427 research outputs found
Fish-based groups for ecological assessment in rivers: the importance of environmental drivers on taxonomic and functional traits of fish Assemblages
The use of river-types is of practical value, serving as groups for which
assessment procedures can be developed and applied. An abiotic typology
was set by the Portuguese Water Agency, mainly based on 6 major
morphoclimatic regions. However, to be biologically meaningful, this typology
should fit the distribution patterns of the biological quality elements
communities proposed in Water Framework Directive under the lowest
possible human pressure. This study aimed to identify and characterize
fish-based geographical groups for continental Portugal and their environmental
and geographical discriptors, using taxonomic and functional
traits. Sampling took place between 2004 and 2006 during Spring. Fish
fauna from 155 reference sites was analysed using a multivariate
approach. Cluster Analysis on fish composition identified 10 fish-groups,
expressing a clear correspondence to the river basin level, due to the
restrict basin distribution of many species. Groups showed a wider aggregation
in 4 regions with a larger geographical correspondence, statistically
supported by Similarity Analysis, both on fish composition and mostly on
fish metrics/guilds. Principal Components Analysis revealed major environmental
drivers associated to fish-groups and fish-regions. Fish-groups
were hierarchically grouped over major and local regions, expressing a
large-scale response to a North-South environmental gradient defined by
temperature, precipitation, mineralization and altitude, and a regional scale
response mainly to drainage area and flow discharge. From North to
South, fish-regions were related to the morphoclimatic regions. Results
contributed to reduce redundance in abiotic river-types and set the final
typology for Portuguese rivers, constituting a fundamental tool for planning
and managing water resources
Estudo caso-controle pareado avaliando a frequĂȘncia dos principais agentes causadores de diarrĂ©ia neonatal em suĂnos no Rio Grande do Sul
A case-control study was carried out in litters of 1 to 7-day-old piglets to identify the main infectious agents involved with neonatal diarrhea in pigs. Fecal samples (n=276) from piglets were collected on pig farms in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, from May to September 2007. Litters with diarrhea were considered cases (n=129) and normal litters (n=147) controls. The samples were examined by latex agglutination test, PAGE, conventional isolating techniques, ELISA, PCR, and microscopic methods in order to detect rotavirus, bacterial pathogens (Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens type A and C, and Clostridium difficile), and parasites (Coccidian and Cryptosporidium spp.). Outbreaks of diarrhea were not observed during sampling. At least one agent was detected in fecal samples on 25 out of 28 farms (89.3%) and in 16 farms (57.1%) more than one agent was found. The main agents diagnosed were Coccidia (42.86%) and rotavirus (39.29%). The main agents identified in litters with diarrhea were Clostridium difficile (10.6%), Clostridium perfringens type A (8.8%) and rotavirus (7.5%); in control litters, Clostridium difficile (16.6%) and Coccidian (8.5%). Beta hemolytic Escherichia coli and Clostridium perfringens type C were not detected. When compared with controls, no agent was significantly associated with diarrhea in case litters. These findings stress the need for caution in the interpretation of laboratorial diagnosis of mild diarrhea in neonatal pigs, as the sole detection of an agent does not necessarily indicate that it is the cause of the problem.Um estudo de caso-controle em leitegadas de um a sete dias de idade foi realizado com o objetivo de identificar os principais agentes infecciosos envolvidos na diarreia neonatal de leitĂ”es. As amostras de fezes (n=276) foram coletadas em granjas de suĂnos no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil, no perĂodo de maio a setembro de 2007. Leitegadas com diarreia foram consideradas casos (n=147) e leitegadas normais, controles (n=129). As amostras foram examinadas atravĂ©s do teste de aglutinação em lĂĄtex, PAGE, cultivo, ELISA, PCR e mĂ©todos microscĂłpicos para a excreção dos principais agentes de diarreia: virais (rotavirus), bacterianos (Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens tipos A e tipo C e Clostridium difficile) e parasitĂĄrios (coccĂdeos e Cryptosporidium spp.). Durante o perĂodo do estudo