Evolutionary patterns and processes in the radiation of phyllostomid bats

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The phyllostomid bats present the most extensive ecological and phenotypic radiation known among mammal families. This group is an important model system for studies of cranial ecomorphology and functional optimisation because of the constraints imposed by the requirements of flight. A number of studies supporting phyllostomid adaptation have focused on qualitative descriptions or correlating functional variables and diet, but explicit tests of possible evolutionary mechanisms and scenarios for phenotypic diversification have not been performed. We used a combination of morphometric and comparative methods to test hypotheses regarding the evolutionary processes behind the diversification of phenotype (mandible shape and size) and diet during the phyllostomid radiation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The different phyllostomid lineages radiate in mandible shape space, with each feeding specialisation evolving towards different axes. Size and shape evolve quite independently, as the main directions of shape variation are associated with mandible elongation (nectarivores) or the relative size of tooth rows and mandibular processes (sanguivores and frugivores), which are not associated with size changes in the mandible. The early period of phyllostomid diversification is marked by a burst of shape, size, and diet disparity (before 20 Mya), larger than expected by neutral evolution models, settling later to a period of relative phenotypic and ecological stasis. The best fitting evolutionary model for both mandible shape and size divergence was an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process with five adaptive peaks (insectivory, carnivory, sanguivory, nectarivory and frugivory).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The radiation of phyllostomid bats presented adaptive and non-adaptive components nested together through the time frame of the family's evolution. The first 10 My of the radiation were marked by strong phenotypic and ecological divergence among ancestors of modern lineages, whereas the remaining 20 My were marked by stasis around a number of probable adaptive peaks. A considerable amount of cladogenesis and speciation in this period is likely to be the result of non-adaptive allopatric divergence or adaptations to peaks within major dietary categories.</p

Diversificación craneofacial e integración evolutiva en poblaciones sudamericanas

El estudio de la integración morfológica tiene gran importancia para comprender los patrones y procesos de evolución morfológica. Las poblaciones del sur de Sudamerica representan un interesante caso para el estudio de la integración evolutiva debido a que las mismas han alcanzado una gran diversidad morfológica. El objetivo de esta ponencia es presentar los resultados del análisis de la variación craneofacial y la integración evolutiva en poblaciones humanas de esta región. Se definieron componentes morfogenéticos los cuales fueron descriptos mediante landmarks y semilandmarks. Los patrones de integración entre componentes fueron comparados con modelos basados en información del desarrollo, función y origen embriológico de los componentes, con el fin de estimar la importancia de estos factores en la integración craneofacial. Nuestros resultados muestran que en el nivel intra-poblacional los componentes del esqueleto facial y la calota presentan mayor integración y se encuentran relativamente disociados de los de la base, como es esperado por el tipo de osificación del cráneo. En cambio, la integración en elnivel inter-poblacional difiere de la del nivel intra-poblacional y se ajusta al patrón de crecimiento del cráneo. En conjunto estos resultados muestran que la integración entre componentes es flexible y que diferentes factores pueden modificar el patrón de integración.Simposio: Patrones y procesos de diversificación morfológica.Asociación de Antropología Biológica de la República Argentina (AABRA

Diversificación craneofacial e integración evolutiva en poblaciones sudamericanas

El estudio de la integración morfológica tiene gran importancia para comprender los patrones y procesos de evolución morfológica. Las poblaciones del sur de Sudamerica representan un interesante caso para el estudio de la integración evolutiva debido a que las mismas han alcanzado una gran diversidad morfológica. El objetivo de esta ponencia es presentar los resultados del análisis de la variación craneofacial y la integración evolutiva en poblaciones humanas de esta región. Se definieron componentes morfogenéticos los cuales fueron descriptos mediante landmarks y semilandmarks. Los patrones de integración entre componentes fueron comparados con modelos basados en información del desarrollo, función y origen embriológico de los componentes, con el fin de estimar la importancia de estos factores en la integración craneofacial. Nuestros resultados muestran que en el nivel intra-poblacional los componentes del esqueleto facial y la calota presentan mayor integración y se encuentran relativamente disociados de los de la base, como es esperado por el tipo de osificación del cráneo. En cambio, la integración en elnivel inter-poblacional difiere de la del nivel intra-poblacional y se ajusta al patrón de crecimiento del cráneo. En conjunto estos resultados muestran que la integración entre componentes es flexible y que diferentes factores pueden modificar el patrón de integración.Simposio: Patrones y procesos de diversificación morfológica.Asociación de Antropología Biológica de la República Argentina (AABRA

Heart Rate Variability Analysis in Revascularized Individuals Submitted to an Anaerobic Potency Test

