Geomatics for Integrated Coastal Zone Management: multitemporal shoreline analysis and future regional perspective for the Portuguese Central Region

Shoreline mapping and change detection are critical for Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) and all that it represents. This research utilized previous studies that combined both Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques to assess, map and forecast shoreline evolution from short-term perspectives. The study area is located in the central region of Portugal, between the counties of Ovar and Marinha Grande (circa 140 km) and the time period assessed was from 1984 to 2011. Historical data were used to calculate advance and retreat rates in order to support environmental scenarios for the Portuguese Central Region’s Coastal Management Plan. To ensure accuracy, a repeatable procedure was validated using Landsat TM and ETM+ satellite images, which were subsequently enhanced and elaborated by Remote Sensing analyses to detect and extract shorelines. They were subsequently integrated within an Esri ArcGIS software application (DSAS - Digital Shoreline Analysis System) to determine and predict rates of coastline change. Graphical DSAS plots identified coastline phases and shifts and were used to simulate the 2022 coastline scenario. These results will be integrated into the Coastal Zone Management Plan (Horizon – 2022). Importantly this methodological planning approach provides visual coastline change information for regional decision-makers and stakeholders

A chromophoric study of 2-ethylhexyl p-methoxycinnamate

AbstractUltraviolet absorption spectra of 2-ethylhexyl p-methoxycinnamate have been recorded in different solvents and calculated using the time dependent density functional theory. The calculations were performed with the aid of B3LYP, PBE1PBE, M06, and PBEPBE functionals and 6-31+G(2d) basis set. The geometries were initially optimized using PM5 semiempirical method for the conformational search. The calculations of excited states were carried out using the time dependent with IEF-PCM solvent reaction field method. The experimental data were obtained in the wavelength range from 200 to 400nm using 10 different solvents. The TD-PBE1PBE method shows the best agreement to the experimental results

Soybean (Glycine max) as a versatile biocatalyst for organic synthesis

A series of aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes and ketones were reduced using plant cell preparations of Glycine max seeds (soybean). The biotransformation of five aromatic aldehydes in water, at room temperature afforded the corresponding alcohols in excellent yields varying from 89 to 100%. Two prochiral aromatic ketones yielded the alcohol in very low conversion, 1% and to 4%; however with good enantiomeric excess (ee) of 99 and 79%, respectively. Additionally, three prochiral and one cyclic aliphatic ketones produced the corresponding alcohols in moderate yields varying from 10 to 58% and ee varying from 73 to 99%. Hydrolysis of two aromatic esters yielded the expected carboxylic acids in 49 and 66%. Most of the obtained alcohols have commercial value as cosmetic fragrances. Although, the enzymes present in soybean (reductase/lipase) has not been defined, the reaction is an important route for the preparation of pure alcohols and carboxylic acid, with low cost and environmental impact.Keywords: Glycine max, biocatalysis, bioreduction, aldehydes and ketones, ester hydrolysi

Ecomorphology and feeding behavior of the Pleistocene South American equids (Mammalia, Perissodactyla, Equidae)

The fossil record of the South American Pleistocene presents two Equidae taxa: Hippidion Owen and Equus (Amerhippus) Hoffstetter. These equids were possibly sympatric and, although being considered closely related, present distinct cranial morphologies. This study aimed to verify possible variations on the masticatory patterns and dental wear between both genera, as well as to compare their rostral morphology and functional differences related to feeding habits. We performed quantitative analyses of macrowear and occlusion surface area of teeth from Toca dos Ossos (Bahia, Brazil). The morphofunctional analysis was conducted using photographs of specimens housed at the Museo de La Plata (La Plata, Argentina) and Museu de Ciências Naturais PUC Minas (Minas Gerais, Brazil), and based on the anatomy of the extant horse Equus caballus Linnaeus, due to its resemblance to E. (Amerhippus). Results showed that E. (Amerhippus) exhibits a more significant macrowear on the antero-posterior region of the teeth, while Hippidion has a more uniform wear. Analyses of occlusion surface area confirm the difference on the structure of dental enamel between genera, where Hippidion presents more complex folds. The morphofuctional analysis indicates that the rostral portion and the premaxillary shape of E. (Amerhippus) are similar to E. caballus. However, based on anatomical studies of the premaxillary region of other extinct ungulates, Hippidion exhibits morphological structures compatible with the presence of a vestibular proboscis and premaxillary region usually found on browsing ungulates. These results indicated that E. (Amerhippus) had the capacity to feed on more abrasive food items than Hippidion. Nevertheless, the morphofunctional dissimilarities on their skull suggest marked variations on their ecomorphological strategies. Therefore, these two different approaches corroborate our point of view that Hippidion and E. (Amerhippus), despite their possible sympatry, presented consistent mechanisms related to the reduction of niche overlap concerning the partition of food resources.Sesiones libresFacultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

?bitos relacionados ao contato com energia el?trica : estudo de 224 laudos necrosc?picos.

?bitos e les?es relacionados ? energia el?trica (EE) s?o um importante problema de sa?de p?blica no Brasil. A investiga??o m?dico legal das mortes envolvendo EE ? dificultada pela aus?ncia de les?es espec?ficas em grande parte das v?timas. Tendo em vista a import?ncia para as ci?ncias forenses, este trabalho objetivou investigar laudos de necropsias com hist?rico de contato pr?vio dos periciados com EE. Foram resgatados 224 casos dos quais em 73,2% a causa da morte foi atribu?da exclusivamente ao contato com EE, em 8,5% foi decorrente de trauma contuso ap?s contato com EE e em 18,3% permaneceu indeterminada mesmo ap?s a realiza??o da necropsia. A maioria dos ?bitos ocorreu em contexto acidental, predominaram os casos relacionados a EE artificial (90,6%), a maior parte das autopsias foram realizadas na primavera e no ver?o. Houve predomin?ncia de periciados do sexo masculino, de cor parda, solteiros, que apresentava m?dia et?ria de 32 anos, que n?o receberam atendimento m?dico previamente ao ?bito. Queimaduras foram as les?es externas mais observadas; os sinais de Jellinek e de Lichtenberg foram descritos em 64 e em 10 laudos, respectivamente. Pet?quias subpleurais e subepic?rdicas foram os achados internos mais frequentes. Houve positividade em 22,2% dos exames de alcoolemia realizados e em 13,2% dos de toxicologia. O estudo aponta para a previsibilidade epidemiol?gica das fatalidades envolvendo EE, para as dificuldades m?dico legais no estabelecimento da causa m?dica da morte, o que destaca a import?ncia da integra??o entre a per?cia de local com os achados necrosc?picos na investiga??o destes casos.Deaths and injuries related to electrical energy (EE) are an important public health problem in Brazil. Medicolegal investigation of EE-related deaths is hampered by the absence of specific injuries in most victims. Considering the importance for the forensic sciences, this work aimed to investigate autopsy reports of victims with history of previous contact with EE prior to death. A total of 224 cases were studied, of which 73.2% were attributed exclusively to contact with EE, 8.5% were due to blunt trauma after contact with EE, 18.3% remained undetermined even after the contact with EE. The majority of the deaths occurred in an accidental context, the cases related to artificial EE (90.6%) predominated, and most autopsies were performed in the spring and summer. There was a predominance of males, of a brown color, unmarried, who had an average age of 32 years, and who did not receive medical care prior to death. Burns were the most observed external lesions; the Jellinek and Lichtenberg signs were described in 64 and 10 reports, respectively. Subpleural and subepicardial petechiae were the most frequent internal findings. Blood alcohol was positive in 22.2% of the tests performed and 13.2% of the toxicology tests were positive. The study points to the epidemiological predictability of fatalities involving EE and to the medicolegal difficulties in establishing the cause of death, which highlights the importance of the integration between the crime scene investigation and the necroscopic findings in the investigation of these cases

Transcriptome analysis of Gossypium hirsutum flower buds infested by cotton boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis) larvae

Background\ud Cotton is a major fibre crop grown worldwide that suffers extensive damage from chewing insects, including the cotton boll weevil larvae (Anthonomus grandis). Transcriptome analysis was performed to understand the molecular interactions between Gossypium hirsutum L. and cotton boll weevil larvae. The Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform was used to sequence the transcriptome of cotton flower buds infested with boll weevil larvae.\ud \ud \ud Results\ud The analysis generated a total of 327,489,418 sequence reads that were aligned to the G. hirsutum reference transcriptome. The total number of expressed genes was over 21,697 per sample with an average length of 1,063 bp. The DEGseq analysis identified 443 differentially expressed genes (DEG) in cotton flower buds infected with boll weevil larvae. Among them, 402 (90.7%) were up-regulated, 41 (9.3%) were down-regulated and 432 (97.5%) were identified as orthologues of A. thaliana genes using Blastx. Mapman analysis of DEG indicated that many genes were involved in the biotic stress response spanning a range of functions, from a gene encoding a receptor-like kinase to genes involved in triggering defensive responses such as MAPK, transcription factors (WRKY and ERF) and signalling by ethylene (ET) and jasmonic acid (JA) hormones. Furthermore, the spatial expression pattern of 32 of the genes responsive to boll weevil larvae feeding was determined by “in situ” qPCR analysis from RNA isolated from two flower structures, the stamen and the carpel, by laser microdissection (LMD).\ud \ud \ud Conclusion\ud A large number of cotton transcripts were significantly altered upon infestation by larvae. Among the changes in gene expression, we highlighted the transcription of receptors/sensors that recognise chitin or insect oral secretions; the altered regulation of transcripts encoding enzymes related to kinase cascades, transcription factors, Ca2+ influxes, and reactive oxygen species; and the modulation of transcripts encoding enzymes from phytohormone signalling pathways. These data will aid in the selection of target genes to genetically engineer cotton to control the cotton boll weevil.FAPESP [2009/53998-3]CNPq [310.612/2011-0, 306025/2010-8]Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ

