que têm seu argumento principal baseado no suposto de que o conhecimento produzido no interior da universidade sempre esteve alicerçado num projeto de país. Nesse sentido, resulta de nossa análise como principal evidência a considerar, o fato de que, atualmente, em função de uma busca por maior inserção internacional e com vistas a se cumprir certos parâmetros de produtividade exigidos pela maioria das agências de fomento, esta, têm deixado de lado o seu referente social que é o território no qual está se insere e as demandas a este correlatas. Algo que, volta a agenda política a partir da criação de novas universidades federais que, instam as antigas, a retomar a sua natureza de outrora
Managed ventricular pacing compared with conventional dual-chamber pacing for elective replacement in chronically paced patients: results of the Prefer for Elective Replacement Managed Ventricular Pacing randomized study.
No full textBACKGROUND Several studies have shown that unnecessary right ventricular pacing has detrimental effects.
OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether minimization of ventricular pacing as compared with standard dual-chamber pacing (DDD) improves clinical outcomes in patients referred for pacemaker or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) replacement.
METHODS In an international single-blind, multicenter, randomized controlled trial, we compared DDD with managed ventricular pacing (MVP), a pacing mode developed to minimize ventricular pacing by promoting intrinsic atrioventricular conduction. We included patients referred for device replacement with >40% ventricular pacing, no cardiac resynchronization therapy upgrade indication, no permanent atrial fibrillation (AF), and no permanent complete atrioventricular block. Follow-up was for 2 years. The primary end point was cardiovascular hospitalization. The intention-to-treat analysis was performed by using Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test
"Rapid sizing of polymorphic microsatellite markers by capillary array electrophoresis"
No full textGenetic mapping and DNA sequencing projects could potentially be completed more rapidly by using capillary array electrophoresis (CAE) systems running 48-96 capillaries simultaneously. Currently, multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and multicolor fluorescent dye-labeling strategies are used to generate DNA profiles containing 18-24 genotypes per sample. By using 4-color fluorescence detection and these multiplex PCR strategies, a CAE system has the capacity to generate up to 5.5 million genotypes per year. CAE offers extremely fast, high-resolution separation of DNA and more automated sample processing than conventional systems because the labor-intensive slab-gel pouring and sample-loading steps are eliminated. We used a prototype CAE system in an ongoing linkage analysis study of inherited deafness in Mediterranean families. CA-repeat markers linked to deafness susceptibility genes on chromosomes 7, 11 and 13 were analyzed and DNA profiles generated which contain 6 markers per color. Fragment sizes of over 28,000 short tandem repeat alleles and 3200 CA-repeat alleles have been determined by CAE. An average sizing precision of +/- 0.12 base pairs (bp) for fragments up to 350 bp was realized in 1-h runs. In addition, a versatile non-denaturing matrix was used to separate DNA sizing standards, restriction digests, and multiplex PCR samples. Application of this matrix to Duchenne muscular dystrophy exon deletion screening is also described. These CAE approaches should facilitate rapid genotyping of microsatellite markers and subsequent identification of disease-causing mutations
Re/construction d\u27identités transatlantiques dans les ouvrages littéraires et cinématographiques de Fabienne Kanor
No full textCe projet de recherche offre une étude sur la construction des identités transatlantiques dans les œuvres de Fabienne Kanor. Se concentrant sur les films Des pieds mon pied (2009), La noiraude (2005), Jambé dlo (2009), et les romans D\u27eaux douces (2004) et Humus (2006) nous proposons de parcourir les problèmes rencontrés et les outils utilisés par les personnages, les acteurs, et Kanor elle-même. Ces questions de construction identitaire englobent la langue, le langage, la parole et l’écriture. Ces travaux démontrent comment l’entre deux et le sentiment d’appartenance compliquent la quête identitaire qui semble irrémédiablement butter contre les effets du colonialisme, de la traite négrière, ainsi que de la culture du silence et de la soumission qu’ils impliquent. Cette thèse explore ainsi les conflits qui bousculent la re/construction et la réappropriation du corps et de sa sexualité
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