Nest predation of Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis (Aves, Procellariiformes) by introduced mammals on Terceira Island, Azores

ABSTRACT: The Azores holds the largest population of Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis (Cory, 1881) (Aves, Procellariiformes) in the world. Apart from a few mammal-free islets, the bulk of the population breeds in coastal areas on the main human-inhabited islands, where several non-native predators have been introduced. Throughout the entire year of the 2019 breeding season, we used motion-triggered cameras and regularly visited three colonies of Cory's shearwater to identify nest predators and the factors affecting nest predation. A total of 292,624 photos were obtained, of which 97.7% were of Cory’s shearwaters, 1.7% of non-target species (e.g. other birds, rabbits) and 0.52% of potential predators. Of the monitored nests, 25.7% were predated (n = 9), mainly by black rats (n = 8), but also by cats (n = 1). The relative abundance of black rats in the nests was the main factor explaining nest mortality. This variable was significantly and negatively related with the daily survival rate of Cory’s shearwater nestlings. Identification of the main nest predators is crucial for the management and conservation of native bird populations, particularly on oceanic islands, which harbour an important number of threatened and endemic species.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

First results from the NA60 experiment at CERN

Since 1986, several heavy ion experiments have studied some signatures of the formation of the quark-gluon plasma and a few exciting results have been found. However, some important questions are still unanswered and require new measurements. The NA60 experiment, with a new detector concept that vastly improves dimuon detection in proton-nucleus and heavy-ion collisions, studies several of those open questions, including the production of open charm. This paper presents the experiment and some first results from data collected in 2002.Comment: Paper presented at the XXXVIII Rencontres de Moriond, QCD and High Energy Hadronic Interactions, Les Arcs, March 22-29, 2003. 4 pages, 6 figure

First results from NA60 on low mass muon pair production in In-In collisions at 158 GeV/nucleon

The NA60 experiment at the CERN SPS studies dimuon production in proton-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus collisions. The combined information from a novel vertex telescope made of radiation-tolerant silicon pixel detectors and from the muon spectrometer previously used in NA50 allows for a precise measurement of the muon vertex and a much improved dimuon mass resolution. We report on first results from the data taken for Indium-Indium collisions at 158 AGeV/nucleon in 2003, concentrating on a subsample of about 370 000 muon pairs in the mass range $<1.2$ GeV/$c^{2}$. The light vector mesons $\omega$ and $\phi$ are completely resolved, with a mass resolution of about 23 MeV/$c^{2}$ at the $\phi$. The transverse momentum spectra of the $\phi$ are measured over the continuous range $0<p_{\rm T}<2.5$ GeV/c; the inverse slope parameter of the spectra is found to increase with centrality, with an average value of $T=252\pm3$ MeV.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures. Plenary talk, SQM2004 conference, Cape Town, South Africa 15-20 September, 2004. To be published in Journal of Physics G: Nuclear and Particle Physic

The electron-furfural scattering dynamics for 63 energetically open electronic states

We report on integral-, momentum transfer-and differential cross sections for elastic and electronically inelastic electron collisions with furfural (C5H4O2). The calculations were performed with two different theoretical methodologies, the Schwinger multichannel method with pseudopotentials (SMCPP) and the independent atom method with screening corrected additivity rule (IAM-SCAR) that now incorporates a further interference (I) term. The SMCPP with N energetically open electronic states (N-open) at either the static-exchange (N-open ch-SE) or the static-exchange-plus-polarisation (N-open ch-SEP) approximation was employed to calculate the scattering amplitudes at impact energies lying between 5 eV and 50 eV, using a channel coupling scheme that ranges from the 1ch-SEP up to the 63ch-SE level of approximation depending on the energy considered. For elastic scattering, we found very good overall agreement at higher energies among our SMCPP cross sections, our IAM-SCAR+I cross sections and the experimental data for furan (a molecule that differs from furfural only by the substitution of a hydrogen atom in furan with an aldehyde functional group). This is a good indication that our elastic cross sections are converged with respect to the multichannel coupling effect for most of the investigated intermediate energies. However, although the present application represents the most sophisticated calculation performed with the SMCPP method thus far, the inelastic cross sections, even for the low lying energy states, are still not completely converged for intermediate and higher energies. We discuss possible reasons leading to this discrepancy and point out what further steps need to be undertaken in order to improve the agreement between the calculated and measured cross sections. (C) 2016 AIP Publishing LLC

Vocal repertoire of Scinax v-signatus (Lutz 1968) (Anura, Hylidae) and comments on bioacoustical synapomorphies for Scinax perpusillus species group