The objective of this study was to analyze the behavior of autonomic modulation before, during and after the Modified Wingate Test (WanMT), through the analysis of Heart Rate Variability (HRV). Six volunteers between the ages of 40 and 70, post-revascularization procedures (angioplasty and/or surgery, mean duration 10 months), were submitted to supervised training for at least 10 to 14 months. The following protocol, divided into 5 phases, was used: 1) Rest Phase (RP): 180 seconds; 2) Submaximum Phase (SP): 30 seconds; 3) Maximum Phase (MP): 30 seconds; 4) Active Recuperation Phase (ARP); 120 seconds and; 5) Passive Recuperation Phase (PRP): 180 seconds. For the WanMT Test, we selected the load of 3.75% of corporal weight for all volunteers. To analyze the HRV, we used the following parameters: the interval RRr, MNN, SDNN, RMSSD and PNN50. We only observed results for the group according to RMSSD parameters during the rest phase of the test protocol in which the group remained in vagal presence and during all other phases in vagal depression. However, when we analyzed the PNN50, we observed that the group was in medium vagal presence during all of the phases of the test though there was no statistically significant difference (p> 0.05) between the phases. Therefore, we can say that all of the individuals had a similar profile in the autonomic response to the WanMT, confirmed by the parameters studied in the analysis of the HRV in the time domain

Effect of panretinal photocoagulation on the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer in diabetic retinopathy patients

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) on the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in nonglaucomatous patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). METHODS: This is a prospective, single center, observational study. Thirty-eight eyes of 26 diabetic patients underwent PRP for proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Peripapillary RNFL thickness was measured using scanning laser polarimetry (SLP) with variable corneal compensation (GDx VCC; by Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, CA) and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) (Heidelberg Spectralis, Carlsbad, USA) at baseline and 12 months after PRP was performed. RESULTS: Thirty-eight eyes of 26 patients (15 female) with a mean age of 53.7 years (range 26 to 74 years) were recruited. No significant difference was found among all RNFL thickness parameters tested by GDx VCC software (p=0.952, 0.464 and 0.541 for temporal-superior-nasal-inferior-temporal (TSNIT) average, superior average, inferior average, respectively). The nerve fiber indicator (NFI) had a nonsignificant increase (p=0.354). The OCT results showed that the average RNFL thickness (360o measurement) decreased nonsignificantly from 97.2 mm to 96.0 mm at 1 year post-PRP (p=0.469). There was no significant difference when separately analyzing all the peripapillary sectors (nasal superior, temporal superior, temporal, temporal inferior, nasal inferior and nasal thickness). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that PRP, as performed in our study, does not cause significant changes in peripapillary RNFL in diabetic PDR patients after one year of follow-up

Ciclagem de nutrientes por plantas de cobertura no cerrado.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o desempenho de plantas cultivadas quanto ao acúmulo e a liberação de nutrientes, durante o período de entressafra, em um Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico de Santo Antônio de Goiás, GO e Rio Verde, GO. O delineamento experimental foi o de blocos casualizados, em esquema de parcelas subdivididas no tempo, com as plantas de cobertura avaliadas nas parcelas, e nas subparcelas, as épocas de coleta de fitomassa, com quatro repetições

Produção de fitomassa por plantas de cobertura no cerrado.

O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar a produção de fitomassa por plantas de cobertura semeadas em safrinha no desempenho do arroz de terras altas e soja, semeada em rotação, em sistema de plantio direto e preparo convencional, em Latossolo Vermelho do município de Rio Verde, Goiás. O trabalho foi realizado no período de abril de 2008 a fevereiro de 2009. Utilizou-se o delineamento em faixas, em esquema de parcelas subdivididas no tempo, com quatro repetições. Nas faixas horizontais foram testadas as plantas de cobertura, nas faixas verticais dois sistemas de manejo (plantio direto e convencional, ambos com três anos de implantação), e nas subparcelas seis épocas de coletas de fitomassa após a dessecação das plantas de cobertura, que ocorreu aos 0 , 15, 30, 60, 90 e 120 dias à partir da dessecação de manejo das plantas de cobertura, com quatro repetições

Do critical thinkers drink too much alcohol, forget to do class assignments, or cheat on exams? Using a critical thinking measure to predict college students’ real-world outcomes

Critical thinking is a higher-order way of reasoning composed of the skill and will to use cognitive abilities and knowledge on a daily basis. It is identified as essential by higher education institutions, corporations, and society in general. To analyze whether college students are critical thinkers in their daily lives, the Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment (HCTA; Halpern in Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment (Measurement instrument), Schuhfried, Mödling, 2012) and the real-world outcomes inventory (RWO; Butler in Appl Cogn Psychol 26(5):721–729, 2012) were administered to 238 students. We performed a cluster analysis (K-means-constrained clustering method), and ANOVAs for each cluster solution tested to identify the most suitable clustering solution, taking the RWO inventory dimensions as dependent variables and cluster membership as an independent variable. Four separate clusters emerged, each representing a different profile related to students’ everyday negative outcomes resulting from a lack of critical thinking. We performed multinomial logistic regression to examine which dimensions of the HCTA test, as well as gender, age, and disciplinary area, predicted the four singular groups of students that emerged: “Mature,” “Risk-taking,” “Lost in translation,” and “Reflective.” Results indicate that: (1) age is a relevant predictor of slackness, rashness, and health neglect, all characteristics of “Mature” students; (2) students who are particularly skilled in hypothesis testing tend to be “Risk-taking,” while it is less likely that students who are specifically competent in argument analysis will be in this group; (3) gender is relevant to predict “Lost in translation” students, while argument analysis is negatively related to the chances of being in this group. Our study supports the relevance of critical thinking in daily decisions and everyday outcomes.FCT -Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia(Advanced Training)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio