Ants Visit Nectaries Of Epidendrum Denticulatum (orchidaceae) In A Brazilian Rainforest: Effects On Herbivory And Pollination.

Epidendrum denticulatum (Orchidaceae) produces nectar on the petioles of buds, flowers, and fruits (extrafloral nectaries) but no nectar is found on its flowers, and it is probably a deceptive species. In the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest, some aspects of both the ecology and behavior of Camponotus sericeiventris (Formicinae) and Ectatomma tuberculatum (Ponerinae), two ant species foraging on E. denticulatum extrafloral nectaries, were investigated. Both experiments, using termites as baits and field observations, suggest that these ant species are able to prevent reproductive organ herbivory, without affecting pollinator behaviour. Since a low fruit set is often cited as a characteristic of the family, especially for deceptive species, ants attracted to orchid inflorescences protect reproductive structures and increase the probability of pollination success. Epidendrum denticulatum flowers were visited and probably pollinated by Heliconius erato (Nymphalidae) and Euphyes leptosema (Hesperiidae).63455155

Association Between Oxygenation And Ventilation Index With The Time On Mechanical Ventilation In Pediatric Intensive Care Patients [relação Entre índice De Oxigenação E Ventilação Com O Tempo Em Ventilação Mecânica De Pacientes Em Terapia Intensiva Pediátrica]

Objective: To correlate the oxygenation index (OI) and the ventilation index (VI) with the time of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) in pediatric patients. Methods: This prospective and observational study enrolled patients from 28 days to 14 years of age, admitted in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of a university hospital. The values of age, weight, pH, partial pressure of oxygen (PaO 2), partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO 2), OI and VI were measured from day one to the day five and they were correlated with the time on IMV. The total time on mechanical ventilation was divided into: <7 days and ≥7 days. Results: 28 patients were studied. The time spent on IMV showed a significant negative correlation with the pH on the fourth day and with the PaO 2 on the fifth day. The time on IMV showed a positive correlation with the OI on the third and fourth days and with the VI on the third, fourth and fifth days. There were significant differences in the age and pH on the fourth and fifth days and in the VI from the second to fifth days between the group that remained less than seven days and those that remained seven days or more on IMV. Conclusions: VI, OI, pH and PaO 2 measured during the first five days of IMV were associated with prolonged IMV, reflecting the severity of the initial ventilatory disturb.293348351Farias, J.A., Frutos, F., Esteban, A., Flores, J.C., Retta, A., Baltodano, A., What is the daily practice of mechanical ventilation in pediatric intensive care units? A multicenter study (2004) Intensive Care Med, 30, pp. 918-925Torres, A., Gatell, J.M., Aznar, E., El-Ebiary, M., de la, B.P.J., Gonzalez, J., Re-intubation increases the risk of nosocomial pneumonia in patients needing mechanical ventilation (1995) Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 152, pp. 137-141Almeida-Júnior, A.A., da Silva, M.T., Almeida, C.C., Jacomo, A.D., Nery, B.M., Ribeiro, J.D., Association between ventilation index and time on mechanical ventilation in infants with acute viral bronchiolits (2005) J Pediatr (Rio J), 81, pp. 466-470Khan, N., Brown, A.R., Venkataraman, S.T., Predictors of extubation success and failure in mechanically ventilated infants and children (1996) Crit Care Med, 24, pp. 1568-1579Paret, G., Ziv, T., Barzilai, A., Ben-Abraham, R., Vardi, A., Manisterski, Y., Ventilation index and outcome in children with acute respiratory distress syndrome (1998) Pediatr Pulmonol, 26, pp. 125-128Peters, M.J., Tasker, R.C., Kiff, K.M., Yates, R., Hatch, D.J., Acute hypoxemic respiratory failure in children: Case mix and the utility of respiratory severity indices (1998) Intensive Care Med, 24, pp. 699-705Trachsel, D., McCrindle, B.W., Nakagawa, S., Bohn, D., Oxygenation index predicts outcome in children with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (2005) Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 172, pp. 206-211Venkataraman, S.T., Khan, N., Brown, A., Validation of predictors of extubation success and failure in mechanically ventilated infants and children (2000) Crit Care Med, 28, pp. 2991-2996Aggarwal, R., Downe, L., Use of high frequency ventilation as a rescue measure in premature babies with severe respiratory failure (2000) Indian Pediatr, 37, pp. 522-526Goldman, A.P., Tasker, R.C., Hosiasson, S., Henrichsen, T., Macrae, D.J., Early response to inhaled nitric oxide and its relationship to outcome in children with severe hypoxemic respiratory failure (1997) Chest, 112, pp. 752-758Relvas, M.S., Silver, P.C., Sagy, M., Prone positioning of pediatric patients with ARDS results in improvement in oxygenation if maintained > 12 h daily (2003) Chest, 124, pp. 269-274Wessel, D.L., Adatia, I., van Marter, L.J., Thompson, J.E., Kane, J.W., Stark, A.R., Improved oxygenation in a randomized trial of inhaled nitric oxide for persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (1997) Pediatrics, 100, pp. E7Yapicioǧlu, H., Yildizdaş, D., Bayram, I., Sertdemir, Y., Yilmaz, H.L., The use of surfactant in children with acute respiratory distress syndrome: Efficacy in terms of oxygenation, ventilation and mortality (2003) Pulm Pharmacol Ther, 16, pp. 327-33