Herein we describe the vocal repertoire of Scinax v-signatus, compare it to the other species belonging to the S. perpusillus species group and discuss the bioacoustical synapomorphies proposed for the group. We recorded an advertisement call and an aggressive call of S. v-signatus. The advertisement call is similar to the one described for others species of the Scinax perpusillus group. Similarly to Scinax cosenzai, the first note in the advertisement call of S. v-signatus is the longest. The aggressive call was preceded by a series of advertisement calls. We suggest that bioacoustical parameters proposed as synapomorphies for the Scinax perpusillus group are not valid, as they are also observed in species belonging to other groups within the genus

Disponibilização de Cursos EaD para Programador Web a partir da Abordagem de Cursos Privados e Centrada ao Aluno

Distance learning evolution demands for studies to continuous improvement ofteaching and learning, making the student aware and present in this process. This article deals with the case study of a course that uses approaches Small Private Online Course (SPOC) and student-centered teaching. Thus, we seek to verify the applicability of these concepts as a tool with the Moodle platform, and as a case study of web programming course. Keywords: virtual environment, teacher, task, automation

Bacillus atrophaeus inactivated spores as a potential adjuvant for veterinary rabies vaccine

Rabies is a viral encephalitis, nearly always fatal, but preventable through vaccines. Rabid animal bite is the prime transmission act, while veterinary vaccination is one of the best strategies for rabies general prevention. Aluminum compounds and saponin are the commercial adjuvants used for this vaccine nowadays. Nevertheless, aluminum compounds can provoke undesired side effects and saponin has a narrow activity range without toxicity. B. atrophaeus inactivated spores (BAIS), with or without saponin, were then used as an alternative to boost the inactivated rabies virus response. BAIS was as effective as saponin in augmenting antibody titers, but combination of both adjuvants doubled the titers raised by them individually. The combined adjuvant formulation maintained viability for 21 months when stored at 4-8 degrees C. Overall, BAIS was demonstrated as a viable alternative to commercial adjuvants, while its combination with saponin resulted in even higher vaccine potency with good stability. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES)Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES)Butantan InstituteButantan Institut

Integral elastic, electronic-state, ionization, and total cross sections for electron scattering with furfural

We report absolute experimental integral cross sections (ICSs) for electron impact excitation of bands of electronic-states in furfural, for incident electron energies in the range 20-250 eV. Wherever possible, those results are compared to corresponding excitation cross sections in the structurally similar species furan, as previously reported by da Costa et al. [Phys. Rev. A 85, 062706 (2012)] and Regeta and Allan [Phys. Rev. A 91, 012707 (2015)]. Generally, very good agreement is found. In addition, ICSs calculated with our independent atom model (IAM) with screening corrected additivity rule (SCAR) formalism, extended to account for interference (I) terms that arise due to the multi-centre nature of the scattering problem, are also reported. The sum of those ICSs gives the IAM-SCAR+I total cross section for electron-furfural scattering. Where possible, those calculated IAM-SCAR+I ICS results are compared against corresponding results from the present measurements with an acceptable level of accord being obtained. Similarly, but only for the band I and band II excited electronic states, we also present results from our Schwinger multichannel method with pseudopotentials calculations. Those results are found to be in good qualitative accord with the present experimental ICSs. Finally, with a view to assembling a complete cross section data base for furfural, some binary-encounter-Bethe-level total ionization cross sections for this collision system are presented. (C) 2016 AIP Publishing LLC

Alkalizing Reactions Streamline Cellular Metabolism in Acidogenic Microorganisms

An understanding of the integrated relationships among the principal cellular functions that govern the bioenergetic reactions of an organism is necessary to determine how cells remain viable and optimise their fitness in the environment. Urease is a complex enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of urea to ammonia and carbonic acid. While the induction of urease activity by several microorganisms has been predominantly considered a stress-response that is initiated to generate a nitrogen source in response to a low environmental pH, here we demonstrate a new role of urease in the optimisation of cellular bioenergetics. We show that urea hydrolysis increases the catabolic efficiency of Streptococcus thermophilus, a lactic acid bacterium that is widely used in the industrial manufacture of dairy products. By modulating the intracellular pH and thereby increasing the activity of β-galactosidase, glycolytic enzymes and lactate dehydrogenase, urease increases the overall change in enthalpy generated by the bioenergetic reactions. A cooperative altruistic behaviour of urease-positive microorganisms on the urease-negative microorganisms within the same environment was also observed. The physiological role of a single enzymatic activity demonstrates a novel and unexpected view of the non-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms that govern the bioenergetics of a bacterial cell, highlighting a new role for cytosol-alkalizing biochemical pathways in acidogenic microorganisms