Multicompartment body composition analysis in older adults: a cross-sectional study

Background During aging, changes occur in the proportions of muscle, fat, and bone. Body composition (BC) alterations have a great impact on health, quality of life, and functional capacity. Several equations to predict BC using anthropometric measurements have been developed from a bi-compartmental (2-C) approach that determines only fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM). However, these models have several limitations, when considering constant density, progressive bone demineralization, and changes in the hydration of the FFM, as typical changes during senescence. Thus, the main purpose of this study was to propose and validate a new multi-compartmental anthropometric model to predict fat, bone, and musculature components in older adults of both sexes. Methods This cross-sectional study included 100 older adults of both sexes. To determine the dependent variables (fat mass [FM], bone mineral content [BMC], and appendicular lean soft tissue [ALST]) whole total and regional dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) body scans were performed. Twenty-nine anthropometric measures and sex were appointed as independent variables. Models were developed through multivariate linear regression. Finally, the predicted residual error sum of squares (PRESS) statistic was used to measure the effectiveness of the predicted value for each dependent variable. Results An equation was developed to simultaneously predict FM, BMC, and ALST from only four variables: weight, half-arm span (HAS), triceps skinfold (TriSK), and sex. This model showed high coefficients of determination and low estimation errors (FM: R2adj: 0.83 and SEE: 3.16; BMC: R2adj: 0.61 and SEE: 0.30; ALST: R2adj: 0.85 and SEE: 1.65). Conclusion The equations provide a reliable, practical, and low-cost instrument to monitor changes in body components during the aging process. The internal cross-validation method PRESS presented sufficient reliability in the model as an inexpensive alternative for clinical field use.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Lateral septal area alpha(1)-and alpha(2)-adrenoceptors differently modulate baroreflex activity in unanaesthetized rats

The lateral septal area (LSA) is a limbic structure involved in autonomic, neuroendocrine and behavioural responses. An inhibitory influence of the LSA on baroreflex activity has been reported; however, the local neurotransmitter involved in this modulation is still unclear. In the present study, we verified the involvement of local LSA adrenoceptors in modulating cardiac baroreflex activity in unanaesthetized rats. Bilateral microinjection of the selective a1-adrenoceptor antagonist WB4101 (10 nmol in a volume of 100 nl) into the LSA decreased baroreflex bradycardia evoked by blood pressure increases, but had no effect on reflex tachycardia evoked by blood pressure decreases. Nevertheless, bilateral administration of the selective a2-adrenoceptor antagonist RX821002 (10 nmol in 100 nl) increased baroreflex tachycardia without affecting reflex bradycardia. Treatment of the LSA with a cocktail containing WB4101 and RX821002 decreased baroreflex bradycardia and increased reflex tachycardia. The non-selective beta-adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol (10 nmol in 100 nl) did not affect either reflex bradycardia or tachycardia. Microinjection of noradrenaline into the LSA increased reflex bradycardia and decreased the baroreflex tachycardic response, an opposite effect compared with those observed after double blockade of a1- and a2-adrenoceptors, and this effect of noradrenaline was blocked by local LSA pretreatment with the cocktail containing WB4101 and RX821002. The present results provide advances in our understanding of the baroreflex neural circuitry. Taken together, data suggest that local LSA a1- and a2-adrenoceptors modulate baroreflex control of heart rate differently. Data indicate that LSA a1-adrenoceptors exert a facilitatory modulation on baroreflex bradycardia, whereas local a2-adrenoceptors exert an inhibitory modulation on reflex tachycardia.Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel SuperiorNational Council for Scientific and Technological Development [480550/2007-7, 305996/2008-8, 474177/2010-6]Sao Paulo Research Foundation [2009/03187-9, 2010/16192-8