nĂŁo foram observados surtos e a diarrĂ©ia, quando presente, apresentou-se leve. Pelo menos um agente foi identificado nas amostras fecais de 25 entre 28 granjas (89,3%) analisadas e em 16 granjas (57,1%) mais de um agente foi detectado. Os principais agentes encontrados nas granjas foram coccĂdeos (42,86%) e rotavĂrus (39,29%). Os principais agentes detectados nas leitegadas com diarreia foram Clostridium difficile (10,6%), Clostridium perfringens tipo A (8,8%) e rotavĂrus (7,5%). Por outro lado, nas leitegadas controle os agentes mais prevalentes foram Clostridium difficile (16,6%) e coccĂdeos (8,5%). E. coli Beta hemolĂtica e Clostridium perfringens tipo C nĂŁo foram detectados. O presente estudo de caso-controle demonstrou que nenhum agente infeccioso esteve associado significativamente com diarreia (p>0.05). Esses achados reforçam a necessidade de que haja cuidado na interpretação de resultados de exames laboratoriais em materiais coletados de leitĂ”es com diarreia neonatal leve, pois a detecção isolada de um agente infeccioso nĂŁo indica necessariamente que o mesmo seja a causa do problema
Ordering in the dilute weakly-anisotropic antiferromagnet Mn(0.35)Zn(0.65)F2
The highly diluted antiferromagnet Mn(0.35)Zn(0.65)F2 has been investigated
by neutron scattering in zero field. The Bragg peaks observed below the Neel
temperature TN (approximately 10.9 K) indicate stable antiferromagnetic
long-range ordering at low temperature. The critical behavior is governed by
random-exchange Ising model critical exponents (nu approximately 0.69 and gamma
approximately 1.31), as reported for Mn(x)Zn(1-x)F2 with higher x and for the
isostructural compound Fe(x)Zn(1-x)F2. However, in addition to the Bragg peaks,
unusual scattering behavior appears for |q|>0 below a glassy temperature Tg
approximately 7.0 K. The glassy region T<Tg corresponds to that of noticeable
frequency dependence in earlier zero-field ac susceptibility measurements on
this sample. These results indicate that long-range order coexists with
short-range nonequilibrium clusters in this highly diluted magnet.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure
Avaliação estato-ponderal e da actividade fĂsica numa amostra representativa da população adulta portuguesa
[resumo][abstract
Determinantes da saĂșde e escolha alimentar em idosos portugueses
[resumo][abstract
Avaliação do aporte energético e nutricional e sua relação com dados antropométricos dos idosos portugueses
[resumo][abstract
Ingestão nutricional, medidas antropométricas e doenças crónicas auto-reportadas numa amostra representativa da população portuguesa
[resumo][abstract
Anisotropy studies around the galactic centre at EeV energies with the Auger Observatory
Data from the Pierre Auger Observatory are analyzed to search for
anisotropies near the direction of the Galactic Centre at EeV energies. The
exposure of the surface array in this part of the sky is already significantly
larger than that of the fore-runner experiments. Our results do not support
previous findings of localized excesses in the AGASA and SUGAR data. We set an
upper bound on a point-like flux of cosmic rays arriving from the Galactic
Centre which excludes several scenarios predicting sources of EeV neutrons from
Sagittarius . Also the events detected simultaneously by the surface and
fluorescence detectors (the `hybrid' data set), which have better pointing
accuracy but are less numerous than those of the surface array alone, do not
show any significant localized excess from this direction.Comment: Matches published versio
The Fluorescence Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory
The Pierre Auger Observatory is a hybrid detector for ultra-high energy
cosmic rays. It combines a surface array to measure secondary particles at
ground level together with a fluorescence detector to measure the development
of air showers in the atmosphere above the array. The fluorescence detector
comprises 24 large telescopes specialized for measuring the nitrogen
fluorescence caused by charged particles of cosmic ray air showers. In this
paper we describe the components of the fluorescence detector including its
optical system, the design of the camera, the electronics, and the systems for
relative and absolute calibration. We also discuss the operation and the
monitoring of the detector. Finally, we evaluate the detector performance and
precision of shower reconstructions.Comment: 53 pages. Submitted to Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics
Research Section
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