Respiratory profile in patients after liver transplantation

Patients in the immediate post-operative liver transplantation (LxT) period can develop respiratory and functional complications. In the postoperative months, these functions tend to improve. Nevertheless, there are few studies that evaluate precisely and specifically respiratory function in post-LxT long-term after surgery. The objective of the study was to describe the respiratory profile of patients 1 to 6 months after LxT, accompanied by LxT outpatients. Methods. We included patients between 25 and 60 years old. We excluded patients with chronic renal or cerebrovascular impairment, severe heart disease, and history of lung surgery or liver re-transplantation. Evaluations were carried out on 3 occasions: 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after LxT. The following evaluations were submitted: respiratory muscle strength (manuvacuometer), value flows and lung volumes (spirometer), and surface electromyography analyzing root mean square in the right (RMS-R) and left (RMS-L) diaphragm. We analyzed MELD (Model for End-Stage Liver Disease). After normality tests, we used the Friedman test (non-parametric values) and ANOVA (parametric values), P >= .5 with the use of SPSS 21.0. Results. Patients (n = 15) had a mean age of 53.0 +/- 7.5 years and 25.9 +/- 4.6 MELD score. The statistically significant value obtained at the 3 occasions of evaluation was RMS-R, with a decline during periods of evaluation. This can be caused by removal of the liver, resulting in a denervation and reduction in compliance of this portion of the muscle. Conclusions. Patients between 1 and 6 months after transplantation have a specific respiratory profile, close to normal values. However, there are few studies on this subject, and we suggest that more research be done.Patients in the immediate post-operative liver transplantation (LxT) period can develop respiratory and functional complications. In the postoperative months, these functions tend to improve. Nevertheless, there are few studies that evaluate precisely and4872352235514th Brazilian Transplantation Association (ABTO) and 14th Luso-Brazilian Transplantation Congress together with the 13th Transplantation Nursing Meeting and Histocompatibility Forumde 24 a 27 de outubroGramado, Brasi

Diversity Of Medium-sized And Large Mammals From Atlantic Forest Remnants In Southern Minas Gerais State, Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Studies on mammal diversity provide the essential groundwork for the development of conservation methods and practices. The region of the Poços de Caldas Plateau is lacks such studies, which may be a problem for future conservation actions. Here, we analyze the richness of medium-sized and large mammals from Atlantic Forest remnants on the Poços de Caldas Plateau, Minas Gerais state. Diurnal censuses of direct observations and mammal signs were conducted, and we documented 20 species of mammals belonging to eight orders. Three species of primates, one carnivore, one cingulate, one lagomorpha, three rodents, one artiodactyla, and two marsupials were found. The largest forest remnant that presented the greatest richness is currently a conservation unit. Forest remnants are important for the consolidation of management strategies and have fundamental role for the conservation of mammal diversity in the south of Minas Gerais state. © 2016 Check List and Authors.125CNPq, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e TecnológicoConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Feasibility of planctomycetes as a nutritional or supplementary food source for Daphnia spp

