Sobre um novo Nicoletiidae (Zygentoma: Insecta) do Brasil vivendo com formigas lava-pés (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

A new myrmecophilous silverfish (Zygentoma: Nicoletiidae: Subnicoletiinae) from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, found living in fire ant (Solenopsis saevissima, Formicidae: Myrmicinae) nests is described: Allotrichotriura saevissima gen. nov. sp. nov. is compared with the other genera and subgenera known in the subfamily. The main diagnostic features would include the combination of body shape, body and head setation, morphology of praetarsus, and number of abdominal stylets and vesicles. Although further quests were attempted at the type-locality, only the original described material, exclusively composed of females, remains known.Descreve-se um novo Zygentoma (Nicoletiidae: Subnicoletiinae), mirmecófilo da formiga lava-pés Solenopsis saevissima (Formicidae: Myrmicinae) no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil: Allotrichotriura saevissima gen. nov. sp. nov. que é comparado com os géneros e subgéneros conhecidos na subfamília. As principais características diagnósticas respeitam a combinação da forma do corpo, quetotaxia cefálica e do corpo, morfologia do prétarso e número de estilos e vesículas abdominais. Embora prospecções recentes tenham sido levadas a cabo na localidade típica, apenas se conhece a amostra original, que integra exclusivamente fêmeas

Species richness and endemicity of the butterflies (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) in São Tomé e Príncipe

Com base no estudo de cerca de 1500 exemplares de borboletas (superfamílias Hesperioidea e Papilionoidea) na sua maioria resultantes de trabalho de campo recente, e na bibliografia conhecida, calcula-se o número de espécies que se crê realmente existentes hoje em dia em São Tomé e Príncipe e em cada uma das ilhas. São registadas quatro espécies novas para o país e cinco novidades a nível insular. A validade de Borbo fatuellus thomea (Hopffer, 1855) (Hesperiidae) não é aceite sendo a subespécie considerada como sinónimo novo de B. f. fatuellus (Evans, 1837). Reavaliam-se as taxas de endemismo para São Tomé e Príncipe e, separadamente para cada uma das ilhas, deste grupo zoológico tido como importante indicador ecológico.Based on the study of ca 1500 butterfly specimens (superfamilies Hesperioidea and Papilionoidea) mostly resulting of recent field work, as well as on bibliographic data, the number of species believed to fly really today in São Tomé e Príncipe and in each one of its islands is re-evaluated. Four species are assigned as new to the country and five are pointed as novelties at island level. Borbo fatuellus thomea (Hopffer, 1855) (Hesperiidae) validity is not accepted and the subspecies is considered to fall in the synonym of B. f. fatuellus (Evans, 1837). The endemism rates of one of this zoological group considered as an important ecological indicator are re-calculated to São Tomé e Príncipe and separately to each one of the islands

Oscillating Economic Sphere: Sustainable Limits of the Biosphere in the Face of Climate Change

This paper proposes a new geometric model to facilitate the understanding of the complex interaction between the economic system and the limits of the biosphere. The concept of the oscillating economic sphere is based on a central parameter of the economy, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In the model a hypothetical sphere was built, in which its radius (re) corresponds to the world GDP (economic sphere), and another hypothetical sphere with radius (rb) is also introduced to represent the size of the biosphere (sphere of life), on this geometric construction, these spheres are concentric (rb > re). Therefore, an expansion of the economic sphere will occupy the biosphere, since the fundamentals of economy predict unlimited growth of GDP. Thus we will have a limit to be reached because the biophysical forces oppose this expansion, creating harmful environmental effects such as climate change

Microcoryphia y Zygentoma (Insecta: Apterygota) de Retuerta de Pina (Zaragoza: Monegros)

Se estudian los Microcoryphia y Zygentoma del término municipal de Pina de Ebro, situado en los Monegros (Zaragoza), se han hallado un total de 11 tazones, de los cuales, 4 pertenecen al Orden Microcoryphia y 7 al O. Zygentoma. Dentro de los Microcoryphia, cada taxón corresponde a un género, siendo la primera vez que Silvestrichilis se cita para la comunidad aragonesa. Es la primera ocasión en que se halla el género Machilis en Zaragoza, describiéndose una nueva especie: M. blascoi. Del O. Zygentoma se han hallado 7 taxones, agrupados en 4 géneros, siendo todos ellos nuevas citas para la Comunidad Autónoma de Aragón

Mmp-2 And Mmp-9 activities and Timp-1 and Timp-2 expression in the prostatic tissue of two ethanol-preferring rat models

We investigated whether chronic ethanol intake is capable of altering the MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities and TIMP-2 and TIMP-1 expression in the dorsal and lateral prostatic lobes of low (UChA) and high (UChB) ethanol-preferring rats. MMP-2 and MMP9 activities and TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 expression were significantly reduced in the lateral prostatic lobe of the ethanol drinking animals. Dorsal prostatic lobe was less affected showing no significant alterations in these proteins, except for a reduction in the TIMP-1 expression in UChA rats. These important findings demonstrate that chronic ethanol intake impairs the physiological balance of the prostate extracellular matrix turnover, through downregulation of MMPs, which may contribute to the development of prostatic diseases. Furthermore, since these proteins are also components of prostate secretion, the negative impact of chronic ethanol intake on fertility may also involve reduction of MMPs and TIMPs in the seminal fluid2015COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIOR - CAPESFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPsem informação2011/03394-4; 2011/13713-

Fabrication and characterization of n-SiC / p-diamond heterojunctions

This work reports the fabrication of diamond-SiC hetero-junctions through deposition of p-type polycrystalline diamond films on n-type SiC by HFCVD. The quality of the films was analyzed by SEM and Raman spectroscopy. The rectifying behaviour of these heterojunctions was demonstrated with room temperature I-V measurements

Loxosceles gaucho Venom-Induced Acute Kidney Injury – In Vivo and In Vitro Studies

Loxosceles (recluse or brown spider) is the most important spider genus causing human envenomation. In Brazil Loxosceles spiders were responsible for approximately 7,000 cases of spider envenomation per year. The brown spider accidents may cause late cutaneous necrosis at the bite site, intravascular hemolysis, rhabdomyolysis, coagulation system changes and acute kidney injury (AKI). Even patients with mild cutaneous lesion may develop severe hemolysis and AKI, which is the main cause of death after these accidents. The mechanisms causing kidney injury are poorly understood. In this manuscript we described a consistent rodent model of Loxosceles gaucho venom-induced AKI and studied some of the possible mechanisms of the renal lesion. The results of this research showed that kidney injury may occur independently of the cutaneous lesion and without changes in the systemic blood pressure. Kidney dysfunction occurred likely due to intra-renal vasoconstriction and rhabdomyolysis, although a direct toxic effect of the venom on the proximal tubules cannot be ruled out