Are weight, length and amount of venom related in scorpionfish?

We are investigating an evident relationship among weight, length and the amount of glandular venom tissue collected from the dorsal spines of a scorpionfish species

Use of plastic debris as shelter by an unidentified species of hermit crab from the Maldives

Copyright © 2009 The Marine Biological Association.An unidentified species of hermit crab from the Maldives was photographed using a plastic box as shelter instead of a natural shell. This could be a result of increased pollution and shell collection disrupting the natural processes in coral reefs

Diet of mid-Atlantic Sowerby’s beaked whales Mesoplodon bidens

Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.The first mid-Atlantic diet of Mesoplodon beaked whales is presented, from ten Sowerby's Mesoplodon bidens stranded in the Azores region between 2002 and 2009. This doubles the worldwide number of stomachs sampled, and reveals new feeding habits for this species. The mean number of prey items per stomach was 85±89 (range: 12–238), with fish accounting for 99.3% and cephalopods contributing less than 1% of total prey. Fish otoliths from 15 families and cephalopod lower mandibles from three families were identified, representing 22 taxa. The diet consisted mainly of small mid-water fish, the most numerous being Diaphus sp., Lampanyctus sp. and Melamphaidae species. Myctophids were present in all stranded individuals, followed by Diretmidae, Melamphaidae and Opisthoproctus soleatus, while the remaining fish species were scarce or single occurrences. Consistency of diet in four different years reveals a divergence from all previous records in continental areas, where mainly neritic and shelf-break benthopelagic fish species have been reported. Mid-Atlantic Sowerby's beaked whales' showed dietary plasticity, feeding on the most abundant mid-water groups occurring between 0 and750 m. Trophic level from prey numerical frequency was estimated at 4.4±0.46

Limit equilibrium of loaded ground masses. 2D and 3D numerical models to obtain the factor of safety Fs

É apresentada uma comparação sobre a aplicação dos métodos elástico-plásticos e dos métodos rígido-plásticos para o cálculo do coeficiente de segurança Fs em relação ao equilíbrio limite (ELU) de massas terrosas com sobrecargas e de massas rochosas com juntas. São apresentados e utilizados programas de carácter geral para o cálculo de Fs por vários métodos das fatias e pelo método dos blocos, com ligação aos métodos de programação linear e não linear. Ilustram-se vários exemplos de aplicação a casos de interesse prático, incluindo um túnel urbano, e feitas comparações com Fs obtido com vários programas de Elementos Finitos (FEM) usando métodos elástico-plásticos e outros de alguns autores internacionais usando métodos de programação linear e não linear.An comparison on the application of elastic-plastic methods and of rigid-plastic methods to the calculation of the limit equilibrium (ELU) factor of safety (Fs) of loaded soil and jointed rock masses is presented. General computer programs for the calculation of Fs by slices and the method of blocs with connection to non-linear programming methods are presented and used. Comparisons of the Fs obtained both ways, with several programs using elastic-plastic FE methods and with linear and non-linear programming methods used by some international authors are done, for a number of cases with practical interest including a shallow tunnel.Universidade de Coimbra. Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia (FCT-UC

Efeito da adição de fubá de milho no perfil fermentativo da silagem do co-produto da extração do palmito da pupunha (Bactris gasipaes Kunth).

Resumo: O objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar o perfil fermentativo das silagens do resíduo agroindustrial da extração do palmito da pupunha in natura, aditivada com fubá de milho (10% do peso verde) e emurchecida. Utilizou-se silos de laboratório (de PVC, 10 cm de diâmetros x 40 cm de comprimento). As aberturas dos silos ocorreram aos 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, 28 e 56 dias após a ensilagem. Os valores de pH não apresentaram diferença significativa (P>0,05) entre os tratamentos tendo como média (3,80) no dia 56, no entanto esses valores apresentaram padrão de mudança cúbico ao longo dos dias com o valor mínimo sendo atingido no dia 14 para todos os tratamentos. A adição do fubá de milho na silagem elevou os teores de MS (19,71%) e PB (7,09%), no entanto não reduziu o valor de N-NH3/NT (7,89%) apresentando diferença significativa (P0,05) between the treatments having as average (3,80) in day 56, however these values had presented cubical standard of change throughout the days with the minimum value being reached in the day the 14 for all treatments. The addition of corn of maize in the ensilage raised texts of DM (19.71%) and PB (7.09%), however did not reduce the value of N-NH3/NT (7.89%) presenting significant difference (P<0,05) with the treatment with emurchecimento that got the lesser value of N-NH3/NT (6.35%). The ensilage of the residue of the extration of the palmetto of pejibaye additive with ground corn improved the value of DM and the value of PB, being able to be an alternative for feeding of the ruminants

Atlantic reef fish biogeography and evolution

Copyright © 2007 The Authors.Journal compilation © 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.AIM: To understand why and when areas of endemism (provinces) of the tropical Atlantic Ocean were formed, how they relate to each other, and what processes have contributed to faunal enrichment. RESULTS: Phylogenetic (proportion of sister species) and distributional (number of shared species) patterns are generally concordant with recognized biogeographical provinces in the Atlantic. The highly uneven distribution of species in certain genera appears to be related to their origin, with highest species richness in areas with the greatest phylogenetic depth. Diversity buildup in Atlantic reef fishes involved (1) diversification within each province, (2) isolation as a result of biogeographical barriers, and (3) stochastic accretion by means of dispersal between provinces. The timing of divergence events is not concordant among taxonomic groups. The three soft (non-terrestrial) inter-regional barriers (mid-Atlantic, Amazon, and Benguela) clearly act as ‘filters’ by restricting dispersal but at the same time allowing occasional crossings that apparently lead to the establishment of new populations and species. Fluctuations in the effectiveness of the filters, combined with ecological differences among provinces, apparently provide a mechanism for much of the recent diversification of reef fishes in the Atlantic

Scientists' warning to humanity on illegal or unsustainable wildlife trade

Illegal or unsustainable wildlife trade is growing at a global level, threatening the traded species and coexisting biota, and promoting the spread of invasive species. From the loss of ecosystem services to diseases transmitted from wildlife to humans, or connections with major organized crime networks and disruption of local to global economies, its ramifications are pervading our daily lives and perniciously affecting our well-being. Here we build on the manifesto 'World Scientists' Warning to Humanity, issued by the Alliance of World Scientists. As a group of researchers deeply concerned about the consequences of illegal or unsustainable wildlife trade, we review and highlight how these can negatively impact species, ecosystems, and society. We appeal for urgent action to close key knowledge gaps and regulate wildlife trade more stringently.Peer reviewe

Quantum gravity phenomenology at the dawn of the multi-messenger era—A review

The exploration of the universe has recently entered a new era thanks to the multi-messenger paradigm, characterized by a continuous increase in the quantity and quality of experimental data that is obtained by the detection of the various cosmic messengers (photons, neutrinos, cosmic rays and gravitational waves) from numerous origins. They give us information about their sources in the universe and the properties of the intergalactic medium. Moreover, multi-messenger astronomy opens up the possibility to search for phenomenological signatures of quantum gravity. On the one hand, the most energetic events allow us to test our physical theories at energy regimes which are not directly accessible in accelerators; on the other hand, tiny effects in the propagation of very high energy particles could be amplified by cosmological distances. After decades of merely theoretical investigations, the possibility of obtaining phenomenological indications of Planck-scale effects is a revolutionary step in the quest for a quantum theory of gravity, but it requires cooperation between different communities of physicists (both theoretical and experimental). This review, prepared within the COST Action CA18108 “Quantum gravity phenomenology in the multi-messenger approach”, is aimed at promoting this cooperation by giving a state-of-the art account of the interdisciplinary expertise that is needed in the effective search of quantum gravity footprints in the production, propagation and detection of cosmic messengers