Daphnia magna is widely used as a standard organism in ecotoxicology assays. It plays a key role in energy transfer in freshwater food webs as a primary consumer, grazing on microalgae, yeast and bacteria. Daphnids are commonly reared in the laboratory using microalgae cultures but alternative or complementary sources are important to reduce the dependency on a single food source. The role played in nature by planctomycetes as a food source for other higher trophic levels is still unknown. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the potential of Rhodopirellula rubra strain LF2 as a nutritional or a supplementary food source for D. magna and Daphnia longispina. Life-history assays were conducted with daphnids fed with R. rubra in exponential and stationary growth phases, in three concentrations. Additionally, its adequacy as a supplement to the microalga Raphidocelis subcapitata was tested. In general, both daphnids showed impairment in all the parameters evaluated, especially when fed with R. rubra. However, when daphnids were fed with the two food sources, no changes were recorded for the rate of population increase. At the tested concentrations, R. rubra was not a good alternative food source in the daphnid diet. © EDP Sciences, 2016.This research was partially supported by the Strategic Funding UID/Multi/04423/2013 through national funds provided by FCT (Foundation for Science and Technology) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), in the framework of the programme PT2020

Identificación del índice de vulnerabilidad territorial a partir de modelos jerárquicos y heurísticos aplicando SOA

Auxiliar de InvestigaciónEn el proyecto se realiza el diseño y desarrollo de 4 servicios web implementando los modelos de toma de decisión (AHP, AHP FUZZY, ELECTRE y PROMETHEE), encargados de procesar datos obtenidos en campo en la primera fase del proyecto que se realizó a través de encuestas, formatos de entrevistas, talleres y metodologías de análisis. Los datos se procesaran de acuerdo al modelo de toma de decisión seleccionado, generando como resultado final un indicador de vulnerabilidad territorial.PregradoIngeniero de Sistema

Scalable and accurate causality tracking for eventually consistent stores

Lecture Notes in Computer Science 8460, 2014In cloud computing environments, data storage systems often rely on optimistic replication to provide good performance and availability even in the presence of failures or network partitions. In this scenario, it is important to be able to accurately and efficiently identify updates executed concurrently. Current approaches to causality tracking in optimistic replication have problems with concurrent updates: they either (1) do not scale, as they require replicas to maintain information that grows linearly with the number of writes or unique clients; (2) lose information about causality, either by removing entries from client-id based version vectors or using server-id based version vectors, which cause false conflicts. We propose a new logical clock mechanism and a logical clock framework that together support a traditional key-value store API, while capturing causality in an accurate and scalable way, avoiding false conflicts. It maintains concise information per data replica, only linear on the number of replica servers, and allows data replicas to be compared and merged linear with the number of replica servers and versions.(undefined

Relationship between dynamical heterogeneities and stretched exponential relaxation

We identify the dynamical heterogeneities as an essential prerequisite for stretched exponential relaxation in dynamically frustrated systems. This heterogeneity takes the form of ordered domains of finite but diverging lifetime for particles in atomic or molecular systems, or spin states in magnetic materials. At the onset of the dynamical heterogeneity, the distribution of time intervals spent in such domains or traps becomes stretched exponential at long time. We rigorously show that once this is the case, the autocorrelation function of the renewal process formed by these time intervals is also stretched exponential at long time.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, submitted to PR

A novel transflectance near infrared spectroscopy technique for monitoring hot melt extrusion

yesA transflectance near infra red (NIR) spectroscopy approach has been used to simultaneously measure drug and plasticiser content of polymer melts with varying opacity during hot melt extrusion. A high temperature reflectance NIR probe was mounted in the extruder die directly opposed to a highly reflective surface. Carbamazepine (CBZ) was used as a model drug, with polyvinyl pyrollidone-vinyl acetate co-polymer (PVP-VA) as a matrix and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a plasticiser. The opacity of the molten extrudate varied from transparent at low CBZ loading to opaque at high CBZ loading. Particulate amorphous API and voids formed around these particles were found to cause the opacity. The extrusion process was monitored in real time using transflectance NIR; calibration and validation runs were performed using a wide range of drug and plasticiser loadings. Once calibrated, the technique was used to simultaneously track drug and plasticiser content during applied step changes in feedstock material. Rheological and thermal characterisations were used to help understand the morphology of extruded material. The study has shown that it is possible to use a single NIR spectroscopy technique to monitor opaque and transparent melts during HME, and to simultaneously monitor two distinct components within